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Born in Saudi Arabia and the daughter of a Sudanese father and Egyptian mother, Marwa Zein is a woman that truly embodies multiple identities, and for many it is this that perhaps shines through the most in her work. Even when it comes to her roles, that diversity and multiplicity are frontline and center. An award-winning director, scriptwriter, film producer, women’s rights activist, and founder of ORE Production, a Khartoum-based film production company, Zein is inspiring in every way.
Before setting off on a journey to become a filmmaker, Zein enrolled in Cairo University as a chemical engineering student to please her parents. While studying, she worked and saved up to have the means to leave her degree behind three years later, instead study cinema at the Academy of Arts in Cairo, Egypt in 2005. In 2009, she graduated with honors and moved to Germany to continue her film studies. Her graduation project, “A game,” was an official selection of more dozens of international festivals across the globe and was translated into five languages.
From her inspiring start into the world of film and her academic achievements, Zein moved on to bigger goals, nabbing awards for her short film “One Week, Two Days,” which premiered at the 2016 Dubai International Film Festival. In 2019, she was selected as one of the seven young filmmakers from across to attend the Cannes Film Festival 2019 by the International Emerging Film Talent Association (IEFTA).
Perhaps her most renowned recent work is “Khartoum Offside,” which was awarded Best Documentary for 2019 at the 15th Africa Movie Academy Awards AMAA 2019. The documentary tells the story of women footballers whose dream it is to play for Sudan at a Women’s World Cup hosted by their home country, revealing the challenging social, economic, and political situations they face and inspiring audiences with their tale.
Speaking to Women and Hollywood in 2019, Zein had some inspiring words of advice for other female filmmakers, saying, “There’s no competition. Everyone is unique, and we can’t tell the same story even we have the same idea. You are special, different, and inspiring, and you lead the way for the people coming after you.”
“Take care of your mental, physical, and financial situations. It’s a very challenging and demanding business, so don’t lose your soul in the process. Stay true to who you are, and you will reach the horizon,” she continued.
Msheireb Downtown Doha, Qatar’s pioneering sustainable and smart city district, has clinched the Guinness World Records™ title for the “Largest Underground Car Park” with a capacity of 10,017 spaces. The Guinness World Records™ recognition highlights the creative thinking that went into designing Msheireb Downtown Doha to create a sustainable urban district that sets a new benchmark for future smart city projects globally.
Msheireb Downtown Doha was designed for the human scale, which starts from the ground up. Locating car parking and building services underground has allowed the district to keep streets traffic-lite, enabling narrow, pedestrian-friendly walkways. This design improves connectivity across the wider city area, extending underground basements throughout the entire district.
“We wanted to reclaim outdoor spaces for the community by removing vehicles from the streets around Msheireb,” said Msheireb Properties CEO Eng. Ali Al Kuwari. “The Guinness World Records™ for the Largest Underground Car Park is a testament to our dedication to creating a sustainable and innovative city district that prioritizes the well-being of our community. By locating car parking and building services underground, we enabled architects to design attractive buildings with active façades on all sides.”
With an impressive capacity of 10,017 vehicles spread across six levels, Msheireb Downtown Doha’s underground parking system ensures ample space for residents, tenants, and visitors. The cutting-edge facility boasts an intelligent parking system that guides drivers to available spaces, making the parking experience seamless and hassle-free.
The underground parking system also had a significant impact on building design by removing the need for back service entrances which improved street quality and aesthetic cohesion.
As the flagship project of Msheireb Properties, Msheireb Downtown Doha has been designed to revive the historical downtown area with a new architectural language that is modern yet inspired by traditional Qatari heritage. The district incorporates the latest smart city technology and sustainability features, making it a model for future urban development’s worldwide.
Raafat Tawfik, Guinness World Records™ Official Adjudicator, commented, “We are thrilled to recognize Msheireb Downtown Doha for its outstanding achievement in creating the Largest Underground Car Park. This feat showcases the district’s commitment to innovation, sustainability, and enhancing the urban living experience.”
Msheireb Downtown Doha’s underground parking is just one of the many features that make the district a unique and attractive destination. With its pedestrian-friendly streets, diverse mix of residential, commercial, and retail offerings, and cultural attractions such as the Msheireb Museums, the district has become one of Qatar’s go-to destinations for residents and visitors alike.
Founder of the globally recognized Lebanese chocolate brand Patchi, Nizar Choucair, has died, leaving behind a legacy in the industry.
