Arabs & Arabian Records Aggregator. Chronicler. Milestones of the 25 Countries of the Arabic Speaking World (official / co-official). AGCC. MENA. Global. Ist's to Top 10's. Records. Read & Enjoy./ www.arabianrecords.org
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, visited Al Barakah Dates Factory, the world’s largest privately-owned dates factory located in Dubai Industrial City.
The facility spans over 800,000 square feet, with an annual production capacity of 100,000 tonnes, one of the market leaders for packaging and processing dates in the world.
During the visit, H.H. Sheikh Mohammed said that the UAE continues to strengthen its position as a global hub for advanced food industries through innovation, stronger production chains, and boosting the competitiveness of national products. He noted that the dates industry is a successful example of turning the country’s agricultural heritage into a modern, high-value-added sector that supports the economy and enhances food security.
H.H. Sheikh Mohammed said that the UAE continues to invest in key sectors that impact people’s lives, especially the food sector, and is developing its national industries to be more globally competitive through advanced technologies, higher production efficiency, and expanded access to international markets.
H.H. Sheikh Mohammed added that the dates industry is part of the UAE’s identity and heritage, and its development reflects a vision of turning resources into sustainable opportunities.
He also said humanitarian initiatives in the sector, including efforts to combat malnutrition, reflect the UAE’s commitment to improving lives and addressing global food security challenges.
During the visit, H.H. Sheikh Mohammed, accompanied by Malek Al Malek, Chairman of TECOM Group, was briefed by the factory founder Saleem Mohammed and his son Yousuf Saleem Mohammed, Managing Director, on production lines, manufacturing and packaging stages, as well as the factory’s range of products.
H.H. Sheikh Mohammed also reviewed the global reach of the factory’s products, which are exported to 97 countries, with the US, the UK, and EU among the key markets.
The factory is located in Dubai Industrial City, part of TECOM Group’s industrial parks, which was launched in 2004. The Dubai Industrial City hosts over 350 factories and more than 17,000 employees, and is strategically located near Jebel Ali Port, Al Maktoum International Airport, and Etihad Rail’s freight terminal, ensuring strong logistics connectivity. The factory reflects private sector success in the food industry, and was founded by businessman Saleem Mohammed, who began his career in Dubai in 1983 before moving into dates trading and processing in the 1990s.
Landmark study bridges history and modern scholarship
Project highlights Kingdom’s preservation of Islamic heritage
A new scholarly encyclopedia documenting the architectural evolution of the Prophet’s Mosque has emerged as a major reference work, charting the development of one of Islam’s most significant landmarks across centuries.
Published by the Al-Madinah al-Munawwarah Research and Studies Center, the project forms part of broader efforts to systematically record the mosque’s history and features through a rigorous academic framework enhanced by modern research tools, a review by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) said.
The encyclopedia traces the mosque’s transformation from its foundation during the Prophetic era through successive expansions across Islamic history, culminating in large-scale Saudi-era developments that have expanded capacity while preserving its architectural and spiritual identity.
Beyond historical documentation, the work provides analytical insight into key structural elements — such as arcades, domes, and minarets — examining their functional and aesthetic evolution, alongside associated landmarks that underscore the mosque’s enduring religious and civilizational role.
The initiative reflects Saudi Arabia’s continued commitment to serving the Two Holy Mosques and safeguarding Islamic heritage through specialized knowledge projects, the review said.
By preserving and systematizing the architectural memory of the Prophet’s Mosque, the encyclopedia is expected to fill a critical gap in scholarly research, offering a valuable resource for academics, students, and those interested in the cultural and human dimensions embedded in the mosque’s design,
source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)
_______________
General view of the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah. (SPA file photo)
The commission is headquartered in Beirut and brings together 21 member states across the Middle East and North Africa.
Rania Al-Mashat has been appointed Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, following an announcement by Secretary-General António Guterres.
Al-Mashat brings more than 25 years of experience in macroeconomic policy, central banking and international development. Between 2018 and 2026, she served in Egypt’s government across multiple portfolios, including tourism, international cooperation, and planning and economic development, becoming the country’s first female minister of tourism.
Prior to her ministerial roles, she served as sub-governor for monetary policy at the Central Bank of Egypt and worked as an adviser to the chief economist at the International Monetary Fund in Washington.
The Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, headquartered in Beirut, is one of the UN’s five regional commissions, serving 21 countries across the Middle East and North Africa. Its mandate includes supporting economic integration, policy coordination and sustainable development across the region.
