Month: April 2025

SHARJAH, U.A.E : Bodour Al Qasimi becomes first woman from GCC to win BolognaRagazzi Award

Emirati publisher, author, and women’s advocate Bodour Al Qasimi has made history by becoming the first woman from an Arab Gulf state to receive a prestigious BolognaRagazzi Award for Fiction.

Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi received the prize for her groundbreaking children’s book ‘House of Wisdom’ at a ceremony in the impressive Farnese Chapel, at Palazzo d’Accursio, in Bologna.

Reflecting on the honour, Sheikha Bodour said, “For me, this award signals a shift towards a more inclusive children’s publishing sector. Amid heightened global tensions, stories like ‘House of Wisdom’ carry a message that books can occasion unity, progress, and a deeper understanding between cultures. It’s a timely statement about literature’s power to build bridges and keep the bigger human picture in view.”

She added, “The House of Wisdom was a library that symbolised how knowledge and collaboration across cultures can build sturdy bridges. Its loss in 1258 is a tragic allegory for the fragility of intellectual freedom – a lesson of undiminished relevance today.”

Feted for its engaging approach to encouraging critical thought, scientific curiosity, and compassion, the success of ‘House of Wisdom’ marks progress in international recognition of the value of Middle Eastern children’s literature.

The book is illustrated by Majid Zakeri Younesi, whose evocative art provides a breathtaking complement to the story.

Although unable to be in Bologna to collect the award with Sheikha Bodour, he said, “Working on ‘House of Wisdom’ was a unique opportunity to visually capture the spirit of curiosity and innovation that drives humanity’s infinite quest for learning and dialogue, something Sheikha Bodour has so deftly portrayed in her narrative.”

The day after the prize giving, Sheikha Bodour spoke on a thought-provoking panel with other BolognaRagazzi Award winners and joined a celebration reception at the Kalimat Group stand.

On both occasions, she shared her inspiration behind ‘House of Wisdom’, emphasising the importance of preserving cultural and intellectual legacies, the role of storytelling in bridging cultural divides, and Sharjah’s commitment to promoting knowledge, including through the creation of its own House of Wisdom.

Before receiving the award, Sheikha Bodour signed copies of her book at the Giannino Stoppani Children’s Bookshop, which she helped restore after it was destroyed by fire in 2022. To support the renovation, Sheikha Bodour allocated significant funds from the Sharjah World Book Capital Office.

source/content: wam.ae (headline edited)

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UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (U.A.E)

ARAB AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH IN USA : APRIL : Arab America Foundation Announces Speakers and Performers for National Arab American Heritage Month Event, April 9, 2025

Honoring the Rich Heritage, Celebrating the Next Generation

This event is a tribute to our culture, featuring music, dance, comedy, and inspiration, uniting us in pride and resilience”

— Warren David, President, Arab AmericaWASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, March 12, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ —

On Wednesday, April 9th, the Arab America Foundation will present its ninth annual National Arab American Heritage Month Commemoration at Amazon HQ Theater, “Honoring the past, inspiring the future.”

Each year, we honor the invaluable contributions of Arab Americans and commemorate National Arab American Heritage Month with community leaders, cultural performances, and authentic Arab cuisine.

This year, we honor the legendary Umm Kalthoum, marking 50 years since her passing in 1975. Known as the Nightingale of the Arab World, her iconic voice inspires generations.

To register for the event, Click Here.

Performers include:
–Mohanad Elsheiky, a Libyan stand-up comedian based in Queens who is a digital producer on the TBS late-night comedy series Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, has appeared on Conan and Late Night with Stephen Colbert.

-Marwa Morgan, Arab American and Egyptian classic vocalist, will perform a special tribute to the legendary nightingale of the Arab World, Umm Kulthum with the New York Umm Kulthum Ensemble.

–Anas “Andy” Shallal, Iraqi-American artist, activist, philanthropist, entrepreneur, founder and CEO of Busboys and Poets.

–Shirin Rajaee, Emmy-nominated news anchor and MC of the event.

–DJ Basbousa, a DC-based Arab DJ pop culture designer.

–Faris El-Layl Folkloric Dance Troupe will perform traditional Arab dances.

“During this year’s National Arab American Heritage Month, we honor our rich heritage while celebrating the next generation. This event is a tribute to our culture, featuring music, dance, comedy, and inspiration, uniting us in pride and resilience,” said Warren David, president of Arab America.

About National Arab American Heritage Month 2025
Arab America and the Arab America Foundation launched the National Arab American Heritage Month initiative in 2017, but only a handful of states recognized it. Each year, our grass-roots network of over 250 Arab American volunteers in 26 states gathers hundreds of proclamations from their states, counties, municipalities, and local school districts.

If you want to help us mobilize the community for NAAHM, request proclamations, or plan events, please contact Dr. Amal David or call 877-272-2944.

Proclamations
Arab America Foundation state teams are acquiring proclamations from governors, state legislators, mayors, and county executives nationwide. New proclamations for 2025 will be announced in the coming months.

