Tag: Middle East Records

SAUDI ARABIA GDP growth higher than G20 average: OECD

 Saudi Arabia’s economy witnessed growth of 1.4 percent in the first quarter of 2024 – higher than that seen across the G20 as a whole, according to new data.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has released its latest gross domestic product report for the G20 countries, noting that the Kingdom bounced back from a contraction of 0.6 percent in the previous three-month period. 

GDP in the G20 area grew by 0.9 percent quarter-on-quarter in the first quarter of 2024, slightly up from 0.7 percent in the previous quarter. 

The economic performance of the G20 area was primarily driven by China and India, with Turkiye, Korea, and Indonesia also recording higher GDP growth than the G20 average. 

Turkiye led with an increase of 2.4 percent, followed by India at 1.9 percent, China at 1.6 percent, Korea at 1.3 percent, and Indonesia at 1.2 percent. 

The report highlighted that while Saudi Arabia experienced a significant recovery, other G20 countries faced varying economic conditions. 

The US saw a slowdown, with GDP growth dropping to 0.3 percent in the first three months of the year from 0.8 percent in the previous quarter. 

Japan’s economy contracted by 0.5 percent, and South Africa saw a contraction of 0.1 percent. 

Conversely, Brazil, the UK, and Germany showed signs of recovery in the first quarter of 2024 after contractions over the previous three month period, with growth reaching 0.8 percent, 0.6 percent, and 0.2 percent, respectively. 

Canada, Mexico, and the EU grew by 0.4 percent, 0.3 percent, and 0.3 percent, respectively, in the three months to the end of March, after zero growth in the final quarter of 2023. 

Year-on-year, GDP in the G20 area grew by 3.3 percent in the first three months of the year, maintaining the same growth rate as the previous quarter. 

Among G20 economies, India recorded the highest year-on-year growth rate at 8.4 percent in the first quarter of 2024, followed by Turkiye at 7.4 percent. 

However, Saudi Arabia recorded the most significant year-on-year decline at a drop of 1.5 percent. 

According to a separate report by the General Authority for Statistics released earlier in June, the Kingdom’s non-oil activities also rose by 0.9 percent in the first three months of this year compared to the previous quarter.  

Additionally, non-oil activities increased by 3.4 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2024.  

GASTAT further noted that Saudi Arabia’s GDP amounted to SR1.01 trillion ($270 billion) in the first quarter.  

“Crude oil and natural gas activities achieved the highest contribution to GDP by 23.4 percent, followed by government activities at 15.8 percent, and then wholesale and retail trade, restaurants, and hotels activities with a contribution of 10.4 percent,” said GASTAT in the report.  

Strengthening the non-oil private sector is crucial for Saudi Arabia, as the Kingdom is steadily diversifying its economy to reduce its decades-long dependence on oil.  

The report further noted that government activities in Saudi Arabia rose by 2 percent year-on-year in the first quarter while declining by 1.1 percent on a quarter-on-quarter basis.  

GASTAT added that the Kingdom’s oil activities increased by 1.7 percent in the first quarter compared to the previous quarter.  

However, oil activities dipped by 11.2 percent year-on-year as Saudi Arabia reduced its crude production in line with the decision of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies, collectively known as OPEC+.  

To maintain market stability, Saudi Arabia reduced its oil output by 500,000 barrels per day in April 2023, and this cut has now been extended until December 2024.  

In April, the International Monetary Fund projected that Saudi Arabia’s economy would grow by 2.6 percent in 2024 and 6 percent in 2025.  

In the same month, the World Bank also raised the growth prospects of the Kingdom’s economy to 5.9 percent in 2025, up from an earlier projection of 4.2 percent. 

Furthermore, Saudi Arabia’s gross fixed capital formation surged to SR317.5 billion in the first quarter of 2024, marking a significant 7.9 percent increase compared to the same period last year. 

According to a separate report by the Saudi Ministry of Investment released earlier this month, gross fixed capital formation expansion was driven by growth in both the government and non-government sectors.  

GFCF, which represents the net increase in physical assets within an economy, plays a crucial role in gross domestic product as it reflects capital accumulation supporting future production capabilities and economic growth. 