Al-Mashat holds a PhD and MA in economics from the University of Maryland, College Park and a BA in economics from the American University in Cairo. She has also completed executive programmes in leadership and public policy at Harvard and Oxford.
Prominent Egyptian journalist Ezzat Ibrahim, editor-in-chief of Al-Ahram Weekly and Ahram Online, has won the Best Columnist Award for 2025 at the Mustafa and Ali Amin Journalism Awards, the awards’ board of trustees announced on Monday.
Renowned journalist Mohamed Salmawy was named Journalist of the Year, while Mohamed El-Shamaa of Al-Akhbar newspaper received the Commitment Award, according to a statement from the awards foundation.
In the investigative journalism category, Amany Awad of Al-Mal newspaper won for her report titled “The Dark Side of the Smart Companion.”
Samar Ibrahim of Al-Shorouk newspaper received the Humanitarian Journalism Award for “Testimonies of Sexual Humiliation Victims by Rapid Support in Sudan.”
The Youth Award went to Ahmed Al-Ameer of Al-Watan newspaper for his piece “The Killer Light: The Journey of White Phosphorus from the Gap to the Bodies of Gaza Strip Residents.”
In visual journalism categories, Khaled Kamel of the Youm7 website won the Photojournalism Award for “A Mother’s Sacrifice for Her Children in the Rain,” while Maroula Magdy of the Al Arabiya Egypt website received the Video Journalism Award for “Mawlawiya Dance for Love and Peace.”
The awards also recognized student journalists. Jana Mohamed Hanfi won first place in the journalism department at Akhbar El-Youm Academy, while Mai Ahmed El-Sayed took first place in the journalism department at Cairo University’s Faculty of Mass Communication.
The winners were selected after impartial judging committees reviewed entries published during 2025, the foundation said.
Safia Mustafa Amin, chair of the awards’ board of trustees, said a ceremony will be held to honour the legacy of journalists Mustafa Amin and Ali Amin, during which the prizes will be presented to the winners.
Regional Director for the Guinness World Records in the Middle East and North Africa region Ahmed Bakr Meklad said Bahr Al Baqr wastewater treatment plant has received a Guinness World Records’ certificate for being the largest water plant in the world with a capacity of 64.8 cubic meters per second along with the use of ozone in the wastewater treatment process.
Speaking to “Good Morning Egypt”, Meklad said the plant has been established with the highest and best international standards.
The plant was inspected by Guinness World Records team of judges over a period of one year during which data were exchanged to review the plant’s competitiveness with similar projects.
The cost of this massive project is LE20 billion, and its daily capacity is 5.6 million cubic meters to be used in the reclamation of 400 acres in Sinai, he said.
Considered one of Egypt’s most important projects, the plant treats more than 2 billion cubic meters of wastewater per year which will be used to irrigate 1,400 sq km of land in Sinai. It is located east of the Nile Delta in the town of Bahr El-Baqar, about 35 km south of Port Said.
The project is set to improve water security, provide jobs, support communities, and reduce pollution for decades to come.
The plant comprises the pumping building of the water intake – rapid mixing basins – slow mixing basins – sedimentation basins – filters with discs – ozone basins – chloride tanks, treated water, sludge condensing basins – mechanical drying buildings – solar units for sludge drying and an administrative area which includes (headquarter building – employers building – mosque – generators – workshops – chemicals – chloride – ozone) – interior roads networks and landscaping.
Fully electric tugs have quickly emerged from a novelty in the industry and now Damen Shipyards Group and its client SAFEEN Group, part of AD Ports Group’s Maritime & Shipping Cluster, have set a Guinness World Record as the Most Powerful Electric Tugboat. The vessel delivered earlier this year demonstrated what the companies are calling “unprecedented for a fully electric tug” and further the growth of this sector of the industry.
The record was set by measuring the bollard pull of Damen RSD-E Tug 2513 Bu Tinah, which achieved an average high peak pull of 78.2 tonnes. It is the first fully electric tug to operate in the Middle East and now has the unique distinction of the unique honor by a world-recognized body for record keeping. Launched in 1954 as a promotional idea for the Guinness Brewery, the Guinness Book of Records (today Guinness World Records) is an often-quoted source of data.
“This Guinness World Record achievement demonstrates that the transition to alternative energy does not come at the cost of performance,” said Captain Ammar Mubarak Al Shaiba, CEO – Maritime & Shipping Cluster, AD Ports Group. “We are very proud that the first electric tug in the Middle East is also making waves on a global level with this accolade and the fact that in parallel it is improving the sustainability of our operations alongside cost efficiencies in terms of overall fuel saving is extremely important.”