Choucair transformed his childhood love for chocolate into a global brand, boasting more than 200 branches worldwide.
In a message on social media, Patchi announced Choucair’s death, posting: “It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of Mr. Nizar Choucair, our beloved founder. Mr. Choucair was a man whose warmth and generosity touched everyone who knew him.”
Patchi added: “His visionary approach transformed chocolate into an art that evokes emotions and creates cherished memories. His legacy lives on through Patchi, a brand that has reached hearts across cultures and celebrations. We honor his memory and the extraordinary heritage he built.”
Choucair was renowned for saying: “In every piece of chocolate, there is a story to be told and a memory to be made.”
The brand’s story began in 1974 when Choucair, driven by his passion for chocolate since the age of 11, introduced the concept of chocolate gifting.
This approach elevated the food to new dimensions, enhancing customer engagement and brand loyalty.
Born in Beirut, Choucair moved to Kuwait at 18, initially working for a gas manufacturing company before returning to Lebanon to launch Patchi.
In 1990, he received a significant boost when Banque Du Liban gave him an interest-free loan, enabling him to modernize his factory with new machinery.
Starting with a single shop in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, Choucair’s vision and entrepreneurial spirit saw Patchi expand worldwide.
Patchi, now a household name in luxury chocolates, has 203 stores globally, with a strong presence in Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain, as well as Qatar, the UAE, and the UK.
The brand entered the EU market in 1995 with boutiques in Paris and London. By 1999, the company expanded to Africa with a boutique in the Ivory Coast and opened a store in the US in 2000.
Recognized by Forbes in 2005 as the top luxury brand in the Middle East and the 15th top brand in the region, Patchi continued to grow.
In 2008, Patchi Silver boutique at Harrods in London was launched, featuring a box of chocolates wrapped in genuine leather and silk, selling for £5,000.
The brand, boasting as many as 62 branches in Saudi Arabia, is celebrated for its premium ingredients and distinctive packaging, all produced in-house.
In a 2009 interview with The National, Choucair reflected on Patchi’s accessibility: “Our chocolates are not expensive at all. We sell to people who want more expensive, elaborate boxes, but we also sell to the chauffeur who comes to pick it up.”
This inclusive approach helped Patchi become a beloved brand across various demographics, according to Choucair.
The founder’s journey was marked by resilience and adaptability, navigating the challenges of the Lebanese civil war by relocating his family and operations multiple times. Despite these hurdles, his commitment to his brand never wavered. The chocolateries’ expansion continued, with Choucair personally overseeing the opening of new stores worldwide.
Under his leadership, Patchi grew to employ more than 5,000 people, maintaining a family-oriented business ethos. His five children have played active roles in the company, with three of them working alongside him..
Oussama Choucair is currently the CEO of Patchi in the UAE and sits on the board of the company’s conglomerate, which his father founded in Beirut during the 1970s.
Nizar Choucair’s passion for premium chocolate gifting has been passed down to his son, who oversees operations in the crucial UAE market.
One of Oussama Choucair’s key projects is the construction of a new factory in Dubai Industrial Park, which will become Patchi’s largest manufacturing plant worldwide.
The family remains dedicated to expanding the business into new markets by forming strategic alliances with Armenia, Azerbaijan and Brunei as well as Egypt, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, and East Asia.
In 2012, Patchi launched a new brand identity to refresh its profile and reaffirm its commitment to the values that have made it the top choice for premium chocolate lovers.
The new brand identity was presented in a creative and modern style, reflecting the distinctive and fine quality that Patchi offers through its network of boutiques across Saudi Arabia.
The unveiling event occurred at the Patchi Boutique in Jeddah, attended by Zahid Nuri, then-general manager and co-founder of Patchi in Saudi Arabia.
Nuri stated: “The launch of Patchi’s new identity embodies the company’s dedication to its customers in Saudi Arabia and highlights our commitment to providing the best services, highest quality, and a variety of the most exquisite and finest chocolate gifts. This new identity marks a breakthrough that aligns with Patchi’s significant international expansion, solidifying its position as one of the largest global brands in the chocolate industry.”
source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)
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Nizar Choucair, founder of Lebanese chocolate brand Patchi. Patchi
A fascinating new exhibit in Beirut is showcasing 108 original movie posters advertising Western films set in the Arab world.