Of the total GFCF, the government sector contributed 7 percent, experiencing a robust growth rate of 18 percent. Meanwhile, the non-government sector, constituting 93 percent, also saw a substantial rise of 7.2 percent. 

Saudi Arabia’s proactive efforts to attract foreign direct investment and bolster bilateral relations have significantly strengthened the Kingdom’s economic trajectory.  

FDI serves as a pivotal catalyst for GFCF development, facilitating funding for investment projects and resource and knowledge transfer across borders, thereby fostering economic expansion and maturation. 

Key initiatives such as the National Investment Strategy, the Regional Headquarters Program, and zero-income tax incentives for foreign entities play a vital role in advancing Vision 2030, which aims to diversify and expand the economy. 

During this quarter, the Ministry of Investment issued 3,157 investment licenses, marking a 93 percent surge compared to the same period last year, excluding licenses issued under the anti-concealment law. 

In its economic and investment monitor released in late May, the ministry revealed that the construction and manufacturing sector dominated with 47 percent of total permits, followed by vocational and educational activities, information and communication technology and accommodation and food services as well as wholesale and retail trade. 

The real estate sector witnessed the most significant year-on-year growth, with a staggering 253.3 percent increase in investment licenses. 

Furthermore, 127 international firms secured permits to relocate their regional headquarters to Saudi Arabia in the first quarter of 2024, reflecting a remarkable 477 percent year-on-year upsurge. 

Leading corporations such as Google, Microsoft and Amazon as well as Northern Trust, Bechtel, IHG Hotels & Resorts, and Deloitte have established operations in the Kingdom under this program. 

The report also highlights that Saudi Arabia processed 445 applications for investor visit visas during the first quarter of this year, enabling overseas businesspersons to explore opportunities in the country. 

source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)

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The report highlighted that while Saudi Arabia experienced a significant recovery, other G20 countries faced varying economic conditions. Shutterstock

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SAUDI ARABIA

PALESTINE: MEE Gaza journalist Maha Hussaini Wins ‘Courage in Journalism Award’ by the Washington based International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF)

Recognition from the International Women’s Media Foundation honours Palestinian reporter’s ‘remarkable bravery in the pursuit of reporting’.

Palestinian freelance journalist Maha Hussaini has had her reporting for Middle East Eye on the ongoing Israeli war on Gaza recognised by the International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF).

Hussaini was one of three recipients of the Courage in Journalism Awards , announced by the Washington-based foundation on Monday, which it says honours remarkable bravery in the pursuit of reporting.

Since the assault began in October, Hussaini has published dozens of stories, including a report uncovering Israeli field executions of Palestinians , which was used as evidence by South Africa at the International Court of Justice in the case accusing Israel of genocide.

Reacting to the award, Hussaini told MEE she was both happy and sad at recognition for her work. 

“I am happy because it is another effort to recognise the work of Palestinian journalists and make them heard and seen,” she said. “But I am saddened because I know the cost of such recognition in a place where over 150 journalists have been killed over the course of eight months.”

The IWMF recognised Hussaini, who was a resident of Gaza City before the war, for working under strenuous circumstances during the conflict. 

The Israeli attacks have posed daily threats to her life, forced her to move location multiple times and to live in desperate conditions, along with almost all of Gaza’s 2.3m Palestinian population. 

At times Hussaini has been forced to work without access to electricity and internet during Israeli-imposed power outages. Her freedom of movement within Gaza, including access to her home, has also been restricted by the Israeli siege and checkpoints.

“Since the beginning of the Israeli war, it has become increasingly clear to me that journalists are targets for the Israeli army. Many of the journalists who have been killed while reporting were colleagues with whom I closely collaborated,” Hussaini told MEE.

She said that each morning she faced the possibility that she could be killed next, and quietly recited the Shahada, the Muslim declaration of faith often pronounced before death, each time she went out to report. 

“I understand that my work carries immense risks, but I cannot say that I’m scared to be a journalist,” Hussaini added. “I have never felt hesitant to go to the field or cover any story. But I however worry that if I am killed, another voice would be silenced, another pen would be broken.”

Hussaini said she hoped that by winning the award, light would be shed on the work done by Palestinian journalists, especially when “many international media outlets choose to overlook their stories and reporting”.

