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
Morocco currently ranks first totaling a number of 38 medals, with 13 gold, 11 silver, and 14 bronze.
On August 3, Moroccan athletes bagged 6 medals in athletics and 4 in judo on a single day, confirming the Kingdom’s leading position at this ninth edition of the Francophone Games taking place in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
In athletics and para-athletics, the women’s 5,000-meter discipline representing the Kingdom conquered the podium with a trio comprising Rahma Tahiri, who claimed the gold medal and set a new competition record with a time of 15 minutes 56 seconds 71 milliseconds.
In second place came Kaoutar Farkoussi with a time of 15 minutes 57 seconds 91 milliseconds, while Soukaina Atanane took bronze with a time of 16 minutes 05 seconds 34 milliseconds.
In the men’s 1,500 meters, the runners Hicham Akankam and Hafid Rizqy won gold and silver recording 3 minutes 41 seconds 08 milliseconds and 3 minutes 41 seconds 89 milliseconds respectively.
In para-athletics, Abdelkbir Jaddi won bronze in the long jump with a leap of 6.30 meters.
In judo, Hassan Doukkali won gold in the under-73 kilograms category, while Chaimae Taibi, Hamza Kabdani, and Ziane Wissal took bronze in the under-63 kilograms, under-81 kilograms and under-57 kilograms categories respectively.
In the same competition event on Tuesday, Morocco claimed three simultaneous medals in the women’s 1,500-meter event.
The three Moroccan athletes who stood on the podium were Wafa Zaroual, Soukaina Hajji, and Rababe Arafi.
Morocco currently has a total of 38 medals, with 13 gold, 11 silver, and 14 bronze, well ahead of second-placed Romania with 25 medals.
This year’s Francophone Games, which runs until August 6, brings together 2,500 young people aged 18 to 35 representing 88 countries, including Morocco, to take part in the various sporting disciplines and cultural activities scheduled for this event.
Former president of the Egyptian-Japanese University of Science and Technology (E-JUST) professor Ahmed El-Gohary received the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon from the emperor of Japan on 31 July.
The order is in recognition of El-Gohary’s outstanding achievement for advancing the friendly relations between Japan and Egypt through promoting educational cooperation and scientific research exchanges over the years.
El-Gohary was crowned by Ambassador of Japan to Egypt Oka Hiroshi at the residence of the Japanese ambassador in Garden City.
El-Gohary assumed the presidency of the university for eight years, enhancing the educational and research standard of E-JUST by actively accepting Japanese professors as its faculty members to introduce practical Japanese-style engineering education in E-JUST. In 2017, he contributed to the establishment of the new Faculty of Engineering and the Faculty of International Business and Humanities. These two faculties are the two pillars to sustain E-JUST.
The ceremony was attended by members of the university’s board of trustees, led by ambassador Faiza Abul-Naga, University President Amr Adly, former minister of education Ahmed Zaki Badr, former minister of transport Galal El-Said, former governor of Daqahliya Kamal Sharubim, and Maher El-Domyati, former governor of Beni Suef. Also in attendance were former Egyptian ambassadors in Japan Ayman Kamel and Hisham El-Zemiti, Director-General of the Arab Organization for Administrative Development Ambassador Nasser Al-Qahtani, President of the British University in Egypt (BUE) Mohamed Lotfy, professor Ahmed Bayoumi, former president of Mansoura University Salwa El-Ghareeb, as well as former secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Universities, and a group of scholars and researchers in various fields.
In his inaugural speech, Japanese Ambassador Hiroshi said, “El-Gohary’s long journey of cooperation with Japan started as many as 30 years ago in 1992 when he came to Japan as a JICA-trained student. In this training he had learnt the latest medical knowledge and advanced examination techniques.
When he returned to Egypt, as a lecturer at Suez Canal University, he not only used his experience to teach younger Egyptian students, but he generously shared his expertise with students from Africa through the JICA sponsored Third Country Training Programme since 1996.”
El-Gohary’s efforts promoted Third Country Training in Egypt. “Thanks to his pioneering role in promoting Third Country Training in Egypt, countless numbers of students and experts from Africa and Middle East have come to Egypt to benefit from this unique type of cooperation between Egypt and Japan supported by JICA.
The third country training programmes have now come to include many fields such as education, electricity engineering, agriculture, and freshwater aquaculture, in addition to health, making Egypt the hub of third country cooperation programme. Professor El-Gohary has thus made a significant contribution to the successful expansion of the Third Country Training Programme as vice president of the Suez Canal University, and then as president of Fayoum University.”
