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
Ten months after her win in Bangkok, the 21-year-old tells Arab News about the sport, balancing studies and training, and the development of women’s boxing in the Kingdom.
The end of 2024 will always hold special memories for Yara Al-Amri. In December last year the young boxer made history by becoming the first Saudi woman to win an Asian medal in boxing — a new milestone for the Kingdom’s fast-growing women’s sports scene.
The 21-year-old fighter earned a bronze medal at the Asian Elite Championships in Bangkok, competing in the 52-kilogram category in her first international appearance.
She told Arab News: “It was my first international appearance, which was the toughest part — competing outside my country without my home crowd and coaches.”
The win was historic not only for Al-Amri, but for Saudi sport. “This changed my life, as I wrote history for Saudi Arabia by winning the first Asian medal in women’s boxing,” she said. “It doesn’t mean we don’t have champions, but the sport is still new in our country. Despite starting later than many nations, we quickly reached their level and proved we can compete and succeed.”
Based in Riyadh, Al-Amri trains under Ali Al-Ahmari at Al-Shabab Club. Standing 174 cm tall, the right-handed orthodox fighter has built a record of 27 fights, with 23 wins and four losses, and holds seven Saudi national titles.
Her path into boxing began unexpectedly. “I first started boxing as a fitness exercise, but soon felt I truly belonged in the sport,” she said. “I’ve always loved challenge and competition, and boxing gave me exactly that. In the ring, it’s just me, my mind, and my hands. Boxing completely changed my lifestyle, making me more disciplined and committed.”
Al-Amri describes the sport as a test of focus as much as strength. “You have to be patient, strategic, and intelligent. Every movement matters.”
Outside the ring, Al-Amri is pursuing a university degree, juggling training sessions and academic deadlines.
“As a university student, my days are always a challenge,” she said. “I train twice a day — morning and evening — while balancing my classes, studies, and daily tasks. My schedule is packed, but I make sure to manage both my academic and athletic commitments.”
Her discipline extends beyond boxing. Earlier this year, she completed the Riyadh Half Marathon, describing the 21-kilometer run as “pure challenge and joy.”
After nearly 30 fights, Al-Amri has learned to embrace both victory and loss. “The biggest lesson I learned from a loss is never leaving the result to the judges,” she said. “The fight must be clear — you have to showcase your skills so strongly that there’s no doubt.
“Injuries and defeats also taught me resilience,” she added. “I always say: ‘What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.’ Before a fight, I’ve learned to control nerves and pressure. It’s natural to feel it, but once I step into the ring, everything switches off — I focus only on my opponent.”
Al-Amri credits her success to the support around her. “My family has been my first and strongest supporters, from the beginning until today. Their belief in me gave me strength,” she said.
She also praised the institutions enabling women’s boxing to grow. “I deeply value the support of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia — from our wise leadership to the ministry of sports, the Olympic Committee, the Saudi Boxing Federation, clubs, coaches, and the people. This collective support has been a huge force behind my journey.”
That system, she said, has helped turn a once niche pursuit into a recognized sport for Saudi women.
“My goal is to achieve as many titles as possible — national, regional, continental, and international,” Al-Amri said. “With God’s will, these achievements will come.”
She believes the next generation of Saudi women boxers will go even further. “Women’s boxing in Saudi Arabia has developed tremendously,” she said. “Clubs and coaches are now available across the country, teams are formed, and the determination of Saudi women is stronger than ever. We are capable of competing, representing, and making the sport grow even bigger.”
In only two years, Al-Amri has collected nine gold medals, seven national titles and two bronzes, combining athletic performance with academic success and public recognition.
Her rapid rise mirrors Saudi Arabia’s broader transformation under Vision 2030, which continues to expand opportunities for women in professional sports, from football and judo to boxing and beyond.
Al-Amri said her journey shows what happens when opportunity meets belief. “Boxing gave me strength and purpose,” she said. “It made me realize that nothing is impossible when you work hard, stay disciplined, and believe in yourself.”
As she continues to train for upcoming championships and sets her sights on future world competitions, Al-Amri’s mission is simple: to raise Saudi Arabia’s flag on the global stage.