She added that it was particularly important now as Israel bans international journalists from entering Gaza.

‘We need women’s voices in news media’

Hussaini won the award alongside Lauren Chooljian, a senior reporter and producer at American radio NHPR, and Monica Velásquez Villacís, an investigative journalist and presenter at Ecuadorian digital media outlet La Posta . 

“We need women’s voices in news media to keep the press free and we need to fiercely protect women like Lauren, Maha, Mónica, and Shin to ensure that power is held to account and that equitable values survive,” said IWMF Executive Director Elisa Lees Munoz. 

David Hearst, MEE’s Editor in Chief, said: “To live under conditions where there is no safe haven from drones and missiles for eight months is unbearable.

“But to report under conditions where you as a journalist are deliberately targeted, and where you witness your colleagues being killed, is a feat few other journalists can imagine. Maha deserves the highest award for her work.”

Lubna Masarwa, MEE’s Palestine and Israel bureau chief, said no words can describe how much Hussaini deserves recognition. 

“Despite everything she endured – the bombs, displacement, and seeing her colleagues killed – Maha has remained resilient, professional and true to her mission of giving a voice to the Palestinian people,” Masarwa said.

The Israeli military has killed at least 150 journalists out of an estimated 37,000 Palestinians in Gaza since 7 October, according to local officials. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has reported that it has been the deadliest period for journalists since the NGO began gathering data in 1992.

“It’s wonderful seeing Maha’s work, and by extension, that of Palestinian journalists in Gaza, being recognised by the world,” Masarwa added. 

“But truly no amount of awards and words can begin to express how much she deserves recognition.” 

Among Hussaini’s stories recognised by the IWMF is a report on the reality of women giving birth at home in Gaza and another featuring a girl who had to carry her paralysed six-year old brother for miles while fleeing bombing.

Hussaini’s decade as reporter

Hussaini began work as a freelance journalist in July 2014 during the Israeli offensive on Gaza, producing, preparing, and presenting reports on the conflict that resulted in the deaths of more than 2,200 Palestinians and around 60 Israelis. 

She has been writing for MEE since 2018 and has covered hundreds of stories focusing on human rights and armed conflict.

In 2020, she won the Martin Adler Prize , awarded by the prestigious Rory Peck Trust, for her reporting for MEE from Gaza.

She was shortlisted for the 2023 Local Reporter Award granted by the Kurt Schork Memorial Fund.  
 
Hussaini also works as the strategy director of the Geneva-based Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor .

IWMF’a Courage in Journalism Awards is given annually to women journalists who “are not going to step aside, cannot be silenced, and deserve to be recognised for their strength in the face of adversity”. 

Shireen Abu Akleh, a renowned Palestinian-American journalist, posthumously won the award in 2023 after being shot and killed by Israeli forces a year earlier.

source/content: middleeasteye.net (headline edited)

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Maha Hussaini (L) interviewing a Palestinian boy in the Gaza Strip in June 2023 (Supplied/Mahmoud Mushtaha)

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PALESTINE

ARAB CANADIAN : Six Arab Women praised for their ambition and leadership in Waterloo Region

The women are part of an ascending community that has gained a higher profile after waves of recent immigration.

Six Arab women were honoured Saturday by their peers for their work in the community and in business.

“It really is a great opportunity to educate people,” said Asma Al-wahsh, founder of the non-profit Canadian Arab Women’s Association. The association named six Women of the Year in part to challenge stereotypes that immigrant women do not contribute.

Noura Alkhiwled was celebrated for “rocking it on the work floor” as a woman in the workforce. Ansam Shafi was recognized for her community leadership.

Hiba Al Zaben has made a name for herself in a science-related field that is dominated by men. Bahiyye Ahram owns a business and is an exceptional entrepreneur.

Yasmin Haloubi was honoured for making a difference in Guelph. Amina Ismail is a future leader, recognized as an example of the next generation of Arab women.

These Arab women are part of an ascending Arab community that is gaining a higher profile after waves of recent immigration. The community was little known a generation ago, but is now big enough to hold its first Middle Eastern festival last month in Kitchener.