The record-breaking performance took place at Khalifa Port, AD Ports Group’s flagship facility where the tug is a key component of AD Ports Group’s Marine Services fleet and its electrification strategy.
The RSD-E Tug 2513 according to Damen is designed with a focus on sustainability. It offers zero emissions from tank to wake playing a significant role in reducing emissions.
The RSD-E Tug 2513 builds on the already efficient design of the diesel propulsion RSD Tug 2513. The spec sheet highlights a 320 gross ton tug with a length of 24.73 meters (81 feet). It is designed to operate at a speed of up to 12 knots and can be recharged in two hours.
The vessel can operate with a crew of just two or three persons or a maximum of up to sic and can be customized with options for oil and pollution control or fire fighting.
The electric version according to its spec sheet is very similar to the earlier diesel version which has a maximum bollard pull of 80 tonnes. It operates at a speed of 12.6 knots.
Damen has been at the forefront of electric tug development, including delivering the world’s first electric harbor tug, aptly named Sparky, in 2022 to Ports of Auckland. It won the prestigious “Tug of the Year” at the 2022 International Tug and Salvage Awards ceremony and pioneered the growing deployment of electric tugs in ports around the world.
source/content: maritime-executive.com
__________
Damen’s electric tug delivered to AD Ports set a new record for pull power for electric tugs (Damen) / Published Nov 12, 2024 7:44 PM by The Maritime Executive ________________________________________________
A year that started with a sporting success in the form of an Asian Cup win at home ended in mixed results.
Titles, goodbyes, the highs and low: 2024 was anything but a boring year for Qatari sports as the country continued hosting mega events, yet similarly took a few stumbles on the pitch.
While the likes of Mutaz Barshim and Akram Afif dominated the headlines with their glories, the other side saw Qatari sides struggle to keep up their good form, whether in World Cup qualification or the Olympics.
Let’s take a look at some of the standout themes that defined Qatar’s 2024.
Barshim bags bronze in Paris Olympics 2024
Mutaz Barshim defied odds once again to win bronze at the Men’s high jump event, securing Qatar’s only medal of the Paris Olympics 2024.
While it was an underwhelming campaign for the Qatari contingent that had defied expectations to clinch two golds in Tokyo, Barshim’s win became a highlight. It was his fourth Olympic medal — a fitting end to a tournament that the high jumper had termed to be his last before the trip to Paris.
However, the 33-year-old multiple-time world champion hinted at the possibility of competing in the next Olympics, upon his return to Doha. “Never say never,” he said, in an exclusive chat with Doha News.
‘Sporting DNA : Mutaz Barshim keeps raising the bar and it all starts with his family
The year 2024 was also Aspire Academy’s 20th anniversary, which the country’s premier athletic scouting and training centre celebrated in style, hosting multiple seminars and events, such as the Aspire Global Summit as well as giving home to FIFA’s The Best Football Awards during its Gala Dinner in December.
Asian Cup triumph, Al-Haydos’ farewell and Afif’s ascent
The year ends in uncertainty for Qatar just like it started for Qatari football.
However, there were significant achievements in between. Much like the sport itself, it was a game of two halves for Qatari football — a perfect first half, followed by a tough second.
Qatar hosted and ultimately defended the Asian Cup crown in February as Akram Afif became the difference maker yet again. The tournament drew record attendance number as well as record engagement figures, underscoring yet another successful tournament in Qatar.
Al Annabi’s longstanding two-time Asian Cup-winning captain Hassan Al-Haydos retired from international football after the tournament, putting an end to the most capped Qatari career ever.
Qatar continued their good run under Bartolome Marquez Lopez at the World Cup Qualifiers thereafter, ending the second round unbeaten. The AFC U-23 Asian Cup was also hosted by the country in between, where Japan were crowned the champions.
It started going downhill with the loss against UAE at home with the start of the third round of the Asian Qualifiers to the FIFA World Cup 2026. While Afif clinched his second AFC Player of the Year title, Qatar’s hopes of making it to the tournament in North America hangs in balance with just two wins and three losses from the first six games. The team also crashed out of the group stages of the Arabian Gulf Cup following two draws and a defeat.
In the meantime, Qatar also hosted two of the Palestine national team’s qualifying games, the former of which in June saw Al Fida’i make it to the last round of World Cup Qualifiers for the first time in history with a 0-0 draw against Lebanon. Similarly, the Qatar U-20 team seamlessly qualified, at home, for the U-20 Asian Cup to be held in Saudi Arabia next year.
