World Records of Arabs – Page 81 – Arabian Records (1st post : Eid Al Fitr – 01st Shawwal 1439 (AH) / 15th June 2018 ) / (BETA testing – Research

Egyptian Swimmer Omar Hegazy Breaks Two Guinness World Records After Losing His Leg

Egyptian swimmer Omar Hegazy broke two Guinness World Records last week after losing his leg in 2015.

The 31-year-old first broke the record for “longest distance swam underwater with one breath,” swimming 185 feet and 4 inches (or 56.48 meters). He then donned a fin and broke the record for “longest distance swam underwater with one breath with fins,” traveling 251 feet and 7.68 inches (76.7 meters), according to a statement from Guinness World Records.

Hegazy commemorated his accomplishments in an Instagram post, in which he thanked his friends, family and coaches for their support.

“Nothing beats the journey,” he wrote in the post’s caption. “Enjoyed every cold windy day in the pool. Enjoyed after midnight training sessions. Enjoyed the friendships and the unconditional love I saw in the eyes of my friends, family and coaches. Still hungry for more!”

Hegazy had his left leg amputated in 2015 after he was run over by a truck in a motorcycle accident, according to Guinness. He was 25 years old at the time.

Hegazy had to spend several more weeks in the hospital after the operation, learning how to complete everyday tasks. He eventually became interested in accomplishing athletic achievements of strength after reading about Dareen Barbar, a Lebanese amputee who broke the world record for the longest static wall sit. He also read about Faisal Al Mosawi, a Kuwaiti wheelchair user who broke the record for the fastest 10 kilometer scuba dive.

My source of motivation in the beginning was that I do not have much left to lose,” Hegazy said in statement to Guinness. “I only got into swimming because I was a very angry. I found a way to I let out my anger and frustration, but it was also where I felt really free and capable.”

In addition to breaking two Guinness World Records, Hegazy has achieved a number of other athletic milestones. He swam across the Gulf of Aqaba in 2017, completed in a 700 kilometer cycling challenge and climbed a mountain, according to his website.

“I hope these Guinness World Records titles inspire others and serve as a reminder that amazing is somewhere near you,” Hegazy told Guinness. “You just have to open your eyes wide.”

source/content: si.com / Sports Illustrated (edited)

_________

_________

EGYPT

Saudi Arabia’s Dr. Hanan Al-Ahmadi Honored with International Award by USA’s Tulane University

Dr. Hanan bint Abdulrahim Al-Ahmadi.

Dr. Hanan bint Abdulrahim Al-Ahmadi was awarded the International Award for Exceptional Achievement during the Tulane Alumni Awards Gala, hosted by Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine on April 9.

Al-Ahmadi, an academic who specializes in economics and health management and who also serves as the assistant speaker of the Saudi Shura Council, was honored for the contributions of her legacy of excellence at Tulane University.

The award is given to alumni who represent the highest standards of excellence and community service locally and internationally.

During her acceptance speech, Al-Ahmadi said that the scholarships to study abroad provided by Saudi Arabia are pillars of educational strategy in contributing to distinguishing the Kingdom as a global educational institution.

Al-Ahmadi highlighted that all this is due to the great investment in women’s education in Saudi Arabia. She emphasized that the leadership’s support of Saudi women contributed to elevating her to international and regional forums and representing the Kingdom abroad.

Two other doctors, Dr. Neil Meltzer and Dr. Joseph Kanter were also honored for different achievements alongside Al-Ahmadi.

source/content: arabnews.com (edited)

_________

_________________
SAUDIA ARABIA

The FIRST Marvel Project to have an Arab Director. Filmmaker Mohamed Diab Discusses ‘Moon Knight’

Representation matters. Not just representation of ethnic background, but of personal experience. As Egyptian director Mohamed Diab becomes the first Arab to direct a Marvel project with the eagerly awaited limited series “Moon Knight,” it’s a landmark moment not only because of his nationality, but also because he was born, raised, thrived and suffered in Egypt, living through his country’s revolution and painful rebuild, and ultimately becoming one of its most important chroniclers.

