LEBANESE-BRITISH: Actress Razane Jammal Named Dior’s latest Middle East Brand Ambassador

‘The Sandman’ star will be the face of its women’s collections in the Middle East.

Building on an already stellar year, Lebanese British actress Razane Jammal has been announced as Dior’s latest ambassador. She will be the face of its women’s collections in the Middle East.

The announcement was complemented by a fashion shoot featuring Jammal in some of the house’s latest creations. She is no stranger to the world of high fashion — the actress was previously an ambassador for Chanel.

“I’m so unbelievably excited to finally announce that I will be joining Dior as a brand ambassador in the Middle East,” Jammal wrote on Instagram.

“Ever since I joined the fashion community, I wanted to collaborate with people I can truly grow with, to join a family that I value as much as it values me. It’s been a long journey but I can confidently say I’ve found my home.

“This is the start of a wonderful collaboration. I cannot wait to embody the timeless creations of @mariagraziachiuri.”

This is yet another mark of Jammal’s upward trajectory. She stars in the highest-grossing film in Egyptian history, Kira & El Gin, and is one of the key characters in Netflix’s hugely popular new show The Sandman.

“It’s been a very crazy couple of years,” she told The National in a recent interview. “But I’m very happy that the hard work has paid off.”

Fluent in Arabic, French and English, Jammal’s first serious foray into acting was in the French-German feature Carlos in 2010. This was followed by Cruel Summer in 2012, a short film by Kanye West, and then Une histoire de fou in 2014 by director Robert Guediguian. All three projects had their world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival.

Based on 1919, the novel by Egyptian writer Ahmed Mourad, and directed by Marwan Hamed, Kira & El Gin is an action drama that chronicles the 1919 revolution against the British occupation of Egypt and Sudan.

The Sandman is based on Neil Gaiman’s groundbreaking graphic novel series.

The experience has been a bittersweet one for Jammal, she told The National, as her mother died last year while The Sandman was being filmed.

“We were filming during Covid-19 in London. We were following very strict Covid-19 protocols and I wasn’t allowed to travel. So I didn’t go back home for eight months after losing my mum. My mum was the most important person in my life. She was a single mum, we had a very close relationship.”

source/content: thenationalnews.com (headline edited)

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BRITISH / LEBANESE

Natasha Karam, Lebanese Heritage, Hollywood Actress

Natasha Karam (aka) Natacha Karam. Film Actress. Hollywood Actress.

Born in Saudi Arabia to a Lebanese father and a Northern Irish mother, actress Natacha Karam is making a name for herself in Hollywood as a character on “9-1-1 Lone Star,” the latest series created by multiple Emmy and Golden Globe winning writer Ryan Murphy.

Born in Jeddah, Karam grew up between Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Bahrain and Dubai, where she began acting. 

After moving to Los Angeles, her television career kicked off with small acting stints on “Homeland” and “Silent Witness,” before she was cast as Sergeant Jasmine “Jaz” Khan in the military action drama series “The Brave,” which ran for one season.

The 27-year-old acts alongside the likes of “Lord of the Rings” actress Liv Tyler and “Aladdin” star Mena Massoud, who plays her fiancé. 

source/content: arabnews.com

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The drama follows the heroics and personal lives of firefighters and other emergency responders. (AFP) / arabnews.com

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BRITISH / ARAB-EUROPEAN

Saudi Girl Ritaj Al-Hazmi, 12, World’s Youngest Novel Series Author by Guinness : May 2021

A young girl from Saudi Arabia has broken the Guinness World Record to become the globe’s youngest writer of a novel series.

Ritaj Alhazmi, 12, has published a series of three English-language novels, two of which came out before her last birthday.

She has been awarded for her Treasure of the Lost Sea series, which includes the novels Treasure of the Lost SeaPortal of the Hidden World and Beyond the Future World.

In the third book, she explored the genre of science-fiction. “I introduce new creatures and robots. I also include travelling through worlds,’ she explains.

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Ritaj Alhazmi has become the world’s youngest book series author after she published three books before her teen years. Courtesy Ritaj Alhazmi / pix: thenationalnews.com

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SAUDI ARABIA

Nourie Flayan – Lebanese Artist-Illustrator. Global Brand Collaborator

Nourie Flayan. Artist. Illustrator. Story teller. Influencer.

First Middle Eastern Artist to collaborate with Gucci – Gucci Beauty

  • Collaborated with Italian Luxury Label Gucci -, Gucci Beauty for artworks (2020)
  • Collaborted with US Luxury Fashion House Carolina Herrera on a set of Eid Al-Fitr illustrations (2021)
  • Collaborated with LA based fashion label ‘House of Aama’ on a tote bag that honours women
  • Collaborated with Native Threads Collective to celebrate International Women’s Day 2021
  • Collaborated with Emirati Jewellery brand MKS Jewellery for their Here To Listen series

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pix: abouther.com /

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LEBANON

Lebanon’s Ray Bassil – World Class Medal Winning, Trap Shooter

Ray Bassil (aka) Ray Jacques Bassil.

Won her first title at age 15, Female Arab Championship, Algiers.

  •  First and only woman ever to represent the Arab countries in Trap Shooting at the Olympic Games in Rio 2016
  • First Arab Woman to compete in 2 Olympics games and win 3 consecutive world cup medals
  • Twice represented Lebanon at Olympic games (2012, 2016)

Other Honours:

  • UNDP – Youth and Gender Goodwill Ambassador

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pix: fondationsaradar.org

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LEBANON

Zeina Barhoum, Arab Soprano to perform at Palestine Museum US on March 21st, 2020

Zeina Barhoum – Arabic Soprana. Classically trained Soprano. Opera singer.