From her first punch in a Riyadh gym to her medal podium in Bangkok, Yara Al-Amri’s story is one of faith, perseverance, and proof that Saudi women are not just entering the ring, they are redefining it.
source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)
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Yara Al-Amri salutes the crowd after her victory, becoming the first Saudi woman boxer to claim an Asian medal. (SUPPLIED)
In “Palestine 36,” director Annemarie Jacir recounts a year of Arab revolt against British colonial rule that she says is crucial to understanding current events in the Middle East.
“You can’t understand where we are today without understanding 1936,” Jacir told AFP a day after the film’s world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.
The Palestinian filmmaker, who lives in the Israeli city of Haifa, was motivated to make the film, in part, to redress a lack of awareness about the consequences of British policies during the so-called mandate period, before Israel’s creation in 1948.
“I wanted to really point the finger at the British,” she said.
The film features a mostly Arabic-speaking cast, including Hiam Abbass from HBO’s “Succession,” and Jeremy Irons as a British high commissioner unsettled by rising violence and protests against the colonial administration.
With Jewish immigration from Europe increasing and Palestinian villagers concerned about further loss of land, Arab support for armed revolt against the British surges.
The film details the brutal crackdown launched to contain the violence.
Villagers are beaten, people are arrested en masse while soldiers torch homes after searching them for weapons.
They are tactics Jacir said Israel’s army learned from the British and have used since against Palestinians living under occupation.
But Jacir — who was born in Bethlehem in the Israeli-occupied West Bank — told AFP a key goal of the film was to shine a spotlight on the British colonial practice of divide and rule, which was used across the empire.
The narrative in “Palestine 36” builds toward the publication of the Peel Commission’s report, a British inquiry into the causes of Arab and Jewish unrest in Palestine.
The commission recommended Palestine be partitioned — with separate areas for Jews and Arabs — a finding that influenced the United Nations-backed partition plan that coincided with Israel’s creation.
“It was a British policy: first, we’ll bring (Arabs and Jews) together,” Jacir said.
Then “we separate… It was a tactic of control,” she added.
Jacir said the reception for the film at Friday’s world premiere was overwhelming.
“Yesterday was crazy,” she told AFP, an outpouring of support likely tied to widespread outrage over the conflict in Gaza.
She voiced hope that the film could foster broader awareness about the lasting impacts of the British mandate period in Palestine.
“I’m shocked how many people have told me when I tell them about the film, they were like, ‘the British were in Palestine?'”
Alrashid’s inclusion highlights her pioneering leadership and marks a milestone moment for Saudi women on the global stage
Under her leadership, SRMG has redefined how Arab media engages with audiences, while nurturing new generations of talent
Jomana R. Alrashid, CEO of Saudi Research and Media Group and chairwoman of the Red Sea Film Foundation, has made history as the first Saudi to be recognized on Time magazine’s TIME100 Next list.
An expansion of the iconic TIME100 list of the most influential people in the world, TIME100 Next highlights 100 emerging leaders who are shaping the future of business, entertainment, sports, politics, health, science, activism and more.
Alrashid’s inclusion highlights her pioneering leadership in business and media and marks a milestone moment for Saudi women on the global stage. Alongside Alrashid, the list includes names such as White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, international football phenom Lamine Yamal, Irfaan Ali, the president of Guyana, and many more influential and emerging leaders in their respective fields.
Time magazine described Alrashid as “an architect of the Middle East’s shifting media landscape.” Since her appointment in 2020 as the first female CEO of SRMG, she has spearheaded the company’s comprehensive digital-first transformation, launched innovative media verticals and forged landmark global partnerships. These efforts have been reflected in the rapid growth of SRMG’s stock, signifying extensive trust by investors in her business development and management strategies across the media entertainment and technology sectors. Under her leadership, SRMG has redefined how Arab media engages with audiences, while nurturing new generations of talent.
As chairwoman of the Red Sea Film Foundation, she has championed the growth of the film industry across the Arab world, Africa and Asia, driving initiatives to empower filmmakers and foster international collaboration. This commitment has culminated in an unprecedented achievement, with over 80 supported films premiering and garnering awards and international recognition at the world’s most prestigious festivals, including Cannes, Venice, Berlin, Toronto and Sundance.
These are filmmakers and their stories that once struggled to find a place in the international film industry, now making their mark on the global stage. Today, the Red Sea International Film Festival stands as a premier global destination for cinema, culture and creativity.
Alrashid commented on the recognition: “I am deeply honored to be included in the TIME100 Next list. This recognition reflects the collective efforts of the extraordinary teams I have the privilege to work with at SRMG and the Red Sea Film Foundation. It is also a testament to the vision and leadership that have driven the remarkable transformation taking place across Saudi Arabia and the wider region — a future built on innovation, creativity and storytelling that resonates globally.”
