Month: May 2024

ARAB Women in Engineering Spotlight: Global STEM Leaders

Hear the stories of three Arab women engineers who are making an impact in STEM around the world.

Throughout April, the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) is honoring and recognizing the contributions of Arab women in engineering around the world. This effort aligns with Arab American Heritage Month, which is celebrated in April in the U.S.

Read on to meet three incredible Arab women who are living without limits, advancing SWE across the globe, inspiring others, and making a positive impact in their respective STEM fields.

Meet Dr. Ghada Salama

Welcome, Dr. Salama! Can You Share a Bit About Your Professional Background?

My professional journey for the past 20 years has been deeply rooted in academia, where I have dedicated my career to teaching and the pursuit of knowledge. Upon receiving my Ph.D., I embraced the academic path and am now an instructional professor.

What Inspired You to Choose Chemical Engineering as Your Career Path?

I wish I had an inspiring story to share with you, but my choice was a mix of personal passion and cultural influence. Growing up in a society where engineering and medicine were revered as prestigious fields to pursue, which required excelling in high school (which I did), I was under pressure to conform. So that is the story for the engineering part.

My love for chemistry made me choose chemical engineering. So, you can say I merged my passion for chemistry with the practicality of engineering.

You Have Won Numerous Awards in Your Academic Career, Including “Best Chemical Engineering Professor of the Year!” What Do You Enjoy the Most About Working in Academia?

The students, of course! There is something magical about that “aha” moment when you see that sparkle in their eyes. The dynamic environment of having new students every semester and the constant flow of fresh ideas and perspectives keeps me on my toes and fuels me.

As the Leader of the Texas A&M Qatar University SWE Affiliate, You Have Been Influential in Supporting Other Women in STEM! Can You Tell Us More About the Initiatives, Successes, or Accomplishments of This Affiliate?

As the advisor for our student SWE organization, our key initiative has been promoting engineering and fostering a strong sense of community and mentorship among the female engineering students here.

Throughout the years, the students have organized networking events and panel discussions featuring successful women in STEM fields, as well as men who are our strong allies from government and industry.

Another highlight is their involvement in outreach efforts to inspire the next generation of women in STEM. Six years ago, we established a student mentorship program at our university. With women forming almost 50% of our student engineering student body, we felt there was a need to start this initiative.

This peer mentoring program matches incoming female freshmen with upperclass female students to support their transition to university life. This is an accomplishment that SWE is proud of.

What Has Your Experience Been in Your Journey as a Woman in Engineering?

It has been quite the ride! Being a woman in a male-dominated field, especially in my region and culture, sometimes feels like being a unicorn in a field of horses — rare but magical.

Sure, there have been challenges along the way, but I have learned to embrace them as opportunities to defy stereotypes and prove that I can do these things and excel in them, too. With the support of my parents and colleagues, both male and female, it has been a good journey so far.

What Advice Do You Give to Women Who Are Thinking About Pursuing Engineering as a Career Path?

Believe in yourself! If engineering is what you want to do, then do it. Along the way, make sure you surround yourself with a support system — whether that is family, colleagues, or mentors.

Is There Anything Else You Would Like to Share With the SWE Community?

Let’s keep pushing boundaries, breaking stereotypes, and lifting each other up along the way. Together, we can build a future where every woman feels empowered to pursue her dreams.

Meet Dr. Marwa El Hefnawy

Welcome, Dr. El Hefnawy! Can You Share a Bit About Your Professional Background?

I am an electrical and communications engineering leader with expertise in 5G and AI. I received my bachelor’s degree in electrical and communications engineering, with highest honor, from the German University in Cairo. I completed my bachelor project at Stuttgart University in Germany, and then I pursued my master’s studies at Ulm University and received my Ph.D. degree from the Technical University of Munich.

I have 10+ years of work experience in the telecom industry, in areas such as systems engineering and architecture, research and development, strategy planning, project management, and wireless ecosystems.