“I’m not someone who is obsessed with firsts, but I will say that what is unique about me getting the Marvel job is that I’m coming directly from the Arab world,” Diab — who previously helmed the award-winning films “Cairo 678” (2010), “Clash” (2016), and “Amira” (2021) — continues.

There was a major reason that Diab’s voice was so necessary to the project. While many of the Marvel comic books from the 60s and 70s drew from cultures and mythologies from across the world, they were written and drawn from a perspective foreign to the cultures they were influenced by, leading to limited — sometimes offensive — portrayals of those people, places, and histories.

Part of Diab’s mission was not just to apply his own voice to the show, but to include the creative voices of as many Egyptians and Arabs as he could. Each Egyptian character on the show is portrayed by an actual Egyptian — something rarely, if ever, done in Hollywood — including the ancient deity that plagues Moon Knight himself. Behind the scenes, Diab recruited the previous collaborator Ahmed Hafez as one of the series’ editors, and the great Egyptian composer Hesham Nazih to write the series’ score.

Diab — as the show’s key creative voice along with creator Jeremy Slater — was integral in far more than capturing the Egyptian aspects of the show; he helped shape its entire aesthetic, so the show embraces elements that no Marvel project has before in terms of tone, style, and themes. He also personally convinced two actors who had long resisted becoming part of a superhero project — Oscar Isaac and Ethan Hawke — to come aboard.

“The wonderful idea of hiring Mohamed to be our quarterback, to guide this ship, is that the movies he’s made in Egypt are incredible,” says Hawke. “He’s not looking at this with the eyes of an American, he’s looking at this — and these deities, and this world — from a vantage point of growing up in Egypt and having a lot to say about it. It’s exciting to be around him in that way.”

Diab also recruited the Egyptian-Palestinian actress May Calamawy, best known for her role in the Golden Globe-winning sitcom “Ramy,” as one of the show’s leads.

Ultimately, “Moon Knight” — which debuts internationally on Disney+ on March 30 and will premiere in the region this summer — is a show full of outsiders who, in partnership with Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige and many others, lent their creative voices to make this a Marvel project like no other.

source/content: arabnews.com (edited)

________

_________

EGYPT

UAE Team Wins ‘IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship’, Luxembourg, April 2022

UAE team defeated Luxembourg, the hosts of the tournament, (8:1), at the Ice Hockey World Championship in Luxembourg, delivering an incredible win of the title.

The UAE national team scored a resounding victory over the Luxembourg team in their final match at the 2022 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship DIV III A.

The UAE team scored the full mark of 12 points after winning four matches.

Hamel Al Qubaisi, Vice President of the UAE Winter Sports Federation, dedicated the landmark victory to the UAE leadership, which he said had provided all support and assistance to the sports in the country.

Juma Al Dhaheri, captain of UAE Ice Hockey Team, said the victory is a result of tireless work for more than ten years to assemble a strong, competitive team.

source/content: wam.ae (edited)

____________

___________________________________

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (U.A.E)

Moroccan Taekwondo Athletes Win Silver and Bronze Medal in the Spanish Taekwondo Open, Alicante

Three Moroccan Taekwondo champions participated in the Spanish Open this year.

Moroccan athletes Ayoub Bassel and Nada Laaraj have won silver and bronze medals respectively at the Spanish Taekwondo Open.

Morocco’s National Olympic Committee celebrated the news in an Instagram post on April 3.

The Spanish Open championship was organized on April 2-3 in Alicante, Spain, bringing together Taekwondo champions from around the globe.

Bassel, 26-years-old, won the silver medal in the over 87 kilograms weight class. But the Moroccan champion lost in the final against Spain’s Ivan Garcia after beating the 2018 world champion, Emre Kutalmis Atesli.

In February, Bassel secured another silver in the Arab Cup Championship in Fujairah, UAE. The Moroccan athlete has participated in over 15 international tournaments.

Nada Laaraj, 21-years-old, secured the bronze medal after losing against Spain’s Marta Calvo in the semi-final for the under 62 kilograms weight class.