“When a plan was announced at the Japan-Egypt summit on the occasion of TICAD 7 in 2019 that E-JUST accept African students by offering as many as 150 scholarship over the three years, professor El-Gohary toured Africa to promote E-JUST to accept excellent students from Africa. Thanks to his dedicated efforts, promising African students from more than 10 countries are now pursuing higher study at E-JUST.
Building on this successful TICAD scholarship, Prime Minister Kishida and President El-Sisi agreed in their meeting in April this year to provide additional 150 TICAD scholarships to African students. This time scholarships will go to PhD students. Professor Gohary has contributed to make E-JUST as the Centre of Excellence in Africa,” added Ambassador Hiroshi.
The opening ceremony of the E-JUST main campus with the participation of President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi in 2020 was successfully organized by El-Gohary, contributing to enhancing the profile of E-JUST both inside and outside Egypt. The second phase of the campus construction, which was approved by the president at the time of the opening ceremony, is scheduled for completion soon. In addition, El-Gohary has made efforts to strengthen collaboration with industries by actively promoting joint research with Egyptian and Japanese companies.
El-Gohary expressed his pride and happiness at being crowned with this prestigious award, thanking the government of Japan for its close cooperation with Egypt to establish the Egyptian-Japanese University as a distinguished scientific and research edifice.
“I hope that the university will continue its growth and development in the future as a symbol of cooperation between Japan and Egypt,” said El-Gohary.
Sharjah International Book Fair is honouring the leading academic for his distinguished works in research and documentation.
The Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) has announced Sudanese historian Yusuf Fadl Hasan as ‘Cultural Personality of the Year’ for its upcoming 41st annual edition of the Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF 2022) in recognition of his invaluable contributions to the field of history and documentation of the nation’s developmental journey in political, cultural and scientific fields, in addition to his substantial efforts in promoting the research and documentation movement in Africa and Asia, and published more than 30 books.
The SIBF ‘Cultural Personality of the Year’ initiative stems from SBA’s vision to honour distinguished figures who have contributed richly to various fields and serve as inspiration and model to younger generations.
Commenting on the selection of the Sudanese historian for its 2022 edition, which runs under the theme ‘Spread the Word’ from November 2 – 13 in Expo Centre Sharjah, HE Ahmed bin Rakkad Al Ameri, Chairman of SBA, said: “Our efforts echo the vision of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, of celebrating distinguished intellectual and creative personalities as pillars of sustainable cultural development. The Arab cultural world needs the invaluable work of distinguished figures like Prof. Yusuf Fadl Hasan to advance our realities and build our future.”
He added: “Sudan has constantly enriched Arab culture through leading contributions by prominent individuals in various fields. Naming Prof. Yusuf the Cultural Personality of the Year is a tribute to more than 60 years of vital work in research, documentation and studies of the African and Asian continents.”
Born in Al Mahmiyya, Sudan, in 1932, he received Bachelor degree in General Arts from Khartoum University in 1956, and Bachelor degree with honours in History from London University in 1959, and PhD in History from the University of London in 1964. He served as a lecturer at the History department at the University of Khartoum.
He served as the director of the Sudan Research Unit (which became the African and Asian Studies Institute) between (1972-1983), entrusted with chronicling the Sudanese heritage and spearheading a team of researchers. Prof. Yusuf served as the president of Khartoum University between 1985 – 1991, and was the editor of Sudan note and record magazine that has more than 20 editions. He also launched Sudanese studies magazine.
He has published more than 30 books, including The Arabs and Sudan: from the seventh to the early sixteenth century (1966), Introduction to the history of Islamic States in Eastern Sudan, Studies in Sudanese History, and co-edited Tabaqat wad Dayf Allah.
Kalantan has become the first female director, the first non-European to win a BAFTA award in the Gamers category.
Rafif Kalantan has become the first student from Saudi Arabia to win a 2023 Yugo BAFTA Award, picking up the accolade in the Games Category for her submission ‘Eros Xavier’s Love Solutions’.
The Yugo BAFTA Student Awards is an annual event celebrating the works of the next generation of highly skilled and creative storytellers from around the world.
Kalantan, the first female director and the first non-European to win a BAFTA award in this category, was one of the students supported by Neom to attend the National Film and Television School (NFTS), one of the top-ranking schools to join its Master’s programme in Games Design and Development.
Kalantan’s entry ‘Eros Xavier’s Love Solutions’ is the culmination of an intensive two-year Master’s programme of training that provides students with the skills and creative knowledge to design, devise and build games, from inception to delivery.
