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
While aspiring to become a boxing champion, Taghmaoui’s fascination with cinema eventually led him to pursue a career in acting.
French-Moroccan Actor Said Taghmaoui has solidified his presence in the Hollywood industry, successfully securing various roles alongside renowned stars.
His latest endeavor sees him teaming up with Golden Globe nominee Mark Wahlberg in an upcoming feature film called “The Family Plan,” produced by Apple Original Films and Skydance.
Written by David Coggeshall, “The Family Plan” follows the story of a suburban father who finds himself on the run with his family when his past catches up to him.
The movie is directed by Simon Cellan Jones and produced by Wahlberg, Municipal Pictures’ Stephen Levinson, and Skydance’s David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, and Don Granger.
In addition to “The Family Plan,” Taghmaoui has also landed a role in the action-packed film “Tin Soldier,” which boasts an impressive cast including Oscar winners Jamie Foxx and Robert De Niro, as well as Scott Eastwood.
During a recent interview with French lecturer and essayist Idriss Jamil Aberkane, Taghmaoui opened up about his journey as an actor. He described himself as an “autodidact,” highlighting the fact that he didn’t attend school but instead pursued his passions with unwavering dedication.
Recalling his boxing days, the actor expressed how the sport played a significant role in his personal growth. He believes that either boxing chose him or he chose boxing, emphasizing its complexity and the introspection it demanded.
While aspiring to become a boxing champion, Taghmaoui’s fascination with cinema eventually led him to pursue a career in acting.
Born in France to Moroccan immigrant parents, Taghmaoui became a naturalized US citizen in 2008 and swiftly made a name for himself in the Hollywood industry.
Despite dropping out of school at a young age, his boxing talent propelled him to second place in his category in France. It was during this time that he met Mathieu Kassovitz, with whom he co-wrote the acclaimed French film “La haine” (1995), which earned the Best Director award at Cannes.
Since then, Taghmaoui has become a prominent figure in cinema and has expanded his repertoire to include films from various countries, such as Italy, Germany, the United States, and Morocco.
He has featured in Hollywood productions like “G.I. Joe,” “Wonder Woman,” “Traitor,” “John Wick,” and “The Forgiven,” showcasing his versatility and talent as an actor.
The Moroccan footballer’s value on the transfer market is estimated at € 32 million.
Moroccan professional football player Nayef Aguerd has been featured in a new documentary that explores his inspiring journey from playing in the streets of Kenitra to joining Premier League team West Ham as a center-back.
The documentary, titled “Premier League Stories – Nayef Aguerd,” follows the Moroccan defender’s journey from playing for the Moroccan club FUS Rabat, Dijon, and Rennes in France, to joining West Ham United in the English Premier League.
One of the documentaries’ outstanding, particularly emotional scenes shows how Aguerd suffered a serious ankle injury that nearly halted his first season in England’s top league.
Speaking about the footballer‘s inspirational story, French football journalist Julien Laurens said, “I think Aguerd’s story is incredible. He is a symbol of a Moroccan kid who played in Morocco and who was born there and still made his way all the way up to the best league in the world.”
The journalist enthused: “For the kids in Morocco, Aguerd is this Hollywood story.”
Born in Kenitra, Aguerd started his career at the Mohammed VI Football Academy in Sale, a city near Rabat. He landed his first professional contract with Fath Union Sport, also called FUS Rabat, in 2014.
Aguerd spent four seasons with FUS Rabat before joining Dijon in the French Ligue 1. In 2020, he joined Rennes FC, another Ligue 1 club. After to years of brilliant displays during which he established himself as an undroppable and reliable defender at the heart of of Rennes’ defense, the Moroccan footballer signed a five-year contract with England’s West Ham United in July 2022
At a pivotal time in his professional life, the sought-after defender underwent ankle surgery after injuring his ankle in a preseason friendly against Rangers in 2022.
“The two weeks after the surgery, it was difficult to move, so I was in the hotel, taking a lot of pain killers,” Aguerd is seen explaining in the documentary.