Alrashid’s selection underscores not only her growing global influence but also the pivotal role of Saudi Arabia’s creative and media industries in shaping conversations worldwide. As the Kingdom continues its ambitious cultural and economic transformation, her leadership represents both the spirit of progress and the power of storytelling to inspire and unite communities across the globe.
source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)
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Jomana R. Alrashid, CEO of Saudi Research and Media Group and chairwoman of the Red Sea Film Foundation. (Supplied)
The World Bank has opened a new regional hub in Riyadh to serve the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, as the Washington-based lender continues to boost its presence in the region.
According to a press statement, the new Riyadh hub will be co-located with the World Bank Group’s Gulf Cooperation Council regional office, bringing its leadership closer to country teams, clients, and regional partners.
The opening of the new regional hub signals the deepening ties between the World Bank and Saudi Arabia, as in December, the lender signed a strategic agreement to launch a new global knowledge hub in Riyadh to facilitate regional and global knowledge exchange, joint research, and capacity-building initiatives aimed at advancing global development impact.
Commenting on the opening of the new regional hub, Ousmane Dione, vice president of the World Bank for the MENAAP region, said: “Riyadh is not only a gateway to the region’s transformation, but also a powerful platform for global knowledge exchange and policy innovation.”
He added: “It is especially meaningful to mark this relocation on Saudi National Day, a moment that celebrates the Kingdom’s transformation and its growing role as a global convener of development knowledge.”
In the press statement, the lender added that the opening of the new regional hub aligns with the 50th anniversary of technical cooperation between the World Bank and Saudi Arabia.
In recent months, the institution has awarded a $650 million disaster management loan for Turkiye, a $146 million grant to Syria to help restore reliable, affordable electricity, and $930 million in financing to help improve Iraq’s railway performance, boost domestic trade, and diversify the country’s economy away from oil.
The regional hub development aligns with Saudi Arabia’s government-backed regional headquarters program, launched in 2021, which offers incentives such as a 30-year corporate income tax exemption and withholding tax relief, alongside regulatory support for multinationals operating in the Kingdom.
A Saudi Press Agency report in March said that over 600 international companies, including Northern Trust, IHG Hotels & Resorts, and Deloitte, have already established their regional bases in Saudi Arabia.
source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)
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The new Riyadh hub will be co-located with the World Bank Group’s Gulf Cooperation Council regional office, bringing its leadership closer to country teams, clients, and regional partners. Shutterstock
HUMAIN, a Public Investment Fund company has announced the launch of its Horizon Pro PC, billed as “a groundbreaking laptop designed to revolutionize agentic artificial intelligence personal computing.” Agentic AI systems can act independently and with initiative with limited, or no, human oversight.
The launch was announced by HUMAIN CEO Tareq Amin during the Snapdragon Summit in Maui, Hawaii.
According to a press release, the Snapdragon processor family at the core of the HUMAIN Horizon Pro deliver “leading AI performance and a powerful CPU so that the PC can operate up to 100 times faster than human thought.”
It added that the company’s upcoming proprietary HUMAIN ONE operating system “enables users to manage enterprise workflows, communications, and AI applications from a unified, adaptive interface designed to anticipate needs and accelerate decision-making.” It added that the new PC “offers zero-latency wake time, over 18 hours of battery life, a 40-percent reduction in power consumption compared to competing systems, and advanced thermal architecture for sustained, high-performance use across demanding environments.”
HUMAIN’s AI integrates the Arabic-first large language model “ALLaM” and “operates locally for maximum speed and data privacy, with the flexibility of hybrid AI to tap into the cloud when complex processing or broader insights are required, offering enterprise users the ideal blend of performance, control, and scale,” according to the company.
Amin said: “The HUMAIN Horizon Pro represents a paradigm shift in agentic AI personal computing, especially for enterprise environments where AI actively collaborates with users, both locally and in the cloud, to boost productivity.”