I had worked at several giant tech companies, including Apple, Intel, NTT Docomo Euro Labs, and others, where my focus was on 5G topics and beyond.

I also joined academia for a short time as an assistant professor teaching engineering students how to transform ideas into innovation. Recently, I have been interested in consultancy where I am exposed to a variety of AI topics.

I am a global ambassador for SWE, a member of the WE Local Europe Advisory Board, and also a mentor at the Technical University of Munich for master’s and Ph.D. students.

What Inspired You to Choose Electrical and Communications Engineering as Your Career Path?

It started when I was in school. I loved mathematics and its various applications. Later on, I always had interesting questions in my mind — How do electrical signals flow in the air or in the wires? How are they being sent and received? What is behind the telephone?

Then, after mobile phones and wireless technology were highly evolved, I became even more interested in digging deeper into this technology. I didn’t want only to study this field, but to become an expert and have great achievements that upcoming generations will benefit from.

What Do You Enjoy the Most About Working in the Telecom Industry?

I really enjoy seeing a new product in the wireless domain come to life and seeing people start using it. Nowadays, it is not only about connecting people with a higher quality of connectivity, but also making people’s lives better and easier.

You cannot imagine how many components have been developed in these products from start to end and the tremendous amount of effort from the many engineers it takes to make this happen.

It is a challenging field, and whenever there is a new generation coming such as 5G or 6G, the challenges even get bigger. An engineer working in this industry is never bored, as you are solving something new all the time.

You Are a Longtime Global Ambassador for SWE, and You’re Also on the We Local Europe Advisory Board! Can You Share Why SWE’s Mission and Initiatives Are So Important to You?

Women in the engineering field face many challenges — whether they are juniors, seniors, in higher leadership roles, technical, non-technical, and so on. SWE’s mission is to empower women in this field and support them with the tools to help face these challenges.

In every SWE initiative, I learn something new which is added to my skill set. I believe that we live and we learn; at the same time, I can see that someone else in SWE’s community is learning something new from me. It is like a circle of help and support which never ends. Everyone in SWE’s big community finds inspiration and motivation whenever it is needed.

What Has Your Experience Been in Your Journey as a Woman in Engineering?

My journey has been full of ups and downs. It has never been a steady state. Whenever there is a down time, I don’t take it negatively. I take it as either a learning phase or a phase of strengthening myself for what is coming next.

Challenges happen all the time for women leaders in the engineering field — it is really a matter of how to face them. If I had one piece of advice to give, I would say it is great to have a good mentor supporting you in your career path.

What Advice Do You Give to Women Who Are Thinking About Pursuing Engineering as a Career Path?

Don’t be afraid of engineering! It can be a hard field, but if you like logical and innovative thinking and have good problem-solving skills, then you will enjoy your path. It is not life-ruining, and it will never be — it is just a matter of how to create a work-life balance that suits you.

It is always good to ask yourself, “What do you want to achieve, and what is your goal?” Your answer will guide you and boost your energy to proceed.

Is There Anything Else You Would Like to Share With the SWE Community?

As a woman, I don’t feel that I am alone in the engineering field as long as I am part of SWE. Also, I would like to thank the many SWE leaders who I have collaborated with on several events, initiatives, and SWE activities over the past years. Networking at SWE is a great opportunity to get to know talented and inspiring women leaders in engineering.

Meet Sara Ibrahim

Welcome, Sara! Can You Share a Bit About Your Professional Background?

I am a Middle Eastern IT professional with a passion for technology. I was born and raised in Egypt and am a mother of two amazing kids.

I achieved a bachelor’s degree in computer science with a main specialization in mathematics and computer algorithms in 2006. Shortly after, I accomplished my master’s degree in computer algorithms. Besides my college studies, I was enrolled in a one-year scholarship for system administration and integration.

I started my IT professional career in 2008 as a software developer, and shortly after that, I started working on system administration and application support. In 2014, I moved to Czechia to enlighten my career with international experience. Currently, I help clients design, architect, and migrate their IT systems.