Laaraj has won three gold medals in international Taekwondo competitions including in the 2022 Arab Cup Championship, 2019 African Games, and the 2018 African Championship.

In 2021, she secured a silver medal in the African Championship in Dakar, Senegal.

20-year-old Rabab Ouhadi represented Morocco in the under 49 kilograms weight class. But she did not succeed in obtaining a medal as she ranked 8th in the women’s section after losing in the first round to Italy’s Martina Corelli.

The athlete started competing internationally in 2018, participating in the Olympic Games qualification in Hammamet, Tunisia.

In the same year, she clinched a bronze medal in the French Open in Paris before collecting other silver and bronze medals in regional and international Taekwondo championships.

In February, she represented Morocco along with Bassel and Laaraj in the 2022 Arab championship in Fujairah where she secured a bronze medal.

source/content: moroccoworldnews.com (edited)

________

____________

MOROCCO

Egypt’s Nouran Gohar Overtakes El Sherbini to Become Women’s World No. 1 : April 01, 2022

Egypt’s Nouran Gohar has ended compatriot Nour El Sherbini’s 17-month reign as the World No.1 after the PSA Women’s World Rankings for April were released today (April 1).

Gohar has been in sensational form throughout the 2021-22 season and has won the last four PSA World Tour Platinum events in a row, including the Windy City Open presented by the Walter Family and the CIB Black Ball Open last month.

Those wins have seen her leapfrog El Sherbini to claim the World No.1 spot for the second time in her career and for the first time since October 2020.

Hania El Hammamy and Amanda Sobhy stay at No.3 and No.4, respectively, while New Zealand’s Joelle King returns to the top five for the first time since May 2019 after reaching the semifinals of both the Windy City Open and Black Ball Open in March.

England’s Sarah-Jane Perry moves down to No.6 ahead of Salma Hany at No.7, while Rowan Elaraby reaches a career-high ranking of No.8 after reaching her first Platinum semi at the Black Ball Open.

Women’s Top 10 – April 2022 / pix: pic: psaworldtour.com

Meanwhile, Georgina Kennedy rises to her career-high ranking of No.9 after achieving back-to-back quarter finals at the Windy City Open and Black Ball Open, the former seeing her reach the last eight of a Platinum event for the first time. France’s Camille Serme – who has been sidelined since September, 2021 due to a leg injury – completes the top 10.

USA’s Olivia Fiechter drops out of the top 10, while Belgium’s Nele Gilis rises a spot to a joint career-best No.12 ranking. India’s Joshna Chinappa is also on the move as she moves up to No.13, ahead of Tesni Evans at No.14 and Nadine Shahin who remains at No.15.

Nada Abbas rises five places to reach No.16, while Hollie Naughton drops down a spot to joint No.17 with Olivia Clyne. Emily Whitlock stays at No.19, while England’s Lucy Turmel moves up six spots to break into the top 20 for the first time. It’s the first time in over two years that there have been three Englishwoman have been ranked inside the top 20 at the same time.

Egypt’s Nour El-Sharkawy is the biggest mover on the women’s tour this month. The 18-year-old appeared at the Black Ball Open in March and enjoys a 186-place rise to a career-high No.147 ranking.

source/content: psaworldtour.com (edited)

_____________

Nouran Gohar in action at the Allam British Open / pic: psaworldtour.com

________

EGYPT

Inspirational Winners of the ‘Arabian Business KSA Women’s Excellence Awards’ : March 2022

There were inspiring scenes as the winners of Arabian Business’ inaugural KSA Women Excellence Awards were revealed at a special ceremony, a glittering evening at the Riyadh Marriott on Mother’s Day with an audience of more than 150 attendees, the winners were revealed.

Before the winners were announced, a fireside chat with Arabian Business Editor in Chief Scott Armstrong heard from Mae Al Mozaini, CEO of nusf – The Arab Institute for Women’s Empowerment, who told the room: “What an exciting time it is to be a Saudi woman – we are the number one most educated women in the region and 10 in the world.”

Meanwhile, Hawazen Almaddah, Group Head of Corporate Communications at IFFCO Group, captivated the room with her ‘letter to her future self’.