Amin also announced that HUMAIN will give away 500 of its PCs to students as part of its launch initiative to “help unlock new potential for learning, creativity, and future leadership in AI-driven fields.”
source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)
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HUMAIN launched its Horizon Pro PC, a groundbreaking laptop designed to revolutionize agentic AI personal computing. The announcement was made by HUMAIN CEO Tareq Amin during the Snapdragon Summit in Maui, Hawaii. (SPA)
Dubai has reinforced its status as a leading global maritime hub, earning the title of “the crown jewel of the Middle East’s maritime sector,” according to the 2025 International Shipping Centre Development Index report, issued by Xinhua News Agency in collaboration with the Baltic Exchange. The report ranks Dubai among the top five global shipping centres and first in the Arab region.
Sheikh Dr. Saeed bin Ahmed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum, CEO of the Dubai Maritime Authority, part of the Ports, Customs, and Free Zone Corporation, hailed the achievement stating: “Dubai’s ranking as fifth globally and first in the Arab world in the 2025 International Shipping Centre Development Index reflects the vision of our leadership, as well as the effective coordination between strategic partners and maritime sector companies in the emirate.
We remain committed to continuous development, delivering world-class services, adopting global maritime best practices, implementing innovative solutions, updating regulations, and fostering a thriving maritime business environment to position Dubai as an innovative and sustainable global centre for shipping and logistics.”
The report highlights Dubai’s comprehensive maritime ecosystem, offering navigation services, shipbuilding and repair, and capacity to handle the increasing number of vessels. It also emphasised the Dubai Maritime Transport Plan 2030, aligned with the Dubai Economic Agenda D33, which aims to expand maritime transport usage, enhance the network of marine transportation, and develop Dubai Maritime City.
The report specifically praised Jebel Ali Port for its strategic role as a regional shipping hub, underpinned by continuous investment in infrastructure and services. In 2024, the port handled 15.5 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), the highest since 2015, accounting for 18% of the total 88.3 million TEUs managed by DP World, the port operator.
On sustainability, the report highlighted Jebel Ali Port’s initiatives to reduce emissions, including the provision of biofuel for ships, installation of 50,000 m² of solar panels for renewable energy, and the use of electric vehicles for container handling—contributing to an annual reduction of 2,000 tons of CO₂ emissions.
Captain Ibrahim Al Blooshi, Executive Director of Dubai Ports Authority, commented: “We take pride in this achievement, which underscores Dubai’s strong position as a global maritime hub. Jebel Ali Port, operated by DP World under the Ports, Customs, and Free Zone Corporation, continues to excel at both regional and international levels.
Dubai Ports Authority is committed to proactive measures to enhance the maritime sector’s contribution to the strategic objectives of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33, through its three ports—Jebel Ali, Port Rashid, and Hamriyah—despite global economic challenges and market fluctuations. We are dedicated to preserving the emirate’s marine environment and ensuring the highest operational safety standards in the maritime sector.”
Twenty-one-year-old swimmer, Ziyad Saleem, is one of four athletes representing Sudan in three disciplines at the Olympic Games in Paris.
Born in the United States, he says he’s proud to be racing in the 200m backstroke on behalf of his parents country.
“I’m super grateful, I’m excited to go back to Sudan, I was able to win gold medals at the African championships and also Arab, but I was never able to go back and kind of enjoy that with them,” he said.
Saleem add that the hopes to go back to Sudan “whenever Sudan’s back to normal”
The country was plunged into a civil war in 2023 which has seen hundreds of thousands of people displaced around the country and beyond its borders.
The young swimmer said he knows people back home are going through a lot and this has motivated him to be a positive factor, albeit for a short period.
“My own family has been displaced from Sudan to like Egypt and Ethiopia and different countries nearby, so I just know that they’re going through a lot,” he said.
“I’m just grateful that I have the opportunity to represent them and hopefully give them something to look forward to by my swimming.”
Also representing Sudan are 15-year-old 100m freestyle swimmer, Rana Hani, marathon runner, Yas Ezzeddine, and rower, Abdullah Al Araby.
source/conten: africanew.com (headline edited)
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US-born swimmer proud to represent Sudan, his parent’s country, at Olympics /africanews / youtube.com
The groundbreaking invention aims to aid those with immune deficiencies and provide treatment for chronic infections in intensive care units where antibiotics are ineffective.
Youssef El Azouzi, a Moroccan neurologist, has announced the successful development of the world’s first device capable of filtering blood from within blood vessels.
The revolutionary invention can direct inflammatory cells and certain white blood cells, potentially helping millions of people suffering from immune deficiencies and improving organ transplant success rates.