What Has Your Experience Been in Your Journey as a Woman in Engineering?

My journey as a woman in IT has been both challenging and rewarding. The challenging side was the fact that I exerted double the efforts to achieve my current state — from early childhood onwards — as learning materials were not affordable in my society. Then, during college, engineering open seats were limited for girls.

On the other hand, the rewarding part happened when I accomplished a mid-senior career milestone in IT and passed the interview to the architect team. I became the first woman IT infrastructure architect in IBM Client Innovation Centre Czech Republic in 2018.

What Do You Enjoy the Most About Working in the Cloud and Infrastructure Space?

One of the most enjoyable aspects of being an IT architect, particularly as a woman, is breaking stereotypes and paving the way for more diversity in this industry. It’s empowering to showcase my skills, background, and expertise in a field that has traditionally been male-dominated.

As a woman in IT architecture, I bring a unique perspective and creativity for our clients, which can lead to innovative problem-solving and solutions. I receive plenty of positive feedback from my stakeholders and counterparts for the work I am delivering, as well as my communication skills.

What Advice Do You Give to Women Who Are Thinking About Pursuing Engineering as a Career Path?

Know your strength and believe in your abilities. For me, I was passionate about learning mathematics, and it opened plenty of doors towards my dream career.

Second, being a fast learner with passion always helped me, and I see that as very essential to succeed in a STEM career. For example, I taught myself Python during college in Egypt (in 2003 when the internet was very basic), simply out of a passion to learn how to code.

Finally, find mentors and supportive communities who will make you feel like you are not alone and who will give you tips and tricks to tackle your obstacles.

Is There Anything Else You Would Like to Share With the SWE community?

I appreciate SWE as a community that helps women in STEM pursue their careers by providing all means of online education. Thank you to SWE for bringing together a community of women role models for early career, mid-career, and late-career professionals!

source/content: alltogether.swe.org / swe.org (headline edited)

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ARAB

OMANI student Al Azhar Zahir Al Jabri develops Smart Glove for Paralytic Patients

Al Azhar Zahir al Jabri, a 22-year-old Chemical Engineering student from the University of Technology and Applied Sciences in Muscat, has developed a ‘Smart Medical Glove’ to assist patients suffering from hemiplegia – a condition that causes paralysis on one side of the body.

Inspired by the memory of his late mother, who suffered from hemiplegia, Jabri embarked on this project in early 2021. 

“After my mother’s passing, I wanted to do something for those people affected by hemiplegia, and so I started working on this project. It has now reached an advanced stage, and I hope to complete it early next year and introduce the glove for permanent use,” he said.

The Smart Medical Glove has been developed for individuals with hemiplegia, muscular dystrophy, the elderly, and children. 

“The glove aids in rehabilitating the affected hand through pre-programmed specialised movements stored in the device. It also connects to a mobile application that allows patients to communicate with doctors worldwide and displays health sensor readings,” Jabri explained.

The glove includes simple daily movements that help patients perform certain activities independently. 

“I faced several challenges, primarily because I’m not an expert in rehabilitation science. However, through consultations with specialists, I was able to identify the essential movements and ensure their accuracy,” he added.

In 2022, Jabri secured a patent for his invention from the Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Investment Promotion. He believes the project represents a valuable economic resource for Oman. 

“Projects like these are vital for keeping up with Oman’s ongoing development and vision.”

Jabri recently represented Oman at the TEXPO exhibition in Malaysia, where he reached the final stages. He also collaborated with Khoula Hospital, which provided specialised consultations for the project and will continue to support its success.

“My family has been my primary supporter, and Khoula Hospital’s expertise has been invaluable. I hope my project will soon see the light of day and become available in the market for the benefit of those who need it,” he concluded.

source/content: muscatdaily.com (headline edited)

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OMAN

SAUDI ARABIA reelected to ‘Global Research Council’ leadership under the Vice Chairmanship of Munir bin Mahmoud Eldesouk

The governing board voted unanimously to reelect Vice Chairman Munir bin Mahmoud Eldesouki at the body’s 12th annual meeting.