The original poster for the 1924 American film ‘Thief of Baghdad’. Courtesy Abboudi Abou Jaoude
The original poster for the 1924 American film Thief of Baghdad hangs on the wall of Dar El-Nimer for Arts and Culture in Beirut. Based on a story from One Thousand and One Nights, a collection of Middle Eastern folk tales, the film tells the story of a robber who pretends to be a prince after falling in love with a princess.
It features a young black-haired man flying through the night sky on a winged steed, above a city of domes and spires that looks more like Istanbul than the capital of Iraq. He clutches a gold scimitar with a wicked curved blade in one hand.
It is one of 10 posters, all advertising adaptations of the film in different languages. The silent swashbuckler was so popular that it was remade three times, in 1940, 1961 and 1978. The French poster for the 1940 version is particularly beautiful and lurid, featuring a procession of robed figures and elephants making their way through a marketplace in front of an orange palace. In the foreground, a boy in a large turban looks shiftily to one side as he bites into a piece of fruit, presumably stolen from a market stall. In the sky, another turbaned figure stands on a flying carpet.
The collection
The pieces are part of a selection of 108 original posters advertising western films set in the Arab world and are on loan from private collector Abboudi Abou Jaoude, the curator of the show. “I have about 550 posters and about 300 pictures in my collection,” he says, strolling through the exhibition, which is organised by genres designated by neon signs. He stops frequently to point out a detail that makes him laugh or to delve into the facets of a particular film. “I started collecting because my favourite actors were Steve McQueen and Clint Eastwood,” he says. “Bullitt was the first poster I collected. Then For a Few Dollars More, a Spaghetti Western from Eastwood. But afterwards my interest changed and I started collecting foreign posters.”
Jaoude chose to name the exhibition Thief of Bagdad, not only because the film was so popular, but because it inspired so many others. “Baghdad is the most popular city at the beginning of the movies. There are around 55 films made in the 20th century with Baghdad in the name,” he says.
Most of them were shot in studios in America or Europe and bear no resemblance to reality. Thanks to the Orientalist fascination with One Thousand and One Nights, the Baghdad of these films is a place of total fantasy, filled with camels and elephants, flying carpets and genies, as well as heroes, villains and damsels waiting to be rescued or wooed.
The posters are hand-drawn in riotous colours and often show several different scenes. Many feature white actors playing Arab characters and reinforce Orientalist tropes such as dashing desert sheikhs and feisty dancing girls, or enslaved beauties who await rescue by a civilised foreign hero.
Like the Orientalist painters of the 19th century, the filmmakers and poster artists are fascinated by the idea of the harem. Many of the posters feature statuesque, white women posing evocatively. Others are simply bizarre. A 1977 poster for Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger features a woman in a niqab and a bejewelled purple and gold robe, who shoots lightning from her hand as she kicks towards the viewer with a giant foot that resembles an eagle’s talon.
‘It’s about imagination’
Jaoude has divided the exhibition into four sections: love, fantasy, adventure and comedy. A fifth section features the posters of films shot on location in the Middle East. Beirut and Cairo were particularly popular filming locations in the 1960s and early 1970s, he explains, because shooting costs were low. That they were shot in the Arab world didn’t make the films – or their posters – any more accurate or realistic, however. Many of them are espionage themed and feature gun-toting spies and Soviet villains in Lebanon, running around the ruins of Baalbeck or fighting on top of the crusader castle in Saida.
The artists had sometimes not even seen the films they were advertising, so they based the posters on their own ideas about the Middle East, explains Jaoude. “It’s about imagination. They take the story from Arabian Nights. You can see in the posters that it’s a continuation of Orientalism,” he says.
Because viewers would not have a chance to see trailers for the films, the posters were intended to excite audiences and convince them the film was worth their time and money. “The shapes that shook a Harem Empire!” is the excited legend on the poster for the 1952 British film Babes in Bagdad, positioned beside images of fair-skinned women in belly dancer costumes and chains. The poster promises: “All its spectacle captured in exotic colour.”
An Italian poster for the 1961 adaptation of Thief of Bagdad advertises “The fantastic deeds … the incredible daring of the thief who defied an empire!” At the bottom of the poster, the artist lists a series of features that viewers can expect in the film: “Adventure! Trees that become monsters! Adventure! Flying horses soar! Adventure! The faceless fighters! Adventure! Army created by magic! Adventure! Gigantic killer crab! Adventure! Men turned into stone!”