Sponsorship of National Arab American Heritage Month 2025 (including Diversity Training Workshops)
The Arab America Foundation welcomes corporate participation as a sponsor to celebrate Arab American heritage and enhance the understanding of Arab identity and culture in America through the National Arab American Heritage Month initiative. Sponsorships include the Arab America Foundation’s diversity training workshop designed to help corporations educate their workforce about the Arab American community. Through this workshop, participants can gain insights into the community’s history, immigration, culture, traditions, and other significant issues.

For Information About National Sponsorship and Workshops Click Here

Or call the Arab America Foundation at 877-272-2944 or email info@arabamerica.com

Educator’s Curriculum Kit
Arab America Foundation offers The Educator’s Curriculum Kit, which highlights the history of Arab migration to America, geographic understanding of the Arab world, Arab American diversity in faith and language, interesting customs and traditions, issues affecting our community, and our many achievements in business, politics, education, and more. The Kit is available for school educators. For more information, please get in touch with Dr. Amal David.

Resources
Arab America Foundation is committed to gathering and promoting the community’s events and stories through https://www.arabamerica.com/resources/ and social media platforms during April. Every week, Arab America will feature cultural events throughout the US on our events page and share compelling success stories of Arab Americans on our blog page. Additionally, Arab America has compiled a resource guide listing resources and content regarding the Arab and Arab American identity and culture.

About the Arab America Foundation
The Arab America Foundation (www.arabamericafoundation.org) is a non-profit educational and cultural organization that promotes the Arab heritage in the U.S., educates Americans about the Arab heritage and identity, and connects and empowers Arab Americans

Claire Boyle
Arab America Foundation
+1 877-272-2944
email us here
Visit us on social media:
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source/content: fox40.com (headline edited)

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AMERICAN / ARAB-AMERICAN

ARAB WOMEN IN ENGINEERING : Celebrating Women in Engineering in the Arab World

For National Arab American Heritage Month, SWE recognizes some of the Arab women engineers making their mark in the industry.

National Arab American Heritage Month was first recognized at the federal level in the U.S. in April 2021, though celebrations recognizing the Arab community and their contributions in the United States were observed in previous years. 

Here at the Society of Women Engineers, we are excited to celebrate some of the amazing Arab women engineers from around the world who are paving the way for others to pursue a future in STEM and thrive in their careers. 

Diana Alsindy

Diana Alsindy is a propulsion engineering manager at Blue Origin where she leads a team of engineers building the next rocket to the moon. She is also the founder of The Arabian Stargazer, a bilingual educational platform that promotes science and space in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Diana is an Iraqi refugee who fled the Iraq war in 2004 with her family and now calls Los Angeles home. She frequently hosts lectures and seminars with schools that do not have access to engineering resources and aspires to continue paving the way to space and advocate for others to look up. Diana earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering with a focus in mechanical and aerospace engineering from University of California San Diego. Hear her speak as a panel member on From the Classroom to the Cosmos: How Educators Can Help Girls Succeed in Space available in the Advance Learning Center.

Alshaima Abduallah Alshayeb

Alshaima Abduallah Alshayeb is the founder and chairperson of the Saudi Women Engineers Society (SWES) and the first Saudi engineer specializing in structural engineering. She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil engineering from the University of Technology Sydney and is the first engineer to hold a Certified Mostadam Accredited Professional license, a groundbreaking sustainable framework she led development on, which focuses on green building practices aligned with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 goals. She is an advisor with the Saudi Association of Sustainability Professionals and founder of the Urban Heritage Association, presenting at World ESG Summit and Global Project Management Forum and promoting diversity and women in engineering. Under her leadership, SWES has forged partnerships with organizations such as Bechtel and Saudi Arabia Parsons Corporation to promote opportunities for Saudi women in engineering fields.   

Dr. Habiba Alsafar

Dr. Habiba Alsafar is dean of the College of Medicine and Health Sciences and professor of genomics at Khalifa University, one of the United Arab Emirates top universities for STEM education. She earned a BS in biochemistry at San Diego State University, an MS in biomedical engineering from the University of Liverpool in the United Kingdom, and Ph.D. in medical and forensics science from the University of Western Australia. She is credited with establishing the Emirates Family Registry — the first study of its kind in the Middle East — which was instrumental in discovering diabetes risk factors unique to the area’s Bedouin population. She is the recipient of the UAE’s First Honor Model award and the International L’Oréal-UNESCO Fellowship for Women in Science, as well as the International L’Oréal-UNESCO Rising Talents award in recognition of her trailblazing work in genetics.

Dr. Chiraz Ennaceur

Dr. Chiraz Ennaceur is the CEO and co-founder of Cambridge-headquartered CorrosionRADAR Ltd, a technology startup in the predictive corrosion monitoring and assets management space. The organization has received recognition for its groundbreaking Predictive Corrosion Under Insulation Monitoring System, and Dr. Ennaceur received the 2024 Women in Excellence Achievement Award from the International Maintenance, Reliability, and Asset Management conference (MAINTCON) in recognition of her outstