Tag: Middle East Records

Egyptian Actor Amir El-Masry cast in Netflix’s The Crown

Egyptian actor Amir El-Masry was cast in the upcoming fifth season of Netflix’s historical drama The Crown, according to a PR representative on Wednesday.

El-Masry will portray the young Egyptian billionaire Mohamed Al-Fayed, Egyptian-born UK-based businessman, owner of Hôtel Ritz Paris and formerly Harrods department store and Fulham FC.

The cast of the fifth season also includes Egyptian-British actor Khalid Abdalla who has ben cast as Dodi Fayed , Mohamed Al-Fayed’s son and late Princess Diana’s boyfriend. Abdalla will play opposite Elizabeth Debicki as Diana.

Born in Cairo in 1990 and raised in London, El-Masry’s career kicked off with roles in Egyptian films, earning him Best Young Actor at the Egyptian Oscars in 2009.

Graduating from The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art in 2013, Amir appeared in Jon Stewart’s debut feature Rosewater and various acclaimed TV series before his breakthrough role in The Night Manager (2016), followed by Lost in London (2017), The State (2017) and Age Before Beauty (2018).

Other notable credits include the critically acclaimed BAFTA nominated mini-series The State, a series regular role of Dante in the new BBC series Age Before Beauty and the lead in the first American-Saudi feature The Arabian Warrior.

Following the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, including political and romantic events that have shaped the twenty-first century, The Crown is considered one of the greatest series in the history of drama.

The series has won over 130 awards, including 21 Primetime Awards, of which seven were during the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards in 2021, scooping awards of all categories. 

The first season of The Crown was released in November 2016. Its fifth season is scheduled for release in November 2022.

source/content: english.ahram.org.eg

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BRITISH / EGYPTIAN

Bahrain Wins Chairmanship Seat of the WTO’s Committee on Safeguards

Bahrain has won the chairmanship seat of the Committee on Safeguards, a subcommittee of the Council of Trade in Goods at the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Maryam Abdulaziz Al Doseri, Commercial Attaché of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism at Bahrain’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations and other organizations in Geneva, is now the Chairperson of the Committee on Safeguards. 

On May 23, WTO members reached consensus on the names of the chairpersons for the 14 subsidiary bodies that report to the Council for Trade in Goods.

The Committee on Safeguards (the Safeguards Committee) was established to administer the Safeguards Agreement. It oversees the operation of the Agreement and is responsible for the surveillance of Members’ commitments.

Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism Zayed bin Rashid Al Zayani extended his heartfelt congratulations to His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and to His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, on Bahrain’s achievement. 

“The success of Bahrain in becoming the chair of the Committee on Safeguards is a source of immense pride as it affirms the unlimited support to the Kingdom of Bahrain,” the minister said.

“It reflects the ambitious and unprecedented visions to chart a strong trade based on justice, transparency, diversity and innovation  under the generous support of HM King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and the follow-up of HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister.  This success is a strong motivation for further achievements and accomplishments by the Kingdom of Bahrain.”

source/content : bna.bh

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Maryam Abdulaziz Al Doseri

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BAHRAIN

June 22nd – World Camel Day. Inside the Saudi vet hospital the size of Buckingham Palace making it the World’s Largest Hospital for Camels

 Al Salam Veterinary Hospital’s main business will be breeding a new generation of humped superstars.

A version of this article was first published in September 2020

Saudi Arabia is already known as a destination for camel beauty pageants. Now, it wants to be known for camel healthcare, too.

The country opened the world’s largest camel hospital in July 2020 and photographs show what daily life is like inside.

At 70,000 square metres, Al Salam Veterinary Hospital is about the size of Buckingham Palace and a little smaller than the island of Alcatraz.

The centre cost more than Dh134 million but camel racing and pageantry are sports for princes and sheikhs in which a single camel can fetch Dh10 million at the height of pageantry season.

The hospital lies in the interior Qassim region between Madinah and Riyadh, at the site of one of the world’s largest camel markets, and will serve camel owners in Kuwait and northern Saudi Arabia.

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The nearest comparable clinics are about 1,000 kilometres away in other Gulf states. Travelling hundreds of kilometres and crossing borders is part of the racing and pageantry lifestyle but the coronavirus pandemic has made this impossible, even as local competitions continue.

Al Salam Veterinary Hospital can treat 144 camels, has stables for 400 racing camels and will employ up to 300 staff ready to meet a camel’s every need, from surgery to accommodation and blood testing.

Camels can be treated for infectious disease, injuries and chronic illness at the hospital, but its main business will be fertilisation.

The hospital has already conducted more than 500 embryo transfers, resulting in 350 successful pregnancies.