Jaoude has spent decades building up his collection, visiting cinemas in Morocco, Syria, Egypt and across the region. “Whenever I visit these countries, most days I go to the old cinemas, the ones around the city, not in the centre, because they leave these posters in the theatres for re-issues,” he says. “Every five or six years they show the films again because people like these kinds of movies. After 20 years we find it funny, but at the time we found it very nice. People like the hero, the way he fights with the villain. It was popular.”
The films featured in the exhibition, which date from the 1920s to the 1970s, were intended to make money and entertain, rather than provide commentary on the Arab world. That changed after 1967 and the Arab-Israeli conflict, he says. “After 1967 there are many political movies about the Arabs, but before that I think it wasn’t political,” Jaoude explains.
“I think there are three eras. The first one is about imagination and the Arab world. In the second, there are many films with singing and dancing set in the Arab world and lots of films about the First and Second World Wars, set in Arab countries. After 1967, it changes. It’s the Arabs as villains.”
Despite their Orientalist attitudes, garish colours and an overabundance of cliches, the posters are often beautiful and always entertaining. For Jaoude, they are artefacts that are more important than the films they represent. “What stays in my mind is the posters. I forget the movies,” he says with a smile.
Thief of Baghdad is at Dar El-Nimer for Arts and Culture in Beirut
The Lebanese Al-Riyad team won the 2024 Asian Basketball Champions League title after defeating the Shabab Al-Ahly team 122-96, in the final match that brought them together today, Saturday, at the Sheikh Saeed Bin Maktoum Hall in Dubai.
With this victory, the athletes qualified to represent the Asian continent in the Confederations Cup, which will be held in Singapore next September, while Shabab Al-Ahly won second place, and the Japanese Hiroshima Dragonflies team came in third place after defeating Iranian Shahrdari Gorgan 81-76 in the match that preceded the final.
Palestine’s first ever Olympian dies in Gaza from lack of treatment due to Israel’s war.
The first Palestinian athlete to participate in the Olympic games died on Wednesday at the Nuseirat refugee camp in Gaza as a result of kidney failure due to power outages and medical shortages as a result of the ongoing Israeli war and siege of the enclave.
Majed Abu Maraheel, who passed away at the age of 61, became the first athlete to be the flag bearer and represent Palestinians at the Olympic Games in Atlanta in 1996. Being a distance runner, he competed in the 10km race.
Since his breakthrough on the world stage, more than 20 Palestinian men and women have been able to compete at Olympic competitions.
“He was a Palestinian icon, and he will remain as such,” his brother told Paltoday TV after the funeral.
“We tried to evacuate him to Egypt but then the Rafah crossing was closed (by Israel), and his condition kept deteriorating.”
In his preparation for the Olympics, Abu Maraheel would often be seen on his daily runs from his home in Gaza to the Erez Crossing with Israel, which Israel closed in October after imposing a full blockade on the Strip. Last month, it was reopened for the first time since then.
He would often have to pass through that crossing for his job as a day labourer in Israel.
After participating in the Olympics, Abu Maraheel went on to become a coach for other Palestinian runners hoping to replicate his presence at the international competition.
He went on to coach Nader el-Masri, another Palestinian from Gaza who competed in the 2008 Olympic games in Beijing.
Abu Maraheel’s death highlights the grim fate of many Palestinians who are facing kidney failure in Gaza.
A report from the Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor in March found that there were between 1,000 to 1,500 patients in Gaza with kidney failure, and that they are facing a “slow death” because of “a lack of medical and therapeutic services, medications and other necessities”.
Since Israel’s war on Gaza began in October, Israeli forces have launched a full siege on the enclave. In addition to killing more than 37,000 Palestinians, they have repeatedly targeted and attacked Gaza’s hospitals and healthcare infrastructure.
A report late last month by the Washington Post said that only four of Gaza’s 36 hospitals have not been damaged by munitions or been raided by Israeli forces.
However, the lack of supplies in the area because of Israel’s blockade has further exacerbated the situation.
Israel denies blocking humanitarian aid into Gaza, though aid agencies say they are not able to get aid in because of Israeli restrictions.
Saudi Arabia’s economy witnessed growth of 1.4 percent in the first quarter of 2024 – higher than that seen across the G20 as a whole, according to new data.
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has released its latest gross domestic product report for the G20 countries, noting that the Kingdom bounced back from a contraction of 0.6 percent in the previous three-month period.
GDP in the G20 area grew by 0.9 percent quarter-on-quarter in the first quarter of 2024, slightly up from 0.7 percent in the previous quarter.