Qatar was also the home to FIFA’s new club competition, the Intercontinental Cup, which saw European champions Real Madrid win in Lusail Stadium. The Stadium 974 was put to use for the first time since the 2022 World Cup for two of the tournament’s matches.
A good year for racket sports
The Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex was a busy venue this year as it hosted multiple tournaments throughout the year, including the Qatar Open tennis event in February, the QTerminals Qatar Classic Squash event in September and October, followed by the World Padel Championship in November.
Russian player Karen Kachanov won the men’s Qatar Exxonmobil Open, while Polish Iga Swiatek claimed the women’s event held in February. Qatar Exxonmobil Open will now return as an ATP 500 event and was also voted the best ATP 250 event on calendar for 2024.
The QTerminals Qatar Classic saw Diego Elias and Nour Al-Sherbini come out on top of the men’s and women’s events, marking a thrilling end to the squash event.
Argentina’s men’s team and Spain’s women’s team maintained their dominance by lifting the World Championship in Padel, which saw some of the world’s finest compete in Doha.
Qatar’s squash ace Abdullah Al-Tamimi capped the year off in style, winning the Cape Town Squash Open 2024 his first title away from Qatar since 2022.
Glory in motorsports and skydiving
Qatar won four gold medals at the World Air Sports Federation (FAI)’s World Championships which was hosted by Czechia’s Prostejov in the first week of September.
Qatar won three golds in events across the Canopy Formation category and bagged solitary gold in male Style and Accuracy landing in the six-day tournament.
It was yet another year of glory for Qatari rally driver Nasser Al-Attiyah, who clinched his third FIA World Rally-Raid Championship (WR2C) in October after winning the 2024 Rallye du Maroc with his French co-driver Edouard Boulanger for the Dacia Sandriders.
Al-Attiyah’s decorated racing career now boasts seven Rallye Du Maroc titles, in addition to five wins in the Dakar Rally and 13 Middle East Rally wins.
What also stood out, however, was Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari’s victory in the Middle East Rally Championship as well as the Qatar Motor & Motorcycle Federation’s triumph in the Baja Middle East Teams Championship — all of whom were awarded in December at the annual FIA Awards.
Qatar also hosted the pinnacle of motorbike and motor racing, the MotoGP and the F1 Grand Prix – the latter of which saw record-breaking attendance at the Lusail International Circuit.
Defending champion Francesco Bagnaia won the MotoGP event held in March, whereas Max Verstappen rose against the odds to win his second Qatar Grand Prix on December 1, despite starting away from the front of the grid.
Riding on one wheel of his Kawasaki ZX-6R, he completed 14 circles in one minute.
Saudi stunt rider Mohammed Ibrahim Scotch kept his cool to set a new world record for a motorcycle wheelie — on ice.
Riding on one wheel of his Kawasaki ZX-6R, he completed 14 circles in one minute, a feat that has earned him entry into the Guinness World Records 2023 edition.
Scotch, 39, told Arab News that he had been preparing for around two years for the record attempt, which took place at an ice hall in Jeddah.
He said: “I’m proud of achieving this new record because it carries the name of Saudi Arabia, my country. I didn’t break the record, but I achieved a new world record that no one had done before.
“In 2017, to deviate from the norm and at the same time to have fun, the idea stuck in my mind, and I tried it first in a skating rink in Makkah.
“(In 2022), after researching and communicating with officials (from Guinness World Records), they informed me that no one in the world had achieved this record, so I decided to do it.
“I began the journey of rebuilding the project from scratch after obtaining approval from Guinness World Records. I searched for a private ice rink to execute this experiment,” he added.
Scotch designed studded tires and worked out the variables for his motorbike.
“When I received the official email from Guinness World Records congratulating me as a new world record holder, I could not believe it or comprehend it.
“I read the email more than once, and I told my mother, my family, and all my friends who stood with me in obtaining this record, and their joy was unbelievable,” he said.
Scotch has been riding and doing stunts since the age of 16 and turned professional in 2013. He has participated in several international stunt competitions including in Bulgaria, Egypt, and the UAE.
At the beginning of last year, he became a certified trainer with the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation.
“I am glad that I could raise the name of Saudi Arabia to new levels with my latest achievement and my international appearances,” he added.