‘Eros Xavier’s Love Solutions’ is a narrative-driven puzzle-like game. The game follows Eros Xavier, a retired cupid who is cynical about love and has decided to open a private business for hire as a match-breaker.
This year’s Yugo BAFTA Student Awards welcomed 754 submissions from 103 schools across 30 countries, including, Argentina, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Hong Kong, India, Mexico, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates.
Speaking about the award, Rafif Kalantan said: “I am honoured to have been selected as the winner of such a globally renowned award, especially being the first female director and first non-European to win this category. This wonderful achievement also showcases the capabilities of the developers from the Kingdom and the Middle East as a whole, and how the game industry in the region has a lot of potential. I am also grateful for the continued support and investment of Neom, which was an integral part of this achievement. Their continued support for us in the gaming field shows how much Neom believes in growing local talents and allowing them to thrive!”
Jon Wardle, Director of the National Film and Television School, commented: “The School is incredibly proud to be celebrating this achievement with Rafif as we celebrate the 10th anniversary of our Games Design MA. We’re also very grateful to Neom for continuing to help make our courses accessible with life-changing funding opportunities.”
Wayne Borg, Managing Director of Media Industries, Entertainment, and Culture at Neom, added: “On behalf of the entire Neom team, we extend our congratulations to Rafif for the well-deserved honour of receiving this prestigious award from BAFTA. This remarkable accomplishment is a testament to her exceptional talents and marks a momentous beginning for Rafif’s journey, and I’m sure she will achieve great things in the gaming world. We will continue to work closely with the National Film and Television School to nurture and empower more talented individuals as we develop our partnership and offer a unique blend of professional development, mentorship, and growth opportunities for emerging talent in the creative industries.”
Born in Yemen, raised in Saudi, Almarwai takes on ONE Championship flyweight submission grappling champion Mikey Musumeci in Colorado.
Osamah Almarwai says he is ready to make history on Friday by becoming the first Arab to win the ONE Championship flyweight submission grappling title when he takes on champion Mikey Musumeci in Colorado.
The Musumeci-Almarwai title contest is one of the two main co-events of the 11-fight card headlined by the ONE Fight Night 10 MMA flyweight world championship bout between Demetrious Johnson and Adriano Moraes.
Born in Yemen and raised in Saudi Arabia, Almarwai carries the weight of the Arab world on his shoulders against an opponent widely regarded as one of the pound-for-pound best grapplers in the sport.
Almarwai, 31, says the messages of support he has received has “turned me to be in my best ever shape” and that his American opponent will see his best version when they lock horns at 1stBank Center, Denver.
“It’s an honour for me to represent the Arab World and I assure everybody that I’m in my best shape ever and ready, and hopefully, be the first Arab to win this flyweight title,” Almarwai told The National.
“I continue to receive lots of messages and love from so many people from different countries. It’s really an honour for me to represent the region. I’m grateful for this opportunity and I assure them I’ll be in the best version of myself. I would like to thank for their support. I appreciate their love.”
He added: “Representing the Arab World puts a lot of pressure on me but this pressure will give me the strength to win.”
Almarwai earned his passage for the title meeting with 26-year-old Musumeci after a string of victories including winning the No-Gi Pan American and the IBJJF No-Gi World Championship titles.
He has been preparing for the biggest match of his career for more than three months under the training of Andre Galvao, the co-founder and head coach of Atos Jiu Jitsu in San Diego, California.
“My preparation has been going very well. I have studied Mikey. He is one of the best but I train with some of the best in the world, and that’s why I want to fight him,” he said.
“I have completed my preparation and now I’m just focused on the mental preparation. I feel ready, I fee sharp, and hopefully, come out with a win. I will create history again on Friday, Insha Allah.”
Musumeci, who boasts a 19-3 win-loss record, makes the second title defence of his ONE flyweight submission grappling belt against Almarwai having beaten Gantumur Bayanduuren via unanimous decision in January.
The contest is scheduled for 10 minutes and Almarwai says, though he respects Musumeci, he is determined to take the challenge to the champion.
“As the challenger my approach for Mikey will be aggressive. It’s only 10 minutes, so there is no time to waste. I have studied his game and I have seen his flaws and seen his strengths. I have prepared both mentally and physically for this match.
“I have been watching and following him. It’s an honour to be competing against Mikey. He’s my biggest challenger and I’ll be testing my skills against him,” he said.
Almarwai claims his speed and his mental preparation to be his biggest asset while representing the Arab World motivates him to bring his best to the table.
Almarwai’s jiu-jitsu journey began when he followed his older brother, Mohammed, to the gym as a boy in Saudi Arabia and he continued to train after completing high school.