The economic performance of the G20 area was primarily driven by China and India, with Turkiye, Korea, and Indonesia also recording higher GDP growth than the G20 average.
Turkiye led with an increase of 2.4 percent, followed by India at 1.9 percent, China at 1.6 percent, Korea at 1.3 percent, and Indonesia at 1.2 percent.
The report highlighted that while Saudi Arabia experienced a significant recovery, other G20 countries faced varying economic conditions.
The US saw a slowdown, with GDP growth dropping to 0.3 percent in the first three months of the year from 0.8 percent in the previous quarter.
Japan’s economy contracted by 0.5 percent, and South Africa saw a contraction of 0.1 percent.
Conversely, Brazil, the UK, and Germany showed signs of recovery in the first quarter of 2024 after contractions over the previous three month period, with growth reaching 0.8 percent, 0.6 percent, and 0.2 percent, respectively.
Canada, Mexico, and the EU grew by 0.4 percent, 0.3 percent, and 0.3 percent, respectively, in the three months to the end of March, after zero growth in the final quarter of 2023.
Year-on-year, GDP in the G20 area grew by 3.3 percent in the first three months of the year, maintaining the same growth rate as the previous quarter.
Among G20 economies, India recorded the highest year-on-year growth rate at 8.4 percent in the first quarter of 2024, followed by Turkiye at 7.4 percent.
However, Saudi Arabia recorded the most significant year-on-year decline at a drop of 1.5 percent.
According to a separate report by the General Authority for Statistics released earlier in June, the Kingdom’s non-oil activities also rose by 0.9 percent in the first three months of this year compared to the previous quarter.
Additionally, non-oil activities increased by 3.4 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2024.
GASTAT further noted that Saudi Arabia’s GDP amounted to SR1.01 trillion ($270 billion) in the first quarter.
“Crude oil and natural gas activities achieved the highest contribution to GDP by 23.4 percent, followed by government activities at 15.8 percent, and then wholesale and retail trade, restaurants, and hotels activities with a contribution of 10.4 percent,” said GASTAT in the report.
Strengthening the non-oil private sector is crucial for Saudi Arabia, as the Kingdom is steadily diversifying its economy to reduce its decades-long dependence on oil.
The report further noted that government activities in Saudi Arabia rose by 2 percent year-on-year in the first quarter while declining by 1.1 percent on a quarter-on-quarter basis.
GASTAT added that the Kingdom’s oil activities increased by 1.7 percent in the first quarter compared to the previous quarter.
However, oil activities dipped by 11.2 percent year-on-year as Saudi Arabia reduced its crude production in line with the decision of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies, collectively known as OPEC+.
To maintain market stability, Saudi Arabia reduced its oil output by 500,000 barrels per day in April 2023, and this cut has now been extended until December 2024.
In April, the International Monetary Fund projected that Saudi Arabia’s economy would grow by 2.6 percent in 2024 and 6 percent in 2025.
In the same month, the World Bank also raised the growth prospects of the Kingdom’s economy to 5.9 percent in 2025, up from an earlier projection of 4.2 percent.
Furthermore, Saudi Arabia’s gross fixed capital formation surged to SR317.5 billion in the first quarter of 2024, marking a significant 7.9 percent increase compared to the same period last year.
According to a separate report by the Saudi Ministry of Investment released earlier this month, gross fixed capital formation expansion was driven by growth in both the government and non-government sectors.
GFCF, which represents the net increase in physical assets within an economy, plays a crucial role in gross domestic product as it reflects capital accumulation supporting future production capabilities and economic growth.
Of the total GFCF, the government sector contributed 7 percent, experiencing a robust growth rate of 18 percent. Meanwhile, the non-government sector, constituting 93 percent, also saw a substantial rise of 7.2 percent.
Saudi Arabia’s proactive efforts to attract foreign direct investment and bolster bilateral relations have significantly strengthened the Kingdom’s economic trajectory.
FDI serves as a pivotal catalyst for GFCF development, facilitating funding for investment projects and resource and knowledge transfer across borders, thereby fostering economic expansion and maturation.
Key initiatives such as the National Investment Strategy, the Regional Headquarters Program, and zero-income tax incentives for foreign entities play a vital role in advancing Vision 2030, which aims to diversify and expand the economy.