Aguerd, whose current value on the transfer market is estimated at € 32 million, pointed out his much-reported, high-value transfer to the Premier League put a lot of pressure on him as he felt the need to prove himself. “When you come with a transfer value like mine, you want to show that you deserve it,” the player said.
Prior to playing for the Moroccan national team, Argued stated that it was his childhood dream to represent his country in the world’s most important competition.
Little wonder then that, in the documentary, the sought-after defender was ecstatic when recalling his country’s historic World Cup journey. “I will never forget this tournament,” he said of the Moroccan Atlas Lions’ heroics in Qatar.
Moroccan boxer Khadija El Mardi won the gold medal on Sunday in New Delhi, India, during the Women’s World Amateur Boxing Championships.
The national champion El Mardi, who competed in the heavyweight division (Over 81kgs), won the women’s world boxing championship by defeating the Kazakh Kungeibayeva Lazzat.
El Mardi has achieved a number of victories over the years, including the title of African champion in 2022, a victory at the African Games in Rabat in 2019, a silver medal at the World Championships in 2022, and this year’s Mohammed VI Trophy gold medal.
Born in Casablanca in 1991, El Mardi’s everlasting commitment and heroic efforts to achieve success have made her name stand out.
Morocco’s berry production is one of the country’s key contributors to the agricultural sector.
Morocco has outperformed the US becoming the fourth largest blueberry exporter in the world.
Data from East Fruit said that Morocco exported 53,000 tonnes of blueberries in 2022. Peru was the largest exporter of fresh blueberries last year, with 277,000 tonnes, followed by Chile (105,000 tonnes) and Spain (87,000).
Despite Morocco’s leading position in blueberry exports, the Netherlands exported more blueberries than the North African country in 11 months of last year, the same source said.
“It should be noted that the exports from the Netherlands in 11 months of last year were higher than that of Morocco, having amounted to 104 000 tonnes,” East Fruit reported.
Elaborating on the data, the news outlet said: “However, if we take into account the volume of re-exports, the real result of the Netherlands will be much lower since it imported 130 000 tonnes of fresh blueberries during this period.”
East Fruit also recalled that Morocco ranked seventh place among the largest exporters of cultivated blueberries in 2017.
Berry production in Morocco has contributed to the country’s agricultural sector significantly.
Morocco’s revenues from strawberry exports to the international market are estimated between $40 and $70 million annually.
According to previous data from East Fruit strawberry products are one of the top 10 most exported goods from Morocco.
According to estimates, Morocco exported 22,400 tonnes of fresh strawberries globally in 2022, representing an increase of 17% compared to a year earlier.
Countries like the UAE, Qatar were key buyers of Moroccan goods. In Europe, the US is one of Morocco’s strawberry importers. In 2022, the US imported almost half of Morocco’s strawberry export supply.
Famous for its “fog harvesting” project in southern Morocco, the nonprofit Dar Si Hmad for Development, Education and Culture also carries out other projects to build the capacities of local populations and provide educational training projects for young people.
The fog-harvesting project, in the Sidi Ifni region of southern Morocco, uses specially designed nets to capture water droplets suspended in the fog covering mountain peaks. The fog-water drips off the nets and is channeled into a filtration system, thus providing clean water to residents of areas suffering from severe water shortages.
The project is a boon for women in the region because it frees them from having to carry water long distances, and also provides jobs and training for them.
Development Projects
Established in 2010, Dar Si Hmad for Development, Education and Culture is run by Jamila Bargach, a cultural anthropologist, and her husband, Aissa Derham , a mathematician who holds a Ph.D. from Laval University in Canada.
Bargach studied at Mohammed V University in Rabat and obtained a Ph.D. in anthropology from Rice University in the United States. She has worked for several nongovernmental organisations in Morocco and abroad.
In the region, Bargach is nicknamed “The Bride of the Fog” in reference to a local Amazigh legend of a princess named Teslet who did her best to make rain to save her village from drought.
Over the past years, the fog-harvesting project has received numerous international honours, notably an Innovation in Sustainabilty award from the GoAbroad Foundation in 2017 and a Momentum for Change award presented at the COP22 Climate Summit in Marrakech in 2016.