Vets plan to transfer 2,500 embryos next season, an ambitious amount by camel-breeding standards.

Embryo transfer has led to some of the biggest names in the world of camel racing.

A camel pregnancy lasts two years, which previously meant female racers could produce a few offspring only after retiring from the racetrack.

The advancement of camel surrogacy has meant prized female racers can now pass winning genes on to dozens of calves in one year.

This has transformed the world of racing and made some she-camels as renowned as studs.

Al Samha, from Abu Dhabi, is one such cow known for her prolific progeny.

The best-known breeding centres, such as the Advanced Scientific Group in Abu Dhabi, attract pedigree champs from around the Gulf.

Scientific advances continue to be made in camel fertilisation and breeding programmes.

The camel’s adaptation to the desert has led to a unique set of challenges in artificial insemination .

The animal is so good at conserving water that it produces only 3ml to 8ml of gel-like semen, a fraction compared with that of similarly sized animals such as horses. It freezes poorly.

It was only in 2018 that the first calves were born to females fertilised by frozen semen at Dubai Camel Breeding Centre.

Similar scientific breakthroughs at the Saudi hospital could change the very shape and size of future camels.

source/content: thenationalnews.com (headline edited)

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The new hospital has room for 4,000 camels.

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SAUDI ARABIA

UAE Cycling Team Win Grand Prix of Canton of Aargau, Switzerland

The UAE won the Grand Prix of the Canton of Aargau, Switzerland, yesterday June 10th.

The Emirati squad had strength in numbers in the final with Diego Ulissi and Matteo Trentin covering moves before Marc Hirschi infiltrated the winning break which slipped away at 7km to go.

The 23-year old hit out early from the four man group to open up the sprint at 250m to go to hold off Max Schachmann (Bora-Hansgrohe) and Andreas Kron (Lotto-Soudal) who finished on the podium.

“It was really very difficult”, said Marc Hirsch. “The final was very eventful, because a rider from AG2R Citroën has long been in the lead. In the last climb, it went very quickly behind him, but I was able to accompany in force. Then I was able to close the gap with three guys who had escaped. It was very hard”. In the end, it was a group of 7 which formed 6 terminals from the line, and the winner of the Fleche Wallonne 2020 maneuvered well to finish in the sprint.

In raising the trophy he becomes the first home winner of the race since 2013.

This result marks Hirschi’s second win of the season after storming to victory at the Per Sempre Alfredo classic in April.

source/content: wam.ae

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UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (U.A.E)

US-Iraqi TV Star Alia Shawkat Pushes for New Narratives

If you never realized that Alia Shawkat has Arab heritage, there’s a reason for that: The Iraqi-American actress — who has been stealing pretty much every scene she has appeared in since 1999, when she was 10 years old — rose to fame at a time when Hollywood was much less receptive to non-white identities.

Now, though, the 33-year-old star is entering the next phase of her career, one in which her heritage will be front and center.

“It’s interesting, because when I started acting, I always had to say I was half-whatever the role was. I would say I was half-Spanish, or half-French, just trying to blend in. I was always seen as ‘too ethnic’ when I was young,” Shawkat tells Arab News. “Now my ethnicity is a strength, because the conversation is shifting. It’s funny to watch actors actually talk about where they’re coming from, or playing roles that they’re actually connected to, when I grew up having to basically hide it.”

Not that it ever slowed Shawkat down. While she is perhaps still best-known for playing Maeby Fünke on the acclaimed cult comedy “Arrested Development,” which also reinvigorated or launched the careers of Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, Michael Cera and Tony Hale, she has been an inimitable presence across dozens of acclaimed independent films, before becoming the star and a key creative voice in the series “Search Party” (2016-2022), a pitch-black comedy and noir crime drama hybrid that defines Shawkat’s unique spirit better than anything has thus far.

She didn’t have to search too hard to find inspiration for the show. “My father is Middle Eastern, and he owns a club in Palm Springs. So that’s the show,” she deadpanned to the New Yorker last fall.

While “Desert People” will tackle that by putting Arab characters at its center, Shawkat took “The Old Man” in part because of the way that it, too, dives into righting some of the wrongs that were committed in the post-9/11 landscape.

source / content: arabnews.com (edited)

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Alia Shawkat in ‘The Old Man.’ (FX)

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AMERICAN / IRAQI

Qatar 2022 becomes First FIFA World Cup to Achieve International Sustainability Certification

The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 LLC (Q22) – the operational arm of FIFA and the Host Country for the delivery of the tournament – has achieved ISO 20121 certification, the international standard that sets requirements for developing and implementing an effective management system to deliver a sustainable event.