During this quarter, the Ministry of Investment issued 3,157 investment licenses, marking a 93 percent surge compared to the same period last year, excluding licenses issued under the anti-concealment law.
In its economic and investment monitor released in late May, the ministry revealed that the construction and manufacturing sector dominated with 47 percent of total permits, followed by vocational and educational activities, information and communication technology and accommodation and food services as well as wholesale and retail trade.
The real estate sector witnessed the most significant year-on-year growth, with a staggering 253.3 percent increase in investment licenses.
Furthermore, 127 international firms secured permits to relocate their regional headquarters to Saudi Arabia in the first quarter of 2024, reflecting a remarkable 477 percent year-on-year upsurge.
Leading corporations such as Google, Microsoft and Amazon as well as Northern Trust, Bechtel, IHG Hotels & Resorts, and Deloitte have established operations in the Kingdom under this program.
The report also highlights that Saudi Arabia processed 445 applications for investor visit visas during the first quarter of this year, enabling overseas businesspersons to explore opportunities in the country.
source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)
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The report highlighted that while Saudi Arabia experienced a significant recovery, other G20 countries faced varying economic conditions. Shutterstock
The annual event sees millions of pilgrims from around the world gather in Karbala for the Arbaeen commemoration.
Every year, millions of Shia Muslims and some people of other faiths from around the world take part in a special pilgrimage ritual, culminating in what is arguably the world’s largest public gathering.
Usually on foot, for about 20 days, the pilgrims trek hundreds of kilometres from cities around Iraq and Iran to the holy city of Karbala where they commemorate the death in battle of Imam Hussein.
Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad and son of Imam Ali, was killed in 680 AD on the plains of Karbala in a battle against the forces of the Caliph Yazid, whose ascendancy to the caliphate was contested.
To mark the 40th day of mourning for Hussein – the traditional mourning period – the pilgrims arrive in Karbala to pay tribute at his shrine, which is surrounded by millions on the final day of Arbaeen.
Along the route, volunteers set up stations to provide the pilgrims with food, water and shelter while people from the villages along the way keep their doors open to anyone who needs a place to stop.
Many pilgrims opt to walk 80km (50 miles) from the nearby city of Najaf, where Imam Ali, Hussein’s father, is buried, to Karbala.
Those who make the trip from distant cities, like Mashhad in Iran – 2,600km (1,600 miles) away – opt to drive.
Recognition from the International Women’s Media Foundation honours Palestinian reporter’s ‘remarkable bravery in the pursuit of reporting’.
Palestinian freelance journalist Maha Hussaini has had her reporting for Middle East Eye on the ongoing Israeli war on Gaza recognised by the International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF).
Hussaini was one of three recipients of the Courage in Journalism Awards , announced by the Washington-based foundation on Monday, which it says honours remarkable bravery in the pursuit of reporting.
Since the assault began in October, Hussaini has published dozens of stories, including a report uncovering Israeli field executions of Palestinians , which was used as evidence by South Africa at the International Court of Justice in the case accusing Israel of genocide.
Reacting to the award, Hussaini told MEE she was both happy and sad at recognition for her work.
“I am happy because it is another effort to recognise the work of Palestinian journalists and make them heard and seen,” she said. “But I am saddened because I know the cost of such recognition in a place where over 150 journalists have been killed over the course of eight months.”
The IWMF recognised Hussaini, who was a resident of Gaza City before the war, for working under strenuous circumstances during the conflict.
The Israeli attacks have posed daily threats to her life, forced her to move location multiple times and to live in desperate conditions, along with almost all of Gaza’s 2.3m Palestinian population.
At times Hussaini has been forced to work without access to electricity and internet during Israeli-imposed power outages. Her freedom of movement within Gaza, including access to her home, has also been restricted by the Israeli siege and checkpoints.
“Since the beginning of the Israeli war, it has become increasingly clear to me that journalists are targets for the Israeli army. Many of the journalists who have been killed while reporting were colleagues with whom I closely collaborated,” Hussaini told MEE.
She said that each morning she faced the possibility that she could be killed next, and quietly recited the Shahada, the Muslim declaration of faith often pronounced before death, each time she went out to report.
“I understand that my work carries immense risks, but I cannot say that I’m scared to be a journalist,” Hussaini added. “I have never felt hesitant to go to the field or cover any story. But I however worry that if I am killed, another voice would be silenced, another pen would be broken.”
Hussaini said she hoped that by winning the award, light would be shed on the work done by Palestinian journalists, especially when “many international media outlets choose to overlook their stories and reporting”.