Scotch, whose achievements were recently acknowledged by the federation’s chairman, Prince Khalid bin Sultan Al-Abdullah Al-Faisal, aims to set more records.
source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)
____________
Saudi stunt rider in Jeddah recently set new world record as he popped a wheelie on his motorcycle then drove in 14 circles on ice for one minute. (Supplied)
Melliti, 23, plays a 17-year-old in a coming-of-age tale centred on a teenage Muslim girl in Paris who faces a struggle with her identity and religion.
French artist of Maghrebi descent Nadia Melliti won the best actress award at the Cannes film festival for her first-ever performance in a film, “The Little Sister” by Hafsia Herzi.
Melliti, 23, plays a 17-year-old in a coming-of-age tale centred on a teenage Muslim girl in Paris who faces a struggle with her identity and religion.
She beat Hollywood star Jennifer Lawrence in “Die My Love” by Lynne Ramsay, Japanese child revelation Yui Suzuki in “Renoir” by Chie Hayakawa and Elle Fanning in “Sentimental Value” by Joachim Trier.
“It’s a huge honour to be here tonight and to have been able to take part in this very beautiful project,” she said clutching her award on stage.
“I have such a feeling gushing through me right now. I can’t describe it but it’s really incredible,” she said as the director sobbed in the audience.
“Thank you Mum. I know you’re watching and I hope you are very proud and happy,” she said.
Melliti is a French student and amateur football player who was spotted in the street.
Before walking the red carpet for the premiere of Hafsia Herzi’s “The Little Sister”, she was preparing for exams.
In the coming-of-age tale, she plays 17-year-old Fatima, a Muslim girl in Paris struggling with her identity and religion as she explores her sexuality.
“I’ve never done any theatre or cinema,” she said.
But she said she immediately empathised with the character when she read the script, based on a partly autobiographical novel of the same name by French writer Fatima Daas.
“I identified hugely with Fatima, her surroundings and origins. My mother hails from an immigrant background,” she said.
“My roots are Algerian. I also have sisters.”
Melliti said she specifically related to the film’s theme of “emancipation” in the film.
“When I was younger I wanted to play football. I still do today,” said the actor. “I wanted to take up the sport, one people say is masculine and in which men are over-represented.
“And when I took that home, there was this emancipation, even if for Fatima it was different, more linked to her intellect and sexuality,” she added.
Melliti said she could not believe her luck when she was spotted by a casting agent in the street near a large shopping mall in central Paris.
“I was walking in the street and (she) called out to me,” she said.
At first “I thought she was a tourist and I wondered if my English would be up to scratch.”
Nadia Melliti, winner of the Best Actress award for her role in the film La petite dernière (The Little Sister), poses during a photocall after the closing ceremony of the 78th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, May 24, 2025. REUTERS
A satellite jointly built by Arab nations is a step closer to launch, with lift-off preparations complete.
More than 30 engineers from the United Arab Emirates University in Al Ain and engineers and researchers from 11 other Arab countries helped to develop the 260kg Earth observation satellite called 813.
It was expected to be launched in June from China aboard a ride-share carrier rocket, but it is now scheduled for the last quarter of this year, according to state news agency Wam.
The project was announced in 2019 with the intention of bringing Arab nations together and increasing their space sectors’ capabilities.
The satellite is named after 813AD. That was the year that Baghdad’s House of Wisdom became a public academy and library. It would attract the finest minds and usher the Arab world into a period of intellectual advancement known as the Islamic Golden Era.
Engineers from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Bahrain, Sudan, Kuwait, Oman and Lebanon have taken part in the satellite’s development.
Amar Vora, head of space for Serco Middle East, told The National in an earlier interview that the project was a “powerful signal from the Arab world”.
“Much like Europe’s model under the European Space Agency, where long-standing co-operation has transformed Europe into a space leader, this satellite shows that Arab nations can also leverage collective strength to advance strategic capabilities,” he said.
“It brings together engineers, scientists, researchers and policymakers across the region in a way that builds not only hardware, but human capital, sovereign capability and institutional trust.”
The satellite will enter a sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 550km to 650km, where it will help to capture data on agriculture, natural resource management and environmental monitoring around the world.
Engineers installed a hyperspectral imaging payload system in the satellite, which will allow in-depth analysis of soil conditions, water quality, crop health, land cover changes and pollution levels.
All stages of the satellite, including its design, assembly, integration and environmental and functional testing, were completed at the university’s National Space Science and Technology Centre.
It has also developed an operational system on campus so that data from the satellite can be received, processed and converted into maps and scientific resources that will be available for researchers and university students.