The Kingdom has retained its leadership position in the Global Research Council, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.

The governing board voted unanimously to reelect Vice Chairman Munir bin Mahmoud Eldesouki at the body’s 12th annual meeting in Interlaken, Switzerland this week.

The reelection to this position, for the second time since the body’s establishment in 2012, confirms the council’s confidence in Saudi Arabia, the SPA reported.

The council highlighted Saudi Arabia’s efforts in promoting research, development and innovation in the Middle East North Africa region, the report added.

The council comprises heads of research institutions that fund projects globally.

source/contents: arabnews.com (headline edited)

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The governing board voted unanimously to reelect Vice Chairman Munir bin Mahmoud Eldesouki at the body’s 12th annual meeting. (SPA)

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SAUDI ARABIA

LIBYA-BRITISH: CNN’s Nada Bashir On How Her Arab Roots Are Helping Her Tell The Stories That Matter

The award-winning international correspondent talks frontline reporting, wearing the hijab on television, and how her personal connection to the Middle East makes her a better storyteller

In Autumn 2019, when Turkey launched its incursion into northern Syria, 23-year-old Nada Bashir packed her camera and flew to northern Iraq to cover the story. At the time she was a freelance producer for CNN in London “pretty fed up of constantly being on the Downing Street shift and covering Brexit. I knew I wanted to be in the Middle East but wasn’t perhaps experienced enough,” she says. “So I decided to just go by myself… I felt very passionate about what was happening and I knew I wanted to be a part of it.”

It was a bold decision – both her first solo story and first solo trip to a hostile environment – but the risk paid off. Just five years later, she is an award-winning international correspondent who has reported from the frontlines of the conflict in Yemen and the devastating 2023 earthquake in Turkey.

Now 28, Nada is speaking from her home in West London. She flew in yesterday from Cyprus where she was covering aid ships heading to Gaza, and she will likely be dispatched again imminently although she doesn’t know when or where. She’ll pack a book and headphones but otherwise, “it’s all tech gear, medical kit and body armour”.

Unpredictable as this career may be, it is one that she has dreamt of since she was a teenager, watching the Arab Spring unfold: “We were all glued to the TV, seeing what was happening across the Middle East and back home. That was the moment for me when I was like, ‘actually this is what I want to do’.”

Back home is Libya from where Nada’s family originate, although her parents – her father was an aircraft engineer and her mother is a nursery teacher – left before she was born. “My dad was a pro-democracy activist,” she says. “He spent more than 30 years essentially in exile…It was something that we were all aware of, something that we talked about a lot.” It meant that growing up in Brighton, on England’s south coast, “the news was constantly on” but Nada never considered that she might one day be on screen herself. The middle of five siblings, she was “very shy” at school: “I vividly remember being forced to do a presentation, feeling like I was about to faint and going red in the face. I never ever would have pictured myself doing this.”

But after becoming involved in student TV while studying Politics and East European Studies at University College London, securing the internship at CNN and impressing her editors with her story from northern Iraq, an on camera career beckoned. “I spent so much of my childhood consuming news about what was happening at home and a lot of it coming from Western networks. There were a lot of things where you watched it and felt like the story of your people, your region, wasn’t being told fairly, properly or accurately,” she says. “Still there are times when I watch coverage and it’s frustrating because there’s a real lack of understanding around some of the cultural dynamics.

Being Arab isn’t essential to reporting on the Middle East, she says, but it does break down barriers: “Just being able to speak to people in their language, understanding their culture… Having that connection has made me a better storyteller.” The stories she tells are often difficult ones and they stay with her – the elderly Syrian refugee who lost his family in the Turkish earthquake, the 11-year-old Moroccan girl who guided her around a makeshift burial ground after the earthquake there last September, the Palestinian teenager detained without charge in the West Bank. Reporting on the war in Gaza has been particularly poignant: “Talking about the Palestinian cause is something that no Arab person hasn’t done. That is part of our cultural identity in a sense. That history is interlinked with all of the Middle East.”