Arabic has surged to become the No. 3 foreign language spoken around dinner tables at home in this region, the 2021 census has found. It has surpassed German and trails Chinese languages and Punjabi.

Growth over a decade has been “really huge,” Al-wahsh said. She came to Canada in 2012 and sees this region as a magnet for Canadian Arabs who are relocating from other cities and provinces.

It’s the second time the women’s association has honoured women of the year. The ceremony was held in west Kitchener at the Portuguese Club.

source/content: therecord.com (waterloo region) / (headline edited)

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From left: Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic, Amina Ismail (celebrated as a future leader), and Asma Al-wahsh, founder of the Canadian Arab Women’s Association .Peaceful Films

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CANADIAN / ARAB

SAUDI ARABIA: WORLD RECORD: Breaking Barriers: 23-year old Reem Al Aboud and Formula E Set an FIA Single-Seater Benchmark breaking World Record

This January, Saudi racer Reem Al Aboud set a new acceleration benchmark for an FIA single-seater by reaching 0-60mph in 2.49 seconds in an ABB FIA Formula E GENBETA car. Ahead of International Women’s Day, we reflect on the implications of this achievement for motorsport.

Every Federation Internationale de l’Automobile-sanctioned single-seater championship race begins with a standing start. The lights at the starting line flash on, and flash off. Idle cars roar to life, accelerating through the straight and into the waiting corner. 

How quickly these cars can accelerate depends on the series. F1 Academy goes from zero to 60mph in approximately 3.6 seconds. Formula 3 and Formula 2 manage in 3.1 and 2.9, respectively. Formula E’s GEN3 car takes 2.8. The current Formula 1 car takes 2.64. 

But F1’s 2.64 seconds is no longer the benchmark. Now, Formula E’s newly developed GENBETA car holds the title — and with a woman in the cockpit.

Last July, Formula E unveiled its GENBETA prototype at the ExCeL London. While testing the car, World Champion Jake Hughes clinched a top speed of 218.71km/h, smashing the Guinness World Record for fastest speed indoors by more than 50km/h. 

Having designated GENBETA as its development platform, Formula E sought to explore the model’s potential and performance further. The series set its sights on setting a second benchmark: the time an FIA single-seater takes to reach 0-60mph. 

Yet in chasing after the F1 benchmark, Formula E was not content with breaking only technological and physical barriers. So, to honour its founding commitment to social progress, it added motorsport’s longstanding gender barrier as yet another to break.

Accordingly, Formula E tapped 23-year-old Saudi female racer Reem Al Aboud to take the GENBETA’s driver seat. The 2023 Saudi Toyota Ladies Cup Champion has partnered with the series since 2018, when she became the first Saudi woman to test a Formula E car. 

Experienced in driving GEN2 and GEN3 cars  — plus breaking barriers across karting, hillclimbing and autocross series — Reem was Formula E’s choice for a 2024 FIA Girls on Track Ambassador. Naturally, she was their choice for the GENBETA test as well. 

And that choice certainly paid off. This January at Dirab Motor Park, Reem’s GENBETA car achieved 0-60mph in 2.49 seconds — besting F1’s by 0.15 seconds. 

Of course, the technological aspect of the January test is remarkable. Behind GENBETA’s new benchmark is its front powertrain kit, which previous Formula E models (and other road electric vehicles) only use for energy harvesting. However, GENBETA also turns on this kit for greater traction during acceleration, using it to produce 536 horsepower that will launch the car into action. Instant torque allows for instant acceleration and thus a 2.49-second 0-60mph time.

What’s also remarkable is that a woman is the face of this test. 

After all, motorsport’s gender barrier is cyclical. Doubt that female drivers can perform on par with their male counterparts dominates the sport. Doubtful investors shy away from funding young female drivers. Underfunded female drivers can’t enter, remain and progress through racing series. Series sorely lack female representation — when representation is what validates the reality that women can indeed perform. That lack of validation perpetuates the doubt about female drivers. And so, the cycle continues.  

But Reem’s benchmark throws a wrench into this cycle by tackling the doubt head-on. She reaffirms that when women are given the time on track they are so often denied, they can excel. That when women are included in the conversation, they can contribute to the technological developments that push this sport forward. That when this sport values women, women can bring equal — if not more — value to the sport in turn. 