Programmes for American Students
Fond of southern Morocco, Bargach believes that the region provides unique opportunities for students to learn more about the kingdom, especially in terms of how development projects are accomplished in complex and special contexts.
Many of Dar Si Hmad’s educational programmes center on the fog-harvesting project, Bargach told Al-Fanar Media. “This enables students to learn and develop their abilities through practical and field education.”
She added that the association receives students from American universities who come to southern Morocco. Over the years, it has hosted more than 54 student missions from different American universities.
The organisation provides these students with opportunities to meet with Moroccan students from Ibn Zohr University, in Agadir, and to participate in various educational programmes. These include the RISE Programme, the Ethnographic Field School and the Water School, as well as job programmes targeting women in rural areas.
Environment-Friendly Entrepreneurship
The RISE Programme aims to build capacities and promote environment-friendly entrepreneurship among students of colleges and higher schools in Agadir. The programme is a set of integrated workshops presented by experts, and meetings with employers, with the aim of exchanging experiences and creating opportunities for networking. Each participant is also required to have a project idea that benefits the local environment, besides the need to commit to attending all scheduled events.
The Ethnographic Field School promotes cross-cultural understanding and exchange through interpersonal interaction with local communities. During their time in southern Morocco, participants learn about local issues like sustainable practices in the argan oil industry , which employs many rural Amazigh women, or languages like darija (Moroccan Arabic) and Tachelhit (the local form of Tamazight).
The Water School programme is directed to students of rural schools in the Aït Baamrane region in southern Morocco. The programme is based on lessons inspired by local reality, with openness to other horizons and cultures. The Water School brings together volunteers, environmental trainers, and other partners. Everyone is committed to building a comprehensive and ethical foundation for the benefit of environmental education, the organisation’s leaders say.
Bargach says that the success of the fog-harvesting project motivated and inspired the educational programmes’ students. She adds that they are working to transfer knowledge to young people who are passionate about more work and innovation in searching for alternative sources of water and serving the environment in southern Morocco.
Skill-Building Experiences
Nadia El-Aissaoui, who holds a master’s degree in tourism and communication from Ibn Zohr University’s Faculty of Arts and Humanities, worked in Dar Si Hmad’s Ethnographic Field School this year. She said the experience helped her develop professional skills. “I have benefited greatly from this experience,” she said. “I worked as a fixer (‘speaking partner’) for students coming from American universities to work on field research projects.”
The programme transferred her from university halls to field research, she said. “This experience enriched my professional path,” she added. “I learned a lot of things, such as focusing on tasks, time management, documentation, interpretation methods, besides exposing me to the American mentality and working ways.”
Aissa Derham checks a net used in the fog-harvest project. He and Jamila Bargach co-founded the nonprofit Dar Si Hmad for Development, Education and Culture, which runs several capacity-building and educational programmes in southern Morocco. (Photo courtesy of the organisation)
The next edition of Top Model of Universe will be held in Marrakech.
Morocco’s young model Ilias Senhaji has won the title of “Top Model of the Universe 2022’’ in a competition held in Istanbul to select the future faces of the fashion world.
A statement by the organizers added that the 17-year-old Russian-Moroccan model is the face of the Moroccan fashion house Calamain and was first discovered at the Morocco Fashion Week in Marrakech in June 2022.
The next edition of “Top Model of Universe’’ will be held in Marrakech, says the statement.
Also present at the event was the popular Moroccan designerWafaa Idrissi.
The iconic Moroccan caftan designer debuted a new collection during the event consisting of “beautiful white caftans with gold embroidery thread, accented with pearls and Swarovski crystals, handmade by Moroccan artisans.”
Idrissi recently showcased a set of inspiring caftan designs at The Oriental Fashion Show. Most of her designs were laced with golden and vibrant motifs, with one of her pieces also featuring a veil.
Moroccan women have also excelled in several international beauty pageants.
Morocco’s Marwa Lahlou was crowned Miss Arab USA in August. Lahlou graduated with a honors degree from the University of New Haven with an MBA in International Business Management and Marketing. Additionally, the model speaks Arabic, English, French, and Spanish.