 Jordanian opera singer Zeina Barhoum is set to perform at the Palestine Museum US on March 21, organizers announced. The renowned singer will virtually perform in Arabic and other languages, including the songs “Sanarjeo Yawman,” “Jerusalem, Flower of Cities,” “O mio babbino caro” and several others according to reports in ArabNews.com

Founder :

  • Founder of Alcántara Music and Art series
  • Amman Opera Festival (AOF). First Opera Festival in the Arab World launched in 2017. Under the Royal Patronage of HRH Princess Muna Al Hussein, Jordanian soprano Zeina Barhoum launched the first opera festival in the Arab world, the Amman Opera Festival (AOF), with the full operatic production of Verdi’s La Traviata at the 2000-year old Roman Amphitheater in July 2017, alongside over 150 International musicians and dancers from more than 10 countries.

Awards / Honour:

  • Best Soloist Award, The Eisteddfod competition
  •  Award at the 2nd Taras Shevchenko International Singing Competition, where she sang Taras Shevchenko’s popular folk song The Mighty Dnieper Roars and Bellows in Arabic and Ukrainian for the first time
  • Appointed by the United Nations World Food Programmed (WFP) as its advocate and humanitarian voice (May 2020)

Education:

  • Bsc – Visual Communication, American University of Sharjah

website : www.zeinabarhoum.com

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pix: zeinabarhoum.com

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JORDAN

Abdul Jerri – Mathematician

Dr. Abdul Jerri (aka) Dr. Abdul Jabbar Hassoon Jerri – Mathematician

Academician:

  • Last position held : Professor Emeritus – Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Clarkson University, Potsdam, New York (1967-2002)

Editor:

  • Founding Editor – Sampling Theory in Signal and Image processing (STSIP- An International Journal)
  • Owner – Sampling Publishing

Books:

  • Introduction to Integral Equations with Applications (Pure & Applied Mathematics) – 1985
  • Integral and Discrete Transforms with Applications and Error Analysis (Chapman & Hall/ CRC Pure and Applied Mathematics) – 1992
  • Linear Difference Equation with Discrete Transform Methods (Mathematics and Its Applications) 363 – 1996
  • The Gibbs Phenomenon in Fourier Analysis, Splines and Wavelet Approximations (Mathematics and Its Applications ) 446 – 1998 ..
  • etc..

Education:

  • B.Sc – Physics – University of Baghdad (1955)
  • M.S. – Physics – Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago (1960)
  • Ph.D – Mathematics, Oregon State University (1967)

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pix: en.wikpedia.org

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AMERICAN / IRAQI AMERICAN / ARAB AMERICAN

Emel Mathlouthi Tunisian Singer Releases new Album ‘EMEL – The Tunis Diaries : 2020

Emel Mathlouthi (aka) Emel . Singer. Songwriter. Music Producer.

On October 23, Tunisian-born/New York-based experimental singer Emel released‘The Tunis Diaries’ .

A double EP that features a collection of newly recorded reworks from Emel’s catalog (‘Day’), paired with an eclectic selection of covers (‘Night’).

Equipped with only a laptop, tape recorder, and a classical guitar she crowdsourced from a local fan via Facebook, Emel created ‘The Tunis Diaries’ entirely in Tunis after she was unexpectedly quarantined in her childhood home this Spring.

www.emelmathlouthi.com

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pix: emel.bandcamp

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TUNISIA / New York, U.S.A.

Egyptian Hala El-Said Awarded ‘Arab Government Excellence Award’ : December 2020

Dr. Hala Helmy El-Said was awarded the ‘Arab Government Excellence Award’ as the Best Arab Minister.

Hala H El-Said Ph.D . Minister. Egyptian Economist. Academic. Author.

  • Minister of Planning and Economic Development, Egypt

Positions:

  • First elected Dean- Faculty of Economics and Political Science (2011)
  • Deputy President – Scientific Research and Exterior Relations , Cairo University (2013)
  • Board Member – Central Bank of Egypt
  • Executive Director – Egyptian Banking Institute(EBI) for 8 consequetive years
  • Advisor to the Governor – Central Bank of Egypt (CBE)
  • Member, Board of Trustees of Anti-Money Laundering Unit at Central Bank of Egypt (CBE)
  • Board Member – Arab African International Bank

Education :

  • Ph.D – Economics – Faculty of Economics and Political Science, Cairo University (1989)

Academic Papers :

  •  Author of a wide range of internationally acclaimed research papers, studies and reports

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pix : egypttoday.com

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EGYPT

Lebanese Footwear Fashion Designer – Andreas Wazen Wins ‘Emerging Talent Award : December 2020

Andreas Wazen. Footwear Fashion Designer

Andreas Wazen wins the ‘Emerging Talent Prize’ at the ‘FNAA 2020 Digital Awards’ – Footwear News Achievement Awards held on December 08th, 2020

Footwear manufactured in Lebanon. Based with a Boutique in Beirut and retailers in other countries.

Awards;

  • ‘Accessories Designer of the Year – by Fashion Trust Arabia (May 2020)

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Photo : Courtesy of Andrea Wazen / footwearnews.com

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LEBANON