As the face of this test, Reem represents the generations of women who have been denied from motorsport on the basis of their gender. Of women who challenge prejudice in cockpits, paddocks and audiences. Of girls who see Reem on their screens and wonder if they, too, can wrestle state-of-the-art cars at inhuman speeds. 

Reem breaks the cycle by showing them that they can, and that they should. 

In doing so, she and Formula E bring motorsport a step closer to a new era. One where women are no longer the exception, but the standard. 

source/content: femalesinmotorsport.com (headline edited)

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SAUDI ARABIA

EGYPTIAN Researcher records new unknown genus of rodents dating back 34 million years

About 34 million years ago, in the Eocene period of the Paleogene (the period from 66 to 23 million years ago), and in a tropical-like environment with forests and swamps in what is today the Qatrani Desert in Egypt’s Fayoum Depression, a genus of rodents that was not known before, used to live. 

In a new study published in PeerJ, researcher Shorouk Al-Ashqar, a member of the “Sallam Lab” team specialised in vertebrate fossils at Mansoura University, studied two skulls and a large group of mandibles of fossils belong to the “Qatranimys Safroutus”.

“But it wasn’t easy; the samples were very small and very thin and adhered to the solid rocky clay, which made preparing the samples for study very difficult. We had to make accurate CT scans to be able to study them in a three-dimensional image,” said Hesham Sallam, the lead author of the study. 

The newly discovered genus of rodents was called “Qatranimys Safroutus” which refers to the location of the discovery in the first word, whilst “safroutus” means too small in the Egyptian Arabic dialect.

The length of the molar of Qatranimys Safroutus was one millimetre, and its skull was about 1.5 centimetres long, and its weight did not exceed 45 grams. 

Jebel Qatrani Formation is famous for its rich rodent assemblages from the Eocene–Oligocene deposits, which contributes to enhancing our understanding of the origin and paleobiogeography of what scientists call the “Hystricognathi” which are an infraorder of rodents, distinguished from other rodents by the bone structure of their skulls.

Al-Ashqar said that the samples used in the study showed clear differences in the morphological characteristics of the upper and lower teeth. And by comparing these samples with the discovered rodents from Afro-Arabia, it was clear that it belongs to a new genus that has never been discovered before.

“We did not only record a new genus and species, but we were able to record the first bones of the skull of a large group to which the discovery belongs, called the “Phiocricetomys”, she added. 

Researchers from Mansoura University, the American University in Cairo, the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency, Duke University and the University of Salford participated in the study.

source/content: dailynewsegypt.com (headline edited)

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EGYPT

SAUDI ARABIA: Russian team takes first place in ‘ 2nd Arabic Hackathon’

  • An awards ceremony hosted by the King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language honored the top three teams in the event
  • Event aims to enhance the dictionary with innovative applications and new ideas

Russian team Spiderweb Network has won first place in the second Arabic Hackathon, scooping a prize of SR150,000 ($39,994) for their innovative idea.

Their project proposed an automatic enrichment system for the “Riyadh Dictionary” using three knowledge sources — the Arabic language expert community, artificial intelligence, and dictionaries found on the web.

An awards ceremony hosted by the King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language honored the top three teams in the event, which aims to enhance the dictionary with innovative applications and new ideas.

This global technical challenge is aimed at individuals and organizations with technical and linguistic skills from all over the world. Teams develop innovative technical solutions and digital platforms for automatic Arabic language processing to enhance its status among the world’s living languages.

Second place went to the Pioneers of Intelligence, a joint Algerian-French team who received SR100,000. Their project focused on using AI to provide terms and definitions from specialized fields in a fast and effective way, with the possibility of creating specialized lexicons such as the “Riyadh Medical Dictionary.”

The Saudi-Egyptian Arabic Examples team took third place and a prize of SR50,000 with their idea for an AI system that provides appropriate examples for the meaning of each word.

The second edition of the challenge saw a total of 546 participants, 57 percent of whom were female and 43 percent male, representing 30 countries in 142 competing teams.

Abdullah Al-Washmi, Secretary-General of the King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language, highlighted the establishment’s commitment to promoting the use of the Arabic language and launching supportive initiatives.