The certification was granted after an extensive audit process that was initiated during the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2021 – which was held exactly a year before the first FIFA World Cup in the Middle East and Arab world.

Nasser Al Khater, CEO, Q22, said: “Sustainability has been at the heart of Qatar 2022 from the start, and the independent recognition of the delivery of best practices reflects our enduring commitment to it.

José Retana, Sustainability Senior Manager, Q22, said: “We are proud to become the first FIFA World Cup in history to obtain the ISO 20121 certification. This demonstrates that according to the evaluation by a third-party accredited entity, world-class management practices are being implemented to deliver an inclusive, green and legacy-oriented event.”

SGS carried out the extensive audit process. It is a world-leading testing, inspection and certification company that has a wealth of experience in certifying mega-sport event organisers against ISO 20121 requirements, including the Olympic and Paralympic Games, and the French Open tennis tournament.

Sustainability management mechanisms assessed during the FIFA Arab Cup™ audit included:

Accessibility infrastructure and services for disabled fans, including seating, mobility assistance and innovative features such as audio descriptive commentary

Waste minimisation and recycling, including staff training, segregation and awareness-raising activities carried out with the support of sustainability volunteers

Sustainable procurement of items required for the delivery of the tournament, including uniforms made from recycled plastics and the use of compostable food packaging

Social and environmental audits to ensure supplier compliance with the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ Sustainable Sourcing Code

Incident reporting and resolution during tournament time, including governance arrangements and gathering of lessons learned

Chris Meakin, General Manager of SGS Qatar, said: “The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 has effectively applied and demonstrated best practices under the framework of the Event Sustainability Management System (ISO 20121) to manage the event successfully. They have met the set benchmarks for global sustainability development and to control the event’s social, economic and environmental impact.”

source/content: thepeninsulaqatar.com (edited)

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QATAR

Saudi Arabia’s First All-Female Crew takes Flight making Saudi Aviation History

Flyadeal made Saudi aviation history in May 2022.

Saudi Arabia’s first flight with an all-female crew took off this weekend May 2022, completing a short domestic journey and passing a milestone for women’s empowerment, officials said.

The flight was operated by flyadeal, the budget subsidiary of flag carrier Saudia.

“For the first time in Saudi aviation history,” the airline wrote on Twitter on Friday, “#flyadeal operated the first flight with an all-female crew, the majority of which are Saudis, by the newest A320 aircraft. Flight 117, flew from #Riyadh to #Jeddah.”

Most of the seven-member crew hail from Saudi Arabia, according to spokesman Emad Iskandarani, including the first officer, Yara Jan, who is also reportedly the youngest Saudi female pilot.

The country’s civil aviation authority, which confirmed the announcement, has been working towards expanding roles for women in the sector for years.

In 2019, Yasmeen Al Maimani , then 29, became the first female first officer to fly a mainstream commercial plane in the kingdom.

The Saudi woman piloted Nesma Airlines flight ATR 72-600 from Hail to Al Qassim on June 9.

“I thought it was going to be hard, being a female pilot based in Hail but it hasn’t been,” she said at the time. “I feel so comfortable with everyone else here, and the way they treat me. It’s like they are all my brothers, it’s a good feeling.”

Last year, figures showed female participation in the kingdom’s workforce rose to 33 per cent at the end of 2020, from 19 per cent in 2016, according to data from the General Authority for Statistics.

Saudi Arabia aims to generate 356 billion riyals ($95bn) of investment into its aviation sector by 2030.

Its National Aviation Sector Strategy is working to increase connections from Saudi Arabia to 250 destinations, reaching 330 million passengers.

The kingdom also plans to launch another airline to complement its existing national carriers, including Saudia, and to build a major international airport in Riyadh, in addition to eight more regional airports.

source/content: thenationalnews.com

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SAUDI ARABIA

Winners of the ’10th King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Awards for Translation’ Announced

The translators of books about culture, physics and data mining are among the latest recipients of the prestigious King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Awards for Translation.

This year’s event, covering works published in 2021, marks the 10th anniversary of the awards. There were six categories and the winners, chosen by the event’s board of trustees, were announced on Monday.

Izz ddeen Khattabi Riffi’s translation from the original French of “Beyond Nature and Culture” by Philippe Descola took the award for works in the humanities category translated into Arabic. It was shared by Abdelnour Kharraki for his translation of “Data Mining for the Social Sciences: An Introduction” by Paul Attewell, David Monaghan and Darren Kwong, originally published in English.

The award for institutions went to the publishing and translation department of Obeikan Company, and to Al-Arabi Publishing & Distribution.