Mae Al Mozaini, founder and CEO of The Arab Institute for Women’s Empowerment – Nusf

Secondly, Samar Alshorafa, who is the founding CEO of She is Arab.

And finally, Carla Sertin, ITP Group Editor, who leads brands such as Oil & Gas Middle East, Construction Week, Utilities Middle East, to name but a few.

Editor in Chief Scott Armstrong said: “The journey to today has been breathtaking, and if you plot the line graph for women into Saudi’s future, the potential is incredible.

“As the proud father of an irrepressible daughter and husband to an unstoppable wife, I’m delighted to be here in Riyadh to celebrate the achievements of inspiring women, especially on Mother’s Day here in the Gulf.”

The Winners:

Business – Woman of the Year

Highly Commended: Maria Medvedeva, Vice President, Mastercard, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.

Winner: Mona Althagafi, KSA Country Director with Serco.

Education – Woman of the Year category

Winner: Alia Albazie – Director of Special Education with the Tatweer Company

Business – Energy – Woman of the Year

Winner: Dr. Abeer Al-Olayan, General Director at the Ministry of Energy

Entrepreneurial – Woman of the Year

Highly Commended: Nour Al Hassan, the Founder and CEO of Tarjama

Winner: Sheikha Aldosary, founder and managing director of Saudi Women’s Stories

Finance – Woman of the Year

Winner: Tala Al Jabri

Government – Woman of the Year

Highly commended: Reem AlSuwaiyel, Executive Director -Board of Directors General Secretariat at the Diriyah Gate Development Authority

Winner: Dur Essam Kattan, the Deputy Minister for Communications and Media at the Ministry of Culture (MoC), Saudi Arabia

Inspirational – Woman of the Year

Dr. Hibah Shata, owner of Maharat Learning

Linah Alhabeeb, the Associate Director for Human Capital Development at the Diriyah Gate Development Authority (DGDA)

Nouf Aljalaud, currently Customer Success Manager at SITA covering Border Management Service Management

Nouf Abdullah Al Rakan- Nouf founder Qiyadat Global

Law – Woman of the Year

Highly commended: Tala AlJahlan who led the legal and compliance department during the Saudi G20 presidency

Winner: Nasreen Alissa of The Law Firm of Nasreen Alissa

Media – Woman of the Year

Winner: Ghada Alrumayan, group chief marketing and communications officer at the national community developer, ROSHN

Medical – Woman of the Year

Highly commended: Dr Tamara Sunbul, Medical Director of Clinical Informatics with Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare (JHAH)

Winner: Taghreed Alghaith of the National Health Economics and Policies at the Saudi Health Council (SHC)

Rising Star – Woman of the Year

Highly commended: Albandari AlajlanDental Department Manager at Dallah Hospital

Winner: Abeer Algwaiz, Design Assistant Manager at the Diriyah Gate Development Authority (DGDA)

Science and Technology – Woman of the Year

Highly commended: Maha Alnuhait, GM of Sustainability with stc

Winner: Dr. Noha Alharthi, Technology Lead at NEOM

Startup – Woman of the Year

Winner: Muzon Ashgar, Muzon Bodycare

Special Recognition – Woman of the Year

Highly commended: Samiha Ahmed of the Ireland- Saudi Arabia Business Council

Winner: Mae Al Mozaini, The Arab Institute for Women’s Empowerment

source/content: arabianbusiness.com

____________

_________________

SAUDI ARABIA

Abdulaziz Fahad Al-Jouf, Founder and CEO of Payment Processing Company ‘PayTabs’

Abdulaziz Fahad Al-Jouf is the founder and CEO of PayTabs, a payment processing company founded in Saudi Arabia in January 2014 and now based in Bahrain.

He graduated from Riyadh’s Imam Muhammad Ibn Saud Islamic University in 1999 with a bachelor’s degree in Islamic business and subsequently obtained a bachelor’s degree in information technology from the University of Nebraska-Omaha and a master’s degree in e-business from the New York Institute of Technology.

PayTabs was founded in 2013 after Al-Jouf “faced problems finding a suitable payments gateway for one of his business startups … and figured there would be many others with the same issues.”