The closing ceremony was accompanied by activities such as an exhibition by the Arabic Intelligence Center, which was launched in April and specializes in automated Arabic language processing.

The center includes several initiatives, such as: the “Suwar” platform for digital dictionaries, “Falak” for digital corpora, and the Riyadh Dictionary for Contemporary Arabic Language.

Al-Washmi said the center represented a significant leap in the digital transformation of Arabic language services by developing technologies that aided its use, analysis, understanding, and production.

source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)

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The Russian team won first place in the Arabic Hackathon challenge, which concluded in Riyadh on Thursday (June 6). / Russian team Spiderweb Network has won first place in the second Arabic Hackathon, scooping a prize of SR150,000 for their innovative idea. (KSGAFAL)

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SAUDI ARABIA

OMANI student Al Azhar Zahir Al Jabri develops Smart Glove for Paralytic Patients

Al Azhar Zahir al Jabri, a 22-year-old Chemical Engineering student from the University of Technology and Applied Sciences in Muscat, has developed a ‘Smart Medical Glove’ to assist patients suffering from hemiplegia – a condition that causes paralysis on one side of the body.

Inspired by the memory of his late mother, who suffered from hemiplegia, Jabri embarked on this project in early 2021. 

“After my mother’s passing, I wanted to do something for those people affected by hemiplegia, and so I started working on this project. It has now reached an advanced stage, and I hope to complete it early next year and introduce the glove for permanent use,” he said.

The Smart Medical Glove has been developed for individuals with hemiplegia, muscular dystrophy, the elderly, and children. 

“The glove aids in rehabilitating the affected hand through pre-programmed specialised movements stored in the device. It also connects to a mobile application that allows patients to communicate with doctors worldwide and displays health sensor readings,” Jabri explained.

The glove includes simple daily movements that help patients perform certain activities independently. 

“I faced several challenges, primarily because I’m not an expert in rehabilitation science. However, through consultations with specialists, I was able to identify the essential movements and ensure their accuracy,” he added.

In 2022, Jabri secured a patent for his invention from the Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Investment Promotion. He believes the project represents a valuable economic resource for Oman. 

“Projects like these are vital for keeping up with Oman’s ongoing development and vision.”

Jabri recently represented Oman at the TEXPO exhibition in Malaysia, where he reached the final stages. He also collaborated with Khoula Hospital, which provided specialised consultations for the project and will continue to support its success.

“My family has been my primary supporter, and Khoula Hospital’s expertise has been invaluable. I hope my project will soon see the light of day and become available in the market for the benefit of those who need it,” he concluded.

source/content: muscatdaily.com (headline edited)

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OMAN

SAUDI ARABIA reelected to ‘Global Research Council’ leadership under the Vice Chairmanship of Munir bin Mahmoud Eldesouk

The governing board voted unanimously to reelect Vice Chairman Munir bin Mahmoud Eldesouki at the body’s 12th annual meeting.

The Kingdom has retained its leadership position in the Global Research Council, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.

The governing board voted unanimously to reelect Vice Chairman Munir bin Mahmoud Eldesouki at the body’s 12th annual meeting in Interlaken, Switzerland this week.

The reelection to this position, for the second time since the body’s establishment in 2012, confirms the council’s confidence in Saudi Arabia, the SPA reported.

The council highlighted Saudi Arabia’s efforts in promoting research, development and innovation in the Middle East North Africa region, the report added.

The council comprises heads of research institutions that fund projects globally.

source/contents: arabnews.com (headline edited)

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The governing board voted unanimously to reelect Vice Chairman Munir bin Mahmoud Eldesouki at the body’s 12th annual meeting. (SPA)

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SAUDI ARABIA

ALGERIA: Hassiba Boulmerka: The trailblazing Algerian star who defied death threats to win Olympic gold

The former Algerian middle-distance runner won her country’s first-ever Olympic gold medal. She navigated a deadly and divisive political crisis within her nation to emerge as “a symbol of victory and defiance”.

Hassiba Boulmerka and her family received death threats, and she was even denounced as anti-Islam at her local mosque.

However, in her home country of Algeria, there was no safe space for her to run.

The world 1500m world champion feared that radical Islamist militants would kill her, and the surrounding atmosphere was equally terrifying.