He then moved to the United States to study English in Orlando, Florida where the university he attended offered free jiu-jitsu classes.
Almarwai received his brown belt when he returned to Saudi Arabia, where his father was employed, before returning to the US again to complete his Masters in Engineering Management.
“I spent my free time training jiu-jitsu during my college time, I would train hard but it wasn’t serious. I started competing and then I started to focus more seriously and professionally,” Almarwai adds.
“I thought I had the talent and the potential because I was training with some of the best in the world when I came to the US. I thought ‘why not become a professional?’
“In the late stage of my brown belt, when I won my first world title as a professional, I took it up more seriously. Tthat’s the time I wanted to be one of the best and represent the Middle East because I was able to beat some of the biggest names in the sport.
“Hopefully on May 5, I’ll make history again by becoming the first Middle Eastern flyweight world champion.”
Egypt assumed on Saturday the rotating presidency of the Arab Network for National Human Rights Institutions (ANNHRI) during the convocation of the network’s conference and its 20th General Assembly in Cairo.
Ambassador Moushira Khattab, President of the National Council of Human Rights (NCHR), took over the presidency of the network from Ahmed Bouhoubeyni, president of the National Human Rights Commission (NCDH) in Mauritania and ANNHRI chairman since June 2021.
Egypt previously assumed the presidency of the network in 2018.
The two-day conference represented an opportunity to discuss the main challenges facing national human rights institutions to enhance the role of the networks and the international and regional organisations in promoting national human rights institutions.
The ANNHRI, established in 2011 in Nouakchott, is a regional network of Arab national institutions aiming to protect and promote human rights in the Arab world.
source/content: english.ahram.org.eg/
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Ambassador Moushira Khattab, President of the National Council of Human Rights
When Nouhaila Benzina stepped onto the field for Morocco’s first match of the Women’s World Cup against Germany, she made history.
She became the first player to wear the Islamic headscarf at the senior-level Women’s World Cup.
Had Morocco qualified for the Women’s World Cup a decade ago, a player who wanted to wear the hijab during a game might have been forced to choose between faith and football.
That was until 2014, when head coverings were officially authorised by FIFA.
Who is Nouhaila Benzina?
She’s a 25-year-old defender on Morocco’s Atlas Lionesses.
In recent weeks, Benzina shared social media posts from others about the history-making nature of her World Cup appearance.
“Lots of work was done over many years, and thank God it had a positive result,” Benzina told Al Jazeera.
“We hope to play at a high level and honour Moroccans.”
‘That could be me’
Morocco are one of eight teams making their debut at the FIFA Women’s World Cup this year, alongside Haiti, The Republic of Ireland, Panama, the Philippines, Portugal, Vietnam and Zambia.
“We are honoured to be the first Arab country to take part in the Women’s World Cup,” Morocco captain Ghizlane Chebbak said on Sunday.
“Girls will look at Benzina (and think) ‘That could be me,’” said Assmaah Helal, a co-founder of the Muslim Women in Sports Network said of the hijab.
“Also the policymakers, the decision-makers, the administrators will say, ‘We need to do more in our country to create these accepting and open and inclusive spaces for women and girls to participate in the game.’”
Why did FIFA ban the hijab before?
FIFA cited “health and safety” concerns, some related to possible choking, with regulations forbidding “equipment that is dangerous to himself or another player.”
An incident in 2007 instigated the official ban.
Canadian girl Asmahan Mansour — who was 11 years old at the time — attempted to wear a headscarf at a tournament but the referee said it wasn’t permitted.
She was told she could remove it and play, but her hijab would not be permitted on the pitch.
When the issue reached FIFA, the sport’s global governing body banned head coverings in competitions it sanctioned, except for coverings that exposed the neck.
Initially, FIFA cited “religious symbolism” as a reason for not permitting head coverings.
But considering the multitude of tattoos, signing of the cross and goal celebrations by footballers, it became too difficult to enforce.
Helal was among the social activists, Muslim athletes, and government and soccer officials who worked to overturn the ban.
Speaking on the 2007 ban, Helal said it “sent a strong message to Muslim women, particularly those who wear hijabs, (that) we don’t belong.”
A two-year trial was granted
In 2012, the International Football Association Board (IFAB) allowed players to wear head coverings at international competitions over a two-year period following a request from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
No senior-level World Cups, men’s or women’s, were scheduled during the trial period.
Ban on head coverings lifted in 2014
In March 2014, FIFA lifted its ban on head coverings.
The decision was announced at a meeting of International Football Association Board in Zurich.
FIFA’s then secretary general Jérôme Valcke said hijabs and turbans were permitted on the field.