On October 16, Moroccan-Spanish model Sarah Loinaz was crowned Miss Universe Spain 2021 at the Los Olivos Beach Resort in Costa Adeje, Tenerife, Canary Islands.
The 23- year-old model also competed at the Miss Universe 2021 pageant held in Israel.
Sibaha is the director of the “Atlas Lionesses: Hear Them Roar!” documentary that honored Morocco’s Women’s Football Team.
The Moroccan journalist Aziza Nait Sibaha has won the sixth “Fatima Bint Mubarak” Women Sports Award, crowning her as the Arab world’s “best sports journalist.”
Presented on September 17 in Abu Dhabi, the award is the region’s first of its kind aimed at empowering women and celebrating their sports achievements.
The “Fatima Bint Mubarak” Prize was awarded to different winners in several categories, including sports management, training, research, sports sponsorship, and women of determination.
The value of the prizes totaled AED 1,700,000 ($462,824).
Different trophies were awarded to nine competitors, individuals and teams, including Egypt’s Giana Farouk Mahmoud, who was named the “best Arab sportswoman,” and Shamma Yousef Al Kalbani, who won the “best Emirati athlete” award.
Egyptian Ahmed Gouda won the prize for the “best young athlete,” while his compatriot Rehab Ahmed Radwan was awarded the prize for the “best Paralympic athlete.”
The “best coach” award went to Faris Al-Assaf from Jordan, while the Jordanian Women’s Football Association took the award in the “ Youth Development Programs” category.
The Egyptian Weightlifting Federation won the award for “best team,” while the “Emirates International Endurance Village” earned the prize for “best innovative sports initiative.”
The celebrated Tunisian tennis player Ons Jaber won the award for “Sports Personality of the Year in the Arab World.”
In her speech at the award ceremony, the representative of Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Sports Academy, Maryam Al-Mansouri, said that all categories of the award have seen strong competitiveness in recent months. This proves the talent, willingness, and ambition of Arab sportswomen, she stressed.
Al-Mansouri concluded: “We hope to see Arab women continue to take the lead in local and international sports events, and this award will contribute to the birth of new achievements in the Arab women’s sports career.”
Moroccan athlete Salaheddine Benyazide won the bronze medal in the men’s 3000m steeplechase race on Saturday, as part of the Cali 2022 World Athletics U20 Championships, Columbia.
The young athlete was able to snatch the third place with a time of 8 minutes, 40 seconds, and 62 milliseconds, coming right behind the Ethiopians Samuel Duguna and Samuel Firewu.
Duguna achieved a time of 8 minutes, 37 seconds, and 92 milliseconds, while Firewu’s time came in at 8 minutes, 39 seconds, and 11 milliseconds.
The time is Benyazide’s fourth best in this race category, with his personal best being 8 minutes, 19 seconds, and 63 milliseconds, achieved earlier this year in Rabat.
The medal is Benyazide’s first on the world stage. Having been active in Morocco’s athletic scene since 2021, the 19 year-old athlete started participating in international races in 2022.
Celebrations and support have been pouring in following the young Moroccan’s medal, and many have hailed Benyazide’s success on the global stage as an achievement not only for Morocco, but for Arab athletics in general.
As he is participating in more international events this year, the young athlete is widely expected to represent Morocco more often on the world stage in the coming years, following in the footsteps of other Moroccans to preserve the country’s increasingly stellar athletics record.
Ethiopian athletes took the gold and silver medals in the race.
Moroccan side RS Berkane won their second African Confederation Cup title in three years after beating South Africa’s Orlando Pirates 5-4 on penalties following a 1-1 draw at Nigeria’s Godswill Akpabio Stadium on Friday 20th May.
Brahim El Bahraoui scored the winning penalty after Pirates keeper Richard Ofori, who had scored his side’s fourth spot kick, failed to save any of Berkane’s efforts.
Winger Thembinkosi Lorch turned from hero to zero as Pirates missed out on their maiden Confederation Cup triumph after also losing in the 2015 final.