Within the first week of war breaking out, Nada was in Jordan and Oman covering anti-war protests. Since then she has reported from Lebanon and Egypt but it is her time in the occupied West Bank – her first visit there – that has been most affecting. “That was a part of the story that we felt was being completely overlooked,” she says. “It’s not a new story. Palestinians in the West Bank have been marginalised, treated as second class citizens for decades”. She describes this reporting as “the most challenging” of her career to date, finding her objectivity over such a “polarising” story called into question. “There are so many assumptions about where your personal views might lie because of your cultural or religious background,” she says. “I am a visibly Muslim woman. My name is Arab. It’s very clear where I’m from…But with a story like this, it’s very difficult not to feel like your journalism is being undermined by assumptions of where you might stand.”

Many of those assumptions come from the fact that Nada wears the hijab. When she first started at CNN, she was “apprehensive at first – working for an American network and what that might mean in terms of how I fitted into that. Thankfully it’s never been an issue.” Being on air though, “has been slightly different”. Most difficult was reporting from London on the anti-regime protests in Iran. “For me, it’s a personal choice. You should have the freedom to choose whether you wear it…Covering the story was very important to me but I had a lot of backlash because a lot of people couldn’t understand how I could cover that, as somebody who chooses to wear the hijab, given that many women there were risking their lives and being persecuted for choosing not to.” On the flip side, she has also received “so many” messages from young hijab-wearing women who also aspire to be journalists: “I know that feeling because I felt like whenever I saw somebody wearing a hijab on TV.”

Today she feels like that when she sees the wider Arab diaspora experience represented, like in American comedy-drama, Ramy: “You feel the connection to it… It’s a blend of cultures and that is something that we identify with.” And when so much of her own work focuses on amplifying the voices of those suffering great hardship, she is grateful that there is increasingly space to celebrate the Arab world. “It’s sad because I think growing up, the only thing you’d really hear about the Middle East was war or conflict or political issues,” she says. “And there’s so much more to the region. There’s so much history, so much culture, so many people doing incredible things in different industries. It’s nice to see those aspects being showcased now, in magazines, in TV, in film, in music. To see that actually there’s a different side to the region, which has always been there. It just hasn’t really been given the platform.”

What Nada truly hopes is that when things improve in the Middle East, she will be there to report on it: “I can only hope that at some point there will be a positive change and I will get to cover that as well.” For now though, she has her bags packed, ready to head wherever the story takes her next: “It’s extraordinary; it’s a privilege and I wouldn’t change it for the world”.

Images Supplied / From Harper’s Bazaar Arabia’s May 2024 Issue

source/content: harpersbazaararabia.com (headline edited)

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UNITED KINGDOM / LIBYA

EGYPT’s Silo Foods named ‘Largest Distributor of School Meals’ by Guinness Records

Talal Omar, Guinness World Records’ Middle East & North Africa (MENA) Regional Director, announced that Egypt’s Silo Foods Industries company has been named by the Guinness World Records as the world’s largest distributor of school meals in less than a year – from September 2021 until June 2022 – with 600,426,453 meals.

His announcement came during the inauguration of the second stage of the Silo Foods Industries city in Sadat City in Menofiya governorate, which was attended by President Abdel Fattah El Sisi on Thursday.

Silo Foods, an affiliate of the National Service Projects Organisation (NSPO) of the Armed Forces, is the first food industries city in the Middle East.

Omar said Silo Foods company fulfilled key criteria of the Guinness World Records and provided the evidence required for official documentation.