But despite the risks, the ‘Constantine Gazelle’ continued to train, running even faster and defying the threats to her life.

A year after clinching the first of her two world titles, she made history at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992, winning the first Olympic gold for Algeria .

Hassiba Boulmerka: Africa’s first world track champion

Running had been Boulmerka’s way of life since the age of 10.

Growing up in Constantine, in the east of Algeria, she gained recognition for her speed and stamina, which led her to claim four African gold medals in the 800m and 1500m.

Two years after her double triumph at the continental championships, she stunned the field, sprinting to the lead in the homestretch of the 1500m race to clinch the gold.

It was a glorious moment for Boulmerka, as she became the first African woman to earn a World Championships title.

“I screamed for joy and for shock, and for much more,” she said. “I was screaming for Algeria’s pride and Algeria’s history, and still more.”

Her triumph was significant, symbolising progress for Algerian sport and Arab women.

Despite the heroic reception that awaited her and her teammates upon their return from the 1991 World Championships, her running didn’t quite resonate with everyone.

Her sporting endeavours continued to be frowned upon.

Training and competing meant exposing her arms and legs, which was perceived as not adhering to Islam’s code of modesty.

Hassiba Boulmerka was labelled ‘anti-Muslim’ for choosing to run

Boulmerka pressed ahead, enduring the criticism.

She faced hostility, being spat on and having to dodge stones thrown at her while training on Algerian roads.

In a matter of months, her hopes and dreams of participating in the Olympics started to fade as her country was plunged into civil unrest, resulting in over 150,000 lives lost.

Training became not only impossible but also dangerous during the crisis, with Islamist militants seeking to impose oppressive rule.

She was forced to relocate to Berlin to train ahead of the 1992 Olympic Games.

“I remember it well,” she recalled in an interview with the BBC. “It was Friday prayers at our local mosque, and the imam said that I was not a Muslim, because I had run in shorts, shown my arms and my legs. He said I was anti-Muslim.”

When she arrived in Barcelona just before her event, Boulmerka was accompanied by armed escorts into the stadium, highlighting the unprecedented security measures.

“There were police everywhere. In the stadium, in the changing rooms – they even came with me to the bathroom!” she said.

Despite these challenges, the ‘Constantine Gazelle’, as she was affectionately dubbed for her agile and graceful running style, defied the odds and her performance at the Estádio Olímpico was remarkable.

Hassiba Boulmerka: A heroine for women in sport

The Unified Team’s Lyudmila Rogacheva set the pace for most of the 1500m race before the Algerian powered past her with half a lap to go, securing her greatest career victory. Her time of three minutes, 55.30 seconds earned her the Olympic gold medal, marking the second time second time an Arab woman had stood atop the Games podium (after Morocco’s Nawal El-Moutawakel at Los Angeles 1984).

It was a beautiful ending after months of navigating political challenges – an example of ‘courage in defying taboos and pursuing passion’.

“As I crossed the line, I thrust a fist into the air. It was a symbol of victory, of defiance. It was to say: ‘I did it! I won! And now, if you kill me, it’ll be too late. I’ve made history!'”

As Boulmerka stood on the podium, feeling the weight of the medal around her neck, she was overwhelmed by emotions.

“I tried to hold myself together, to be brave…but the tears just started to fall. They were tears of sacrifice, for all the people I loved that I had abandoned for this race.

“It was a triumph for women all over the world to stand up to their enemies. That’s what made me really proud.”

There was no fanfare when the two-time Olympian returned home to reunite with her family.

Algeria was still far away from the end of its dark period, prompting he exile in Cuba before she returned to Algeria after recapturing the gold medal at the 1995 World Championships.

Her medals stand as a testament to her courage, and Hassiba Boulmerka continues to serve as a beacon of inspiration for women in sport.

source/content: olympics.com (headline edited)

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(Getty Images)

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ALGERIA

SAUDI ARABIA: FIRST: ‘I was born a fighter’ — the making of Saudi’s First MMA Female Fighter Hattan Alsaif

The pioneering Riyadh resident knocked out Egypt’s Nada Faheem at the inaugural edition of PFL MENA in Riyadh last week.