There were also two winners in category for works in the natural sciences translated into Arabic, both for books originally published in English: Dr. Sausan Hassan Al-Sawwaf and Dr. Laila Saleh Babsil for their translation of “Physics in Biology and Medicine” by Paul Davidovits; and Yahya Khlaif and Abdullatif Al-Shuhail for their translation of “Introduction to Carbon Capture and Sequestration” by Berend Smit, Jeffrey A Reimer and Curtis M. Oldenburg.

Three awards were presented in the category of Individual Efforts in Translation, to Hamza Qablan Al-Mozainy from Saudi Arabia, Murtazo Saydumarov from Uzbekistan, and Samir Mina Masoud Greeis, who is of Egyptian-German nationality.

The judges decided to withhold the awards in the two remaining categories, for books about the humanities and natural sciences translated from Arabic into other languages.

source/contents: arabnews.com (edited)

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EGYPTIAN / GERMAN / SAUDI ARABIA

Biomedical Engineer Afnan Almarglani becomes First Saudi Woman to Obtain Autocross Trainer License

After a number of years of competing in various local autocross competitions, Afnan Almarglani recently became the first Saudi woman to hold an autocross and safe driving skills trainer license.

Her journey in the sport began when her motor sports-mad brother brought home a brand new PlayStation when they were growing up. The two competed in video games such as Gran Turismo 3, a racing title.

“From when I was young, I used to see my older brother Fahd interested in sports cars, modifying them and buying car parts from abroad. We used to race with each other in video games. I was so fascinated by cars, by the shape of the cars, the sound of engines and how they were driven incredibly fast. I played the game every day until it got to the point that I couldn’t beat my own fastest lap times,” she said.

Almarglani works in biomedical engineering. She previously took part in the first women’s race in Saudi Arabia during time off from her work at a project management office at the Ministry of Health.

Her blending of roles as a biomedical engineer and racer makes her unique, and her talent in both careers has allowed her to take opportunities that most women do not have.

Almarglani, who holds a master’s degree in biomedical engineering from a US university, told Arab News that her love and passion led her to work with sports cars, and that she chose to enter the field to gain experience.

“Alhamdulillah, we live in a great country with the decision to allow women to drive. So, I participated in the first women’s autocross championship and won second place in the qualifying round,” she added.

After her first foray into the sport, Almarglani took part in various local autocross championships held in Riyadh, Jeddah and Alkhobar. “After gaining experience and skills, I moved to a higher level in the autocross racing, which enabled me to take part in the Toyota Autocross Championship in Alkhobar, and I was able to win the best time in the women’s category.”

She also competed in the Speed ​​Madness (Autocross) Championship in Riyadh’s Dirab Park, placing first.

The other biggest challenge for Almarglani is finding sponsorship opportunities. “Motor sports is an expensive sport and finding a sponsor is very difficult, so to maintain that training and to have a good team, and a good car, requires a lot of investment and you need both if you want to do well. The way to find sponsorship is through exposure and by winning races,” she said.

Almarglani is often asked how her parents feel about the dangers of her sport. She said: “Of course, at first, they were concerned about me, especially that motor sports has risks, so the level of safety in it is high, and it is expensive in terms of preparing the driver and the car. After I explained to my family all the means of protection and safety, and after they observed my passion and happiness after each race, they supported me and told me to continue, and they were always in the first ranks to encourage me.”

Recently, the official account of the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation, via Twitter, congratulated Almarglani for obtaining a training license.

Almarglani’s goal is to support every woman who wants to enter motor sports and to build a professional women’s motor sports team to represent Saudi Arabia in the world championships. “To achieve this goal, I hope there will be sponsorships offered to me as well as other Saudi female drivers in order to participate locally and regionally, to represent our beloved country.”

source/content: arabnews.com (edited)

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SAUDI ARABIA

United Nations Elects Oman’s Dr.Mohammed bin Awadh Al Hassan as Chairman of ‘ The Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee)’

The United Nations General Assembly has elected Oman’s Permanent Representative to the world body as chairman of its Special Political and Decolonisation Committee.

In his speech to the 77th session of the General Assembly, H E Dr Mohammed bin Awadh al Hassan, the sultanate’s Permanent Representative, stated that Oman is keen to chair the Special Political and Decolonisation Committee, owing to its belief in the freedom of peoples and their independence, as well as the importance of ending colonisation in line with the UN’s related decisions.

The Special Political and Decolonization Committee also known as Fourth Committee considers a broad range of issues covering a cluster of five decolonization-related agenda items, the effects of atomic radiation, questions relating to information, a comprehensive review of the question of peacekeeping operations as well as a review of special political missions, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), Israeli Practices and settlement activities affecting the rights of the Palestinian people and other Arabs of the occupied territories, and International cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space.

source/content: muscatdaily.com (headline edited)

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OMAN