He scored a bizarre 117th-minute equaliser to cancel out Youssef El Fahli’s penalty in the first half of extra time but had his effort blocked by keeper Hamza Hamiani in the shootout.
Hamiani was Berkane’s standout performer, producing some superb saves to keep his side in the game as Pirates looked the better side throughout.
Berkane lost on penalties to Egypt’s Zamalek in the 2019 final but won the trophy a year later. Another Moroccan side, Raja Casablanca, clinched the title last year.
Key saves
Hamiani kept out a low, angled effort from striker Kwame Peprah on 34 minutes before producing an even better save to smother a close-range effort from Deon Kavendji early in the second half, denying Orlando a certain goal.
He also comfortably collected a tame shot from Lorch, who was well-positioned to score following some slack defending.
Berkane, who rarely threatened, took the lead in the 97th minute when Pirates substitute Thabang Monare, who had just been on the pitch for a few minutes, clumsily stuck out a leg to foul an opponent following a corner.
El Fahli sent keeper Ofori the wrong way with a low effort as Berkane thought they had the match dead and buried.
But Pirates did not give up, with Tshegofatso Mabasa heading just wide from a corner before Lorch brought them level three minutes from the end of extra time.
After his initial effort was blocked by the defence, Mabasa collected the loose ball just inside the area and sent a stray pass that somehow eluded all defenders and found its way into the bottom corner past Hamiani, who had been unsighted by his own defence.
But Berkane had the last laugh in the shootout, converting all of their kicks, as Moroccan teams made it a hat-trick of straight Confederation Cup triumphs.
source/content: english.ahram.org.eg
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Morocco s RS Berkane beat Orlando Pirates in the African Confederation Cup final on Friday (Photo: Pirates official Twitter account)
Forbes selected Mouna Abbassy and Sophia Alj for two of its prestigious rankings.
Forbes has featured two Moroccan businesswomen on its “30 Women Behind Middle Eastern Brands 2022” and “20 Women Behind Middle Eastern Tech Brands 2022” lists. The two successful, celebrated business leaders are the Founder of IZIL Mouna Abbassy and the co-Founder of Chari.co Sophia Alj.
This week, Forbes released the two lists simultaneously. The magazine’s list of “30 Women Behind Middle Eastern Brands” featured companies operating in six MENA countries, with the UAE hosting 13 of the successful businesses.
The list includes 18 nationalities in total, with Egyptian businesswomen topping the list with 11 entries, followed by Lebanese with 4 mentions.
The “20 Women Behind Middle Eastern Tech Brands” list highlighted the achievements of successful female founders and co-founders of tech platforms and apps. This year, 17 nationalities were represented in the list.
The 20 featured businesses operate in 13 sectors and are prominently based in the UAE (13), Egypt (2), and Saudi Arabia (2).
Mouna Abbassy
Moroccan businesswoman Mouna Abbassy ranked 10th in the “30 Women Behind Middle Eastern Brands 2022” list.
In 2012, Abbassy founded IZIL, an “all-natural skincare line.” The brand offers hair, skin, and body products, inspired by old Moroccan beauty recipes.
IZIL is based in the UAE with clients in Gulf countries, the US, and the UK. The brand’s e-commerce sales to the US and the UK markets recorded a 40% and 50% growth in 2021.
Last year, IZIL opened new offices in Dubai as it launched a Moroccan Hammam and Spa in the Dubai Mall. In terms of social media outreach, the brand currently counts 346K followers on Instagram and 136K followers on Facebook.
Sophia Alj
Sophia Alj ranked 8th in the “20 Women Behind Middle Eastern Tech Brands 2022” list.
She is the co-founder of Morocco’s popular e-shop and startup Chari.co, which she founded with her husband Ismael Belkhayat in 2020.
The Chari application connects retailers to fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies.
In March, the startup acquired Axa Credit for $22 million. A year prior, Chari purchased Moroccan bookkeeping and credit platform Karny.ma which serves roughly 40,000 retailers. The startup concluded the deal after receiving $5 million in seed funding.
As it continues to expand into Francophone African markets, Chari.co has the potential to obtain unicorn status by reaching a valuation of $1 billion.