“It was decided that female players can cover their heads to play,” he said.
“Male players can play with head covers too.
“It will be a basic head cover and the colour should be the same as the team jersey.”
Helal said that since the ban was lifted, she has seen an increase in Muslim girls and women playing soccer, pursuing coaching pathways and leading their own football clubs.
“I think it’s key to understand that the hijab is an essential part of a Muslim woman, should she choose to wear it,” Helal said.
“It’s actually part of our identities.”
A Melbourne resident who attended Morocco’s public practice session last week, Maryan Hagi-Hashi, said she is supporting the Atlas Lionesses alongside tournament co-host Australia.
She appreciates the representation that the Moroccan team and Benzina provide, she said.
“There’s a mixture of (Muslim) women that wear hijab and don’t wear a hijab,” Hagi-Hashi said.
“I think the world has realised there is diversity.”
Two years after the ban was lifted, the under-17 Women’s World Cup in Jordan marked the first time Muslim players wore headscarves during an international FIFA event.
The General Council of the WTO has elected Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade, as Chair of the World Trade Organisation’s 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13).
The Ministerial Conference, attended by leading representatives from the 164 countries and customs blocs that make up the WTO, will take place in Abu Dhabi in February 2024.
MC13 comes at a critical time for world trade, and the conference will build on the outcomes of MC12, review the performance of the multilateral trading system, make decisions on the future work of the WTO, and set up the roadmap for MC14.
“This is a pivotal moment for world trade,” commented Al Zeyoudi. “As a Ministerial Conference, we have to tackle pressing issues and challenges, consider all the forces shaping the future of trade and come up with clear solutions, and challenge ourselves to take actionable decisions that move the needle on making trade more efficient, inclusive and sustainable.
“At the heart of all of this is the need to modernise trade and embed technology across supply chains, and we look forward to working closely with all the members of the WTO to make real progress at MC13. Our goal must be driving forward momentum for more change at the conference in Abu Dhabi next year, but also in the years to come, and I have the utmost confidence in our collective ability to make this happen.”
The announcement was made during the WTO General Council in Geneva, Switzerland, where he met with the WTO Director-General, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
During their meeting they discussed the preparations for MC13, in addition to the landmark inclusion of trade as a thematic day at COP28, which is set to take place in Dubai later this year.
Dr. Thani delivered his first address as Chair at the General Council, where he stressed the importance of building resilient trade frameworks to tackle today’s challenging landscape.
In his address, he called for focused and decisive deliberations amongst WTO members ahead of MC13, and commented, “Trade policy extends far beyond the scope of trade itself; it is about shaping our common future. It is our collective responsibility to contribute to a predictable, rules-based, and open trade and investment environment that creates prosperity for all – and this is precisely why the success of MC13 is so imperative.”
US Jordanian contestant Farah Abu Adeela from the state of Illinois was crowned Miss Arab USA at the beauty pageant’s finale in Arizona over the weekend.
The new Miss Arab USA, who is a model, takes over from 2022’s winner, Moroccan American Marwa Lahlou.
The annual pageant, which returned in 2022 after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, was held in Arizona this year. Produced by The Arab American Organization (AAO), the pageant is “founded on the basis of advancing the cause of young ladies of Arab descent,” according to its website.
The swimsuit category does not feature in the pageant, with the stated aim of organizers being to “select an honorable Arab young lady to represent our culture in the US and worldwide for one year.”
This year’s ceremony featured a performance by dance troupe Zeffa of Phoenix.
source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)
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Farah Abu Adeela nabbed the coveted tiara at the 2023 Miss Arab USA pageant. (Instagram)
A report by the Financial Times has said that the country’s sovereign wealth fund, Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), has taken a stake in the owner of Washington’s professional basketball and hockey teams in US sport.
As per the report, the fund is paying $200mn for a 5% stake in Monumental Sports and Entertainment (MSE) in a deal that values the owner of the National Basketball Association’s Washington Wizards, the Women’s National Basketball Association’s Washington Mystics and the National Hockey League’s Washington Capitals at $4.05bn.
The report also mentions that the investment from QIA, at an estimated $450bn in assets, comes less than a year after the NBA amended its bylaws to allow sovereign wealth funds to invest in clubs.
The QIA said, “As one of the largest integrated sports and entertainment companies in the country, MSE’s platform provides unique opportunities and scalability for growth and partnerships”.
As per the report, people familiar with the Monumental deal said that the QIA was taking a stake in the group as a financial transaction to gain exposure to a company with a diverse range of assets. As per reports, QIA will not gain board representation as part of the transaction.