Afterwards, Omar awarded the Guinness World Record certificate to Chairman of Silo Foods company General Taimour Abul Magd.

source/content: egyptian-gazette.com (headline edited)

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EGYPT

EGYPT: ‘The Brink of Dreams’, the First Egyptian film ever to Win the Golden Eye Award for the Best Documentary Film at Cannes Film Festival

“The Brink of Dreams” received the L’Œil d’or (the Golden Eye Award) for Best Documentary Film at the 77th Cannes Film Festival.

Directed by Nada Riyadh and Ayman El Amir, “The Brink of Dreams” marks the first Egyptian film ever to win this award at the festival.

It is noteworthy that 22 documentary films were nominated for the award in all the festival’s categories and programs, including films by salient directors such as Oliver Stone, Ron Howard, and Claire Simon.

“The Brink of Dreams” landed its premiere during the official competition of the Critics’ Week that was attended by the film’s cast and crew including directors Nada Riyadh and Ayman El Amir alongside the girls of Panorama El Barsha Troupe. The film received a wide audience acclaim after its premiere, in addition to critics’ who wrote about the film in Le Monde, Variety, and Screen Daily.

“The Brink of Dreams” is directed by Nada Riyadh and Ayman El Amir and produced by Felucca Films. The film stars Panorama El Barsha troupe; Magda Masoud, Haidi Sameh, Monika Youssef, Marina Samir, Myriam Nassar, Lydia Haroun, and the founder of the troupe, Youstina Samir.

The events of “The Brink of Dreams” take place in a remote village in southern Egypt, in which a group of girls rebel by forming an all-female street theatre troupe. They dream of becoming actresses, dancers, and singers, challenging their families and villagers with their unexpected performances. Shot over four years, The Brink of Dreams follows them from childhood to womanhood, facing the most crucial choices of their lives. 

The most recent work of directors Nada Riyadh and Ayman El Amir includes the short fiction “Fakh” (The Trap), which premiered at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival and received a special mention at the Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF) in the same year. Their feature-length documentary Happily Ever After premiered at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam in 2016, one of the most important documentary film festivals around the world.

“The Brink of Dreams” is produced by Felucca Films and its crew including; line producer Mohamed Khaled, assistant directors Hamees El Balshy and Doha Hamdy, DOPs Dina El Zeneiny, Ahmed Ismael, and Ayman El Amir, sound recording by Mostafa Shaaban, Sameh Nabil, Osama Goubail, and Shadwa Ali, music by Ahmad El Sawy, and editors Veronique Lagoarde-Segot, Ahmed Magdy Morsy, Ayman El Amir and Nada Riyadh. The PR in Egypt and the Middle East is handled by Carrots (Marwa El Sawy). Nada Hossam is the actresses’s stylist, in collaboration with Mystic, La blanca, Cache, Indira, and Rana Ghazy Jewellery.

source/content: egypttoday.com (headline edited)

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The Brink of Dreams cast.

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EGYPT

MOROCCO: Man United’s Sofyan Amrabat Is First Moroccan to Win FA Cup

The Red Devils clinched the title following a thrilling final match against rivals Manchester City that saw the team win 2-1.

Morocco international and Manchester United midfielder Sofyan Amrabat became today the first Moroccan to have won the English FA Cup title.

Manchester United clinched the title following a thrilling 2-1 win in a highly anticipated final match against rivals Manchester City. 

The Red Devils scored two goals in the 33rd and 39th minutes through Garnacho and Meino. 

Doku scored a goal for City in the final minutes of the game, but a comeback was ultimately prevented as Amrabat’s teammates put on a solid display of resilience to shut down City’s attacking initiatives.

This FA Cup win comes after Amrabat had a less-than-optimal season with Man United. Amidst speculation and criticism surrounding his underwhelming performances with the English club, there have been reports that the player may return to Italian club Fiorentina.

While fans hoped to see their solid Moroccan defensive midfielder rediscover his stellar 2022 World Cup level, Amrabat has constantly struggled to make a significant impact on the field for Manchester United.

Joining the club on loan from Fiorentina in September last year, Amrabat’s transfer followed a remarkable showing at the 2022 World Cup, where his performance caught the attention of most elite football clubs. 