PayTabs was, according to Al-Jouf, “taken under the wing” of Saudi Aramco’s entrepreneurship scheme “Wa’ed” and made headlines in August 2017 when it raised $20 million investment from unnamed sources.

In 2018 PayTabs was recognized by Forbes Middle East as No. 1 among “the top 20 Fintech startups to watch.”

In the same year, Al-Jouf was featured on the cover of Arabian Business magazine, and PayTabs was named “Fintech Company of the Year” at the Arabian Business Achievement Awards.

source/content : arabnews.com

___________

____________________________

SAUDI ARABIA / BAHRAIN

UAE’s MoHAP launches World’s First Metaverse Customer Happiness Service Centre

The Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) has launched the world’s first Metaverse customer happiness service center at the Arab Health 2022, the first experience of its kind in a health exhibition in the world.

The step ushers in a new era of digital reality and human-computer interaction in government health care services, by enhancing the integration of the real, virtual and digital world.

The Ministry’s stand at the Arab Health being held at the Dubai Trade Centre from 24th to 27th January, will be a unique stage to showcase this unique technology and test the performance of virtual activities that provide real experiences in one of the most innovative and future initiatives launched by the ministry.

Although the full version of the MoHAP MetaHealth platform is expected to be launched by mid-2022, visitors to Arab Health 2022 will have the opportunity to instantly teleport into the world of MetaHealth and choose to speak with a real employee from the Customer Happiness Center in a must-try experience.

he new technology also provides an opportunity for customers to join the MetaHealth space and move from their current location to the Ministry’s virtual Customer Happiness Center, without actually crossing the distance between the two areas. Customers, then, can request information, submit documents, pay fees and more, with the actual faces of users being displayed in the virtual room instead of avatars.

The new service also provides a tangible solution for the people of determination who are unable to move physically from their homes to one of the Ministry’s customer happiness centers and finish their transactions smoothly.

Al Owais added, “Today, we are experiencing the world of “Metaverse”, with the launch of the world’s first virtual customer happiness center in the three-dimensional digital space, in the first experience of its kind, in preparation for a new and promising future health sector through Arab Health, one of the largest international exhibitions.”

The UAE health minister asserted that Virtual Reality technology will play a more important role in the future of the UAE during the next fifty years, especially in light of the development of advanced digital infrastructure, which is one of the best in the world.

“The flourishing of digital transformation in the government sector pushes us forward to continue achieving the goals and aspirations of the UAE to lead the artificial intelligence and virtual reality sector, which places the country in a perfect position to attract and use advanced technologies, especially Metaverse,” said Dr. Muhammad Salim Al Olama, Under-Secretary of the Ministry and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Emirates Health Services.

source/content: wam.ae

___________

___________________________________

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (U.A.E)

Tunisian-French Film Producer Tarak Ben Ammar buys Studios De Paris from EuropaCorp

Tunisian-French film producer Tarak Ben Ammar has finalized a $37 million deal to purchase Studios de Paris, the production facility outside the French capital.

The studios are known for being home to Netflix shows such as “Emily in Paris” and “Murder Mystery 2” and blockbusters such as “Jackie,” “Lucy” and “Taken 2”.

The facility, which has nine sound stages, was placed under court protection a year ago for its debt which are being paid by the acquisition, reported Variety

The studios were co-founded by Ben Ammar, who co-owned them through his company Bleufontaine along with EuropaCorp, a French film and TV production and distribution company created by Luc Besson in 1999, Front Line, Europacorp’s holding company, and Euromedia, a live transmissions company.

Now, Ben Ammar has acquired the shares owned by all three other partners in a deal completed via Eagle Pictures France, a subsidiary of the producer’s Italy operation.

The studios will continue to “represent a center of excellence for the French film industry and be an attractive factor for the entire sector,” according to a statement released by EuropaCorp to investors.

source/content: arabnews.com

___________

The studios are known for being home to Netflix shows such as “Emily in Paris” and “Murder Mystery 2.” (Studio de Paris)

____________________

FRANCE / TUNISIA