As her opponent lay defeated on the floor, the Saudi mixed martial arts fighter marked a landmark victory by waving an imaginary sword in the air.

The celebration was appropriate— Hattan Alsaif’s family name translates directly as “the sword.”

Overnight, Saudi had a new sporting superstar.

On May 10, the 22-year-old made headlines around the world after she knocked out Egypt’s Nada Faheem, delivering a head kick in the second round of their bout at the inaugural Professional Fighters League Middle East and North Africa edition in Riyadh.

Her win, she says, was also a message of love and commitment to her friends, family and fans.

“It [the win] was something I was so proud of,” Alsaif told Arab News. “To make them see how far I reached, and I was doing my best to show them that I will never let them down.”

The future of Saudi women in MMA has been brewing for some time. In February, Alsaif made history when she became the first female from the Kingdom to sign a contract with a major MMA promoter – the PFL, now backed by Saudi’s public investment fund.

Her performance at the Green Halls last week has raised her profile beyond her hometown or even the region. Alsaif is now an international contender.

She said representing Saudi Arabia “meant everything” to her: “I do love my country so much, and I wanted to represent my country in the best way I can.”

But behind the win were three months of relentless training — mental and physical — and even cage-like fights in her gym.

Alsaif is a relative newcomer to the sport. When she first began training in 2021, it was never part of the plan to turn professional.

“First five days I began boxing, I jumped in a championship, and I lost the game,” she said.

Alsaif took the loss as a wake-up call to shift her perspective.

“You have to work hard, you have to work more, so you can have what you want. So I got that point on my mind and I worked on it,” she said.

Alsaif’s appetite for risk and adrenaline rushes dates back to her school days when, she recalls, her late parents received numerous complaints about her behavior.

“They (the school) were always calling my parents. ‘Your kid is jumping from the classes and jumping from the roof and jumping everywhere’,” Alsaif said.

“I was (also) in love with hiking and I was so in love with the desert bikes.”

A fighting spirit feels almost inherited, considering the Kingdom’s own rich history.

“I was born in Saudi Arabia and Saudi Arabia is my country. Saudi Arabia is in my blood,” she told Arab News.

“If I’m a girl from this city (Riyadh), that means I was born a fighter. I’m ready to sacrifice whatever it is for my country and for my people.”  

For Alsaif, sports such as Muay Thai are more than physical battles against an opponent. She feels there is a psychological fight between the inner critic in her mind and the fighter in her heart.

“Your mind will tell you ‘It’s all right. You’re bleeding now. No one will blame you if you quit…just quit’,” she said. “If your mind says that, then your body is going to move as much as your mind told you. If you moved with your heart, courageous heart, then you win it.”

Alsaif’s Islamic faith and spirituality has carried her through life’s hardships, which included losing her parents as a child.

“But I always believe that God is with me, and that I’m never alone,” Alsaif said.

After religion, it’s mixed martial arts that provides solace, resilience and a feeling of belonging for Alsaif.

In the last three years, she has spent months in Muay Thai training camps in Ko Samui and Phuket, relishing even the hardest moments of tears, cuts and bruises.

“It was so amazing visiting Thailand and having a camp (there). That was one of my dreams,” she said.

The sports scene in Saudi Arabia has transformed so rapidly in recent years that a new generation of homegrown stars like Alsaif no longer needs to look beyond their borders or regions for role models.

Her inspiration is Saudi MMA fighter Abdullah Al-Qahtani, with whom she shares a coach.

“I can see how much discipline, motivation he has […] and how much hard work he does,” she said.

Their coach, Feras Sadaa, is “the best,” she said, adding that she frequently reminds herself she has his complete backing: “I always trust him.”

Alsaif’s routine is simple but rigorously disciplined and follows the vital components of sports development and recovery — train, eat, sleep and repeat.

Alsaif says she is focused on taking any opportunity that arrives in her path and hopes to see more Saudis competing in MMA.

“I know my people and I know that my people are good enough to enter that cage and to show us a good fight,” she said.

source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)

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The 22-year-old Hattan Alsaifi made headlines around the world after she knocked out Egypt’s Nada Faheem. (Instagram: @hattanalsaif24)

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SAUDI ARABIA