However, the transition to the Premier League has proven challenging for the Atlas Lion, who has openly acknowledged the difficulties he has faced in Manchester and hinted at his determination to put this underwhelming episode behind him by next season.  

source/content: moroccoworldnews.com (headline edited)

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Manchester United midfielder Sofyan Amrabat

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MOROCCO

SAUDI fashion star Nojoud Al-Rumaihi turns heads in Cannes 

Saudi fashion star Nojoud Al-Rumaihi turned heads this week at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, wearing a blush ensemble by Saudi designer Mohammed Ashi, founder of Paris-based label Ashi Studio. 

The pink two-piece set from the designer’s 8PM collection featured a strapless corset-style top with simple yet intricate embroidery, and a criss-cross back.

The skirt had a mermaid silhouette with a train that trailed on the red carpet. To complete the ensemble, the set included fluffy, feathered detached sleeves. 

The fashion icon, with her makeup done by Dior Beauty, styled her brunette locks in a short retro bob. She accessorized with Marli jewelry.

Al-Rumaihi attended the premiere of the highly-anticipated movie “The Apprentice,” directed by Ali Abbasi.

As Donald Trump’s hush money trial entered its sixth week in New York, an origin story for the Republican presidential candidate depicted a critical portrayal of the former president in the 1980s.

“The Apprentice” stars Sebastian Stan as Trump. The central relationship of the movie is between Trump and Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong), the defense attorney who was chief counsel to Joseph McCarthy’s 1950s Senate investigations.

Cohn is depicted as a longtime mentor to Trump, coaching him in the ruthlessness of New York City politics and business. Early on, Cohn aided the Trump Organization when it was being sued by the US government for racial discrimination in housing.

According to AP, “The Apprentice” is a potentially explosive big-screen drama in the midst of the US presidential election. The film is for sale in Cannes, so does not yet have a release date.

Al-Rumaihi was not the only Saudi celebrity in Cannes this week. 

Actress Maria Bahrawi attended The Red Sea International Film Foundation Industry Networking Event which took place on Sunday, at which she donned a long-sleeved dress adorned with white florals, featuring pastel hues of purple, yellow, and orange, elegantly cinched at the waist.

She also graced the celebration of “Norah,” a film in which she stars, hosted by Film AlUla during the festival. For the occasion, she opted for a black jumpsuit with a white cape attached to the sleeve, sourced from Dubai-based Etoile La Boutique.

source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)

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CANNES, FRANCE – MAY 20: Nojoud Alrumaihi attends the “The Apprentice” Red Carpet at the 77th annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals on May 20, 2024 in Cannes, France. (Photo by Kristy Sparow/Getty Images)

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SAUDI ARABIA

DUBAI, U.A.E: Dubai Press Club to host ‘Arab Media Summit 2024’ , May 28-29

The events are expected to gather more than 4,000 participants, including 250 speakers and 200 notable media figures.

Under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai, Her Excellency Mona Ghanem Al Marri, Vice Chairperson and Managing Director of the Dubai Media Council, and President of the Dubai Press Club, has announced the launch of the Arab Media Summit. This new initiative will serve as the umbrella for key media events organised by the Dubai Press Club (DPC), creating a unified platform for events and activities focused on knowledge exchange and dialogue in the media industry.

The 22nd Arab Media Forum, set to be held from 28 – 29 May, and the second Arab Youth Media Forum, scheduled for 27 May, will be organised under the Arab Media Summit umbrella. Additionally, the 23rd Arab Media Award and the fourth Arab Social Media Influencers Award, to be held during the upcoming Arab Media Forum, will form part of this summit.

Her Excellency Mona Ghanem Al Marri emphasized that the Arab Media Summit will serve as a prestigious platform for exchanging ideas, insights, expertise, and experiences. This will help the media industry contribute to realising the aspirations of the people in the region. The Summit aims to bring together media professionals to discuss the sector’s transformations and challenges, ensuring that Arab media fulfills its role as a key partner in sustainable development.