In a Facebook post, El Azouzi explained that his device “will contribute to treating tens of millions of people suffering from immune deficiencies and chronic infections in intensive care units where antibiotics are ineffective.” He added that it would “help in organ transplantation without fear of new organ rejection.”
The invention works by redirecting inflammatory cells flowing in the blood away from vessels that nourish newly transplanted organs, preventing rejection.
This mechanism was successfully tested on a 75-kilogram pig in an American laboratory, where the device demonstrated its ability to direct immune cells from the left leg to the right leg without any negative effects on the animal.
“The experiment showed that the device was able to direct immune cells from the left leg to the right leg,” El Azouzi explained in a video documenting his journey to America to register the invention. “This is the first device that controls cell direction from within the vessel itself.”
The scientific experiment involved injecting both thighs of the pig to induce inflammation before placing the device. The device’s role was to direct inflammation-causing cells to only one side, concentrating them there compared to the other side. This would demonstrate the device’s actual control over the pathways of white blood cells flowing in the blood.
El Azouzi revealed that the project cost approximately $250,000 as of March, not including effort and time. “All these resources were provided by benefactors, with no contribution from any public institution or organization,” he noted.
The Moroccan doctor is no stranger to innovation. In 2019, he won the title of best inventor in the Arab world in the 11th season of “Stars of Science” competition in Qatar. His winning invention then was a stent that regulates blood flow for heart patients, offering a potential low-cost alternative to current solutions like heart pumps.
Born in 1991, El Azouzi studied at the American School in Rabat before attending Oxford University for three years. He later moved to Boston University and eventually studied medicine in English at Turkish universities. He is the son of Mustapha El Azouzi, a Moroccan neurosurgeon.
He currently serves as CEO of Aorto Medical Company in the US, where he has been developing this latest invention through three years of hard work, design, and manufacturing.
This Moroccan invention marks a major breakthrough in modern medicine, potentially offering an effective tool for addressing immune deficiency problems and chronic inflammations, while improving the success of organ transplantation procedures.
Youssef El Azouzi, a Moroccan neurologist, has announced the successful development of the world’s first device capable of filtering blood from within blood vessels.
Talal Salman, veteran journalist and founder of the iconic As-Safir newspaper, died on 25 August 2023 aged 85 after a long career in which he championed the rights of the oppressed and made his paper a “voice for the voiceless”.
On Friday 25 August, Talal Salman, the founder and publisher of the iconic Lebanese daily newspaper daily newspaper “As-Safir” passed away aged 85.
Salman remains one of the Arab world’s most prominent journalists and As-Safir, rightly, as a shining beacon of Arab journalism in its modern history
He was one of the few Arab journalists who always aspired for journalism to be a medium where opinions could be freely expressed, and made it a place in which he affirmed his commitment to national, nationalist and social issues.
When his dream of establishing an independent newspaper became reality in 1974, he succeeded in making it a genuine platform for Arab issues and the Palestinian cause, and it quickly became one of the largest Arabic-language independent newspapers.
“Salman remains one of the Arab world’s most prominent journalists and As-Safir, rightly, as a shining beacon of Arab journalism in its modern history”
“As-Safir” became an important laboratory for ideas and opinions. Over more than 40 years, intellectual and political debates flared within its pages, and it became a forum where various intellectual and cultural experiences from the Arab world and Lebanon converged. This made it a rare experiment in Arab journalism, a place where Lebanese, Palestinian, Syrian, Egyptian, Iraqi, Jordanian, and Tunisian voices at various times would come together.
Talal Salman was born in 1938 in the northeastern town of Shmustar. His father was a sergeant in Lebanon’s Internal Security Force (ISF), a job which required him to move with his family to various regions in Lebanon for various postings. Due to this, Salman never settled in one place or attended a fixed school. Perhaps this forced mobility played a role in shaping his political outlook later on, as it allowed him to discover different regions of Lebanon and to develop a broad understanding of Lebanon’s people – their internal divisions and rural nature.
His political awareness began to emerge following Egypt’s 23 July Revolution of 1952, which played a huge role in alerting his attention to politics. Additionally, his presence in the town of Moukhtara in the Chouf district in the early 1950s exposed him to certain aspects of the Lebanese reality.
Moukhtara was the stronghold of the prestigious Jumblatt family, leading figures in Lebanon’s Druze community. While living there he got to know Kamal Jumblatt, who inspired an entire generation of Lebanese youth who aspired for social justice and sought to connect Lebanon with Arab causes, Arab identity, and Palestine.