She added that it was particularly important now as Israel bans international journalists from entering Gaza.
‘We need women’s voices in news media’
Hussaini won the award alongside Lauren Chooljian, a senior reporter and producer at American radio NHPR, and Monica Velásquez Villacís, an investigative journalist and presenter at Ecuadorian digital media outlet La Posta .
“We need women’s voices in news media to keep the press free and we need to fiercely protect women like Lauren, Maha, Mónica, and Shin to ensure that power is held to account and that equitable values survive,” said IWMF Executive Director Elisa Lees Munoz.
David Hearst, MEE’s Editor in Chief, said: “To live under conditions where there is no safe haven from drones and missiles for eight months is unbearable.
“But to report under conditions where you as a journalist are deliberately targeted, and where you witness your colleagues being killed, is a feat few other journalists can imagine. Maha deserves the highest award for her work.”
Lubna Masarwa, MEE’s Palestine and Israel bureau chief, said no words can describe how much Hussaini deserves recognition.
“Despite everything she endured – the bombs, displacement, and seeing her colleagues killed – Maha has remained resilient, professional and true to her mission of giving a voice to the Palestinian people,” Masarwa said.
The Israeli military has killed at least 150 journalists out of an estimated 37,000 Palestinians in Gaza since 7 October, according to local officials. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has reported that it has been the deadliest period for journalists since the NGO began gathering data in 1992.
“It’s wonderful seeing Maha’s work, and by extension, that of Palestinian journalists in Gaza, being recognised by the world,” Masarwa added.
“But truly no amount of awards and words can begin to express how much she deserves recognition.”
Among Hussaini’s stories recognised by the IWMF is a report on the reality of women giving birth at home in Gaza and another featuring a girl who had to carry her paralysed six-year old brother for miles while fleeing bombing.
Hussaini’s decade as reporter
Hussaini began work as a freelance journalist in July 2014 during the Israeli offensive on Gaza, producing, preparing, and presenting reports on the conflict that resulted in the deaths of more than 2,200 Palestinians and around 60 Israelis.
She has been writing for MEE since 2018 and has covered hundreds of stories focusing on human rights and armed conflict.
In 2020, she won the Martin Adler Prize , awarded by the prestigious Rory Peck Trust, for her reporting for MEE from Gaza.
She was shortlisted for the 2023 Local Reporter Award granted by the Kurt Schork Memorial Fund.
Hussaini also works as the strategy director of the Geneva-based Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor .
IWMF’a Courage in Journalism Awards is given annually to women journalists who “are not going to step aside, cannot be silenced, and deserve to be recognised for their strength in the face of adversity”.
Shireen Abu Akleh, a renowned Palestinian-American journalist, posthumously won the award in 2023 after being shot and killed by Israeli forces a year earlier.
The women are part of an ascending community that has gained a higher profile after waves of recent immigration.
Six Arab women were honoured Saturday by their peers for their work in the community and in business.
“It really is a great opportunity to educate people,” said Asma Al-wahsh, founder of the non-profit Canadian Arab Women’s Association. The association named six Women of the Year in part to challenge stereotypes that immigrant women do not contribute.
Noura Alkhiwled was celebrated for “rocking it on the work floor” as a woman in the workforce. Ansam Shafi was recognized for her community leadership.
Hiba Al Zaben has made a name for herself in a science-related field that is dominated by men. Bahiyye Ahram owns a business and is an exceptional entrepreneur.
Yasmin Haloubi was honoured for making a difference in Guelph. Amina Ismail is a future leader, recognized as an example of the next generation of Arab women.
These Arab women are part of an ascending Arab community that is gaining a higher profile after waves of recent immigration. The community was little known a generation ago, but is now big enough to hold its first Middle Eastern festival last month in Kitchener.
Arabic has surged to become the No. 3 foreign language spoken around dinner tables at home in this region, the 2021 census has found. It has surpassed German and trails Chinese languages and Punjabi.
Growth over a decade has been “really huge,” Al-wahsh said. She came to Canada in 2012 and sees this region as a magnet for Canadian Arabs who are relocating from other cities and provinces.
It’s the second time the women’s association has honoured women of the year. The ceremony was held in west Kitchener at the Portuguese Club.
From left: Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic, Amina Ismail (celebrated as a future leader), and Asma Al-wahsh, founder of the Canadian Arab Women’s Association .Peaceful Films