At a press conference, the organising committee of the 22nd Arab Media Forum, chaired by Her Excellency Mona Ghanem Al Marri, revealed the forum’s agenda. As the premier platform in the Arab world for discussing the future of the region’s evolving media landscape, this year’s forum will feature participation from prominent politicians, media industry leaders, editors-in-chief, distinguished writers, thinkers, influencers, and content creators from the UAE, the Arab world, and the region. The forum will include discussions focused on analysing the key political, economic, social, technological, and cultural developments driving media transformation and the sector’s role in these changes.

An expanded agenda has been developed to discuss significant media issues, the positive impact, and potential challenges from the shifting economic and social landscape both in the region and globally. The Arab Media Forum will feature several closed sessions with experts and specialists to discuss various topics directly impacting the media sector, aiming to generate ideas and suggestions to enhance Arab media’s capacity to fulfill its mission effectively.

The second Arab Youth Media Forum will be dedicated to empowering the next generation of media professionals and influencers in the region. Notable speakers include His Highness Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Representative of His Majesty the King for Humanitarian Work and Youth Affairs and National Security Adviser, and His Excellency Dr Sultan AlNeyadi, UAE Minister of State for Youth, in a main session titled ‘Aspirations of the Youth’.

Her Excellency also highlighted the inclusion of more young media talent in the next Board of Directors of the Arab Media Award, marking the end of the current board’s term. The new board will focus on evolving the award to keep pace with regional and global media advancements.

Key sessions at the 22nd Arab Media Forum include ‘Future of Yemen’ with His Excellency Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak, Prime Minister of Yemen, sharing his vision for peace in Yemen and the media’s role in promoting dialogue. His Excellency Jasem Albudaiwi, Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, will speak on ‘Charting the GCC’s Future,’ discussing media integration in the GCC. His Excellency Dr Anwar bin Mohammed Gargash will engage in a conversation covering regional challenges. His Excellency Omar Sultan Al Olama will speak on ‘Tech Updates in Media,’ exploring technology’s role in advancing media excellence.

Other notable sessions include ‘Palestine Through the Lens of Arab Media,’ discussing media coverage of the Palestinian cause amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza, and ‘Impact of US Elections on the Region,’ analyzing the ramifications of the US elections on the region.

Global industry leaders like Pavel Durov, Founder of Telegram and VKontakte, will participate in discussions. The forum will also highlight success stories of Arab women in global media organisations, with sessions featuring Caroline Faraj and Samia Nakhoul. Dan Murphy will lead a session on regional peace and stability, and Rani Raad will discuss media investment trends.

The forum will address the growth of streaming platforms, the complex world of disinformation and AI in media, and feature renowned media figures like Bassem Youssef.

Shaima Al Suwaidi, Director of Brand Dubai, highlighted the involvement of Brand Dubai’s ‘Proudly from Dubai’ network, showcasing innovative AI-driven media applications.

The prestigious Arab Media Award will honour outstanding achievements in regional media, and the Arab Social Media Influencers Summit Award will recognise the contributions of digital influencers. The Arab Youth Media Forum will feature masterclasses by leading global digital platforms, offering young media professionals valuable opportunities to hone their skills.

The 22nd Arab Media Forum will also celebrate renowned Arab authors and their literary contributions, reflecting the forum’s commitment to supporting the Arab creative and literary world.

source/content: broadcastprome.com (headline edited)

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ARAB

ALGERIAN Academy of Arabic Language announces creation of National Prize for Arabic Language Sciences

The Algerian Academy of the Arabic Language (AALA) has announced the launch of the constitutive session of its National Prize for Arabic Language Sciences for the year 2024, aiming to encourage studies and research into Arabic language sciences and contribute to its dissemination, according to a press release from the Academy.

source/content: aps.dz/en (headline edited)

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ALGERIA