Salman would become an Arab nationalist without affiliating with any of the nationalist parties, such as the Ba’ath, although later on, he formed close relationships with founders of Arab Nationalist Movement, like George Habash and Hani al-Hindi, in addition to Ghassan Kanafani and Mohsin Ibrahim, who were closely associated with the pan-Arab, left-wing movement.
Salman’s passion for language began in his childhood; he was enchanted by the few books in his parent’s home, and had started writing articles for the magazine al-Anbaa before leaving school. After completing secondary school in 1955, he moved to Beirut with today’s equivalent of $200 from his father and started looking for work at a newspaper.
Passion for language
Salman’s passion for language began in his childhood; he was enchanted by the few books in his parent’s home, and had started writing articles for the magazine al-Anbaa before leaving school. After completing secondary school in 1955, he moved to Beirut with today’s equivalent of $200 from his father and started looking for work at a newspaper.
“Salman would become an Arab nationalist without affiliating with any of the nationalist parties, such as the Ba’ath, although later on, he formed close relationships with founders of Arab Nationalist Movement, like George Habash and Hani al-Hindi”
He initially found a job at Al Sharq newspaper as an unpaid proof reader, before swiftly transitioning to “cutting” – he would cut out stories from other papers in the morning and rewrite them for publishing in Al Sharq in the afternoon.
1956, the year Salman’s journey into the media world began was the year of the Tripartite Aggression against Egypt (the Suez Crisis) – and it was as though this major event was setting the tone for a journalistic career focused on the major Arab issues of the day, such as Arab unity, Palestine, Algeria and social justice.
Nor was it surprising, considering his background living in areas suffering from marginalization, poverty, injustice, and lack of government care, that he developed a clear sensitivity to social injustice and a strong awareness of the need to fight against it.
Talal Salman, founder of Lebanon’s Assafir daily passed away in Beirut. He was a prominent journalist whose legacy won’t be forgotten. pic.twitter.com/EfFt9GNbYg
It wasn’t long before Salman moved to another paper, where he was given the crime and accidents beat. Every day he would walk to the police station, the courts, ambulance centres and fire stations to gather the day’s news. Then, he would walk back to his workplace to provide the summary of his day to the editorial secretary.
In 1958, after protests broke out against the rule of then President Camille Chamoun, renowned journalist Salim Lawzi, editor-in-chief of the pro-Nasser Al Hawadeth magazine at the time, was arrested, and held in Karantina Hospital – as more fortunate prisoners were at that time.
By chance, Salman’s father was chief officer at the hospital guard station, and his son visited regularly. This led to the aspiring young man meeting the veteran journalist who had worked in Palestine and Egypt before returning to Lebanon to set up the weekly magazine.
Following their meeting, Salman joined Al Hawadeth, where he was suddenly the colleague of well-known journalists like Shafiq al Hout, Nabil Khoury, and the artist Niazi Jaloul. He went from proofreading to preparing the readers section, to writing his own column and then moved into the investigations department. It was not long before he was made sub-editor and he wasn’t even 20 – a testimony to both his journalistic talent and his hard work developing the magazine during a period Lawzi was forced into exile.
However, perhaps the most significant event in his professional and personal life was his meeting with President Gamal Abdel Nasser in Damascus in early 1958. His image alongside Nasser remained on proud display in the As-Safir offices for many years afterwards.
Salman’s rapid rise in journalism also saw him become a figure noticed – and targeted – by Lebanon’s authorities. In August 1961 he was arrested, interrogated and held for 20 days by Lebanon’s General Security services, charged with maintaining ties with Ahmed El-Saghir Jaber (representative of the Algerian Liberation Front in Lebanon), smuggling weapons to Algerian revolutionaries, and plotting military coups in some Arab countries.
“Salman’s rapid rise in journalism also saw him become a figure noticed – and targeted – by Lebanon’s authorities”
In the decade before he founded As-Safir, Salman moved between three magazines – Assayad, Al Ahad and Al-Hurriya. He had plenty of opportunity to delve into secrets and the hidden stories and backgrounds of notable figures and events, and became acquainted with many of the most brilliant Arab authors, artists, politicians and activists of the time. All the information he was absorbing would become part of his arsenal when it came to his own project – the As-Safir daily newspaper.
On 26 March 1974 the first issue was published, carrying two slogans: “the newspaper of Lebanon in the Arab world and the newspaper of the Arab world in Lebanon”, and “the voice of the voiceless”.
Almost instantly, the paper was under attack – in its first year 16 lawsuits were raised against it, following a legal challenge mounted by the Banks Association in Lebanon. However, the nature of those targeting the paper only highlighted how effectively it was beginning to champion the rights of the marginalised, and confront the political system and capitalist stakeholders in the country.
Since its early days, As-Safir’s pages carried illustrious names in contemporary Arab thought and literature, and it also opened its pages to myriad intellectual and political trends, such as Nasserism, Baathism, Arab nationalists, Syrian nationalists, secularists, and communists with their various Soviet, Maoist, and Trotskyist tendencies.
When Lebanon’s civil war broke out in 1975, As-Safir adopted an unwavering political stance: a complete rejection of the civil war, and a total distancing from the right-wing political forces who’s destructive policies had led to the outbreak of the fighting.
While it unequivocally rejected the war, As-Safir’s stance of sympathy and solidarity with the programme of the Lebanese National Movement and the Palestinian resistance was staunch. Its writers were made famous for their condemnation of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat’s visit to Jerusalem in November 1977, and its front page on the first day of the visit was headlined: “The Scoundrel visits the Usurper”.
During the civil war that ended over 30 years ago, people have survived shelling and clashes, but they now fear even worse from Lebanon's worst economic crisis in decadeshttps://t.co/3jEvCQySsJ
Both the newspaper and Salman were targeted in terrorist attacks multiple times. In 1981, an attempt to destroy his house with four timed rockets, was foiled just minutes before they were set to launch. Explosive devices were placed near As-Safir’s offices on 28 March and 5 April 1984.
That July, there was an assassination attempt on him in front of his house, resulting in injuries to his jaw and various parts of his body. However, neither As-Safir nor its founder were intimidated, and both continued to be faithful to their nationalist and progressive principles.
During Israel’s invasion of Lebanon in 1982, As-Safir was the only Lebanese newspaper that didn’t cease publication. Its daily headlines were rewritten on Beirut’s walls as a form of the city’s resilience and it became known for headlines like “Beirut burns but doesn’t raise the white flags”.
Talal Salman, RIP The passing of one of Arab journalism's greats By Abdel Bari Atwanhttps://t.co/CzHZ0TDKgS
A shining era in the history of Lebanese journalism came to an end in 2017 with the closure of the pioneering, left-wing, pan-Arab experiment which was embodied for over 40 years by the As-Safir newspaper, as well as the end of the liberal, right-wing An Nahar in 2012 with Ghassan Tueni’s death.
Talal Salman’s contribution, both to journalism in Lebanon, and to the country’s political and cultural history, is huge, and he and As-Safir are owed a debt for the bold stances they took countless times and the brilliant, enlightening and incisive content they provided in its pages.
This was Talal Salman, who never stopped brimming with kindness, humility and generosity; and who burned with pain and grief at what the situation of the Arab world has come to, who spent his twilight years continuing to read, research and write in his never-ending pursuit of an Arab renaissance.
This is an edited and abridged translation from our Arabic edition. To read the original article click here.
Translated by Rose Chacko
This article is taken from our Arabic sister publication, Al-Araby Al Jadeed and mirrors the source’s original editorial guidelines and reporting policies. Any requests for correction or comment will be forwarded to the original authors and editors.
source/content: newarab.com (headline edited)
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From L to R: Lebanese Minister of Economy and Trade Marwan Hamadeh, Talal Salman and Pierre al-Daher, head of the independent Lebanese Broadcast Corporation (LBC) television attend the opening session of the 2003 Arab Media Summit in Dubai [Nasser Younes/AFP via Getty]
Entrepreneur Yassine Khelifi is hoping to redirect agricultural waste into alternative energy sources to help ease the burden in Tunisia.
In a northern Tunisian olive grove, Yassine Khelifi’s small workshop hums as a large machine turns olive waste into a valuable energy source in a country heavily reliant on imported fuel.
Holding a handful of compacted olive residue — a thick paste left over from oil extraction — Khelifi said: “This is what we need today. How can we turn something worthless into wealth?”
For generations, rural households in Tunisia have burned olive waste for cooking and heating or used it as animal feed.
The International Olive Council estimated Tunisia will be the world’s third-largest olive oil producer in 2024-2025, with an expected yield of 340,000 tonnes. The waste generated by the oil extraction is staggering.
Khelifi, an engineer who grew up in a family of farmers, founded Bioheat in 2022 to tackle the issue. He recalled watching workers in olive mills use the olive residue as fuel.
“I always wondered how this material could burn for so long without going out,” he said. “That’s when I asked myself: ‘Why not turn it into energy?'”
Beyond profit, Khelifi hopes his startup helps “reduce the use of firewood as the country faces deforestation and climate change”.
Employees transport truckloads of olive waste at his workshop, stacking it high before feeding it into the processing machines.
The material is then compacted into cylindrical briquettes and left to dry for a month under the sun and in greenhouses before being packaged and sold.
The soul of olives
Khelifi began developing his idea in 2018 after he travelled across Europe searching for a machine to turn the olive paste into long-burning fuel.
Unable to find the right technology, he returned to Tunisia and spent four years experimenting with various motors and mechanical parts.
By 2021, he had developed a machine that produced briquettes with just eight percent moisture.
He said this amount significantly reduces carbon emissions compared to firewood, which requires months of drying and often retains more than double the amount of moisture.
Bioheat found a market among Tunisian restaurants, guesthouses, and schools in underdeveloped regions, where winter temperatures at times drop below freezing.
But the majority of its production — about 60 percent — is set for exports to France and Canada, Khelifi said.
The company now employs 10 people and is targeting production of 600 tonnes of briquettes in 2025, he added.
Selim Sahli, 40, who runs a guesthouse, said he replaced traditional firewood with Khelifi’s briquettes for heating and cooking.
“It’s an eco-friendly and cost-effective alternative,” he said. “It’s clean, easy to use, and has reduced my heating costs by a third.”
Mohamed Harrar, the owner of a pizza shop on the outskirts of Tunis, praised the briquettes for reducing smoke emissions, which he said previously irritated his neighbours.
“Besides, this waste carries the soul of Tunisian olives and gives the pizza a special flavour,” he added.
‘Protect the environment’
Given Tunisia’s significant olive oil production, waste byproducts pose both a challenge and an opportunity.
Noureddine Nasr, an agricultural and rural development expert, said around 600,000 tonnes of olive waste is produced annually.
“Harnessing this waste can protect the environment, create jobs, and generate wealth,” he said.
Nasr believes repurposing olive waste could also help alleviate Tunisia’s heavy dependence on imported fuel.
The country imports more than 60 percent of its energy needs, a reliance that widens its trade deficit and strains government subsidies, according to a 2023 World Bank report.
Fuel and gas shortages are common during winter, particularly in Tunisia’s northwestern provinces, where households struggle to keep warm.
Redirecting agricultural waste into alternative energy sources could ease this burden.
Yet for entrepreneurs like Khelifi, launching a startup in Tunisia is fraught with challenges.
“The biggest hurdle was funding,” he said, lamenting high-interest bank loans. “It felt like walking on a road full of potholes.”
But now his goal is “to leave my mark as a key player in Tunisia’s transition to clean energy”, he added. “And hopefully, the world’s, too.”
Climate-induced droughts drying up MENA’s olive oil production
A report on climate change by the World Meteorological Organization had found that “the warming has been more rapid in Africa than the global average,” adding that “increased temperature has contributed to a 34% reduction in agricultural productivity growth in Africa since 1961,” a greater drop “than any other region in the world.”
In an ominous note, the report also observed that “the warming trend for North Africa, around 0.41 °C/decade between 1991 and 2021, was higher than the warming trend for all the other African sub-regions.”
Heat waves pose a serious risk to the production of olive oil in North Africa, which accounts for much of the world’s supply. According top provisional data from the IOC, Morocco produced 160,000 metric tons of olive oil between October 1, 2020, and September 30, 2021, making that country the world’s fifth-biggest producer.
Tunisia, the world’s sixth-largest producer during that period, recorded 140,000 metric tons. Algeria and Egypt together had 100,000 metric tons.
With climate change becoming a more persistent aspect of everyday life, the consequences for olive oil look set to grow worse.
The Tunisian National Observatory for Agriculture predicts that Tunisia’s production of olive oil may drop 35 percent from its 1981-2010 average by 2050 and 70 percent from that average by the turn of the century. Production in Algeria, Egypt, Libya, and Morocco seems unlikely to fare much better in the face of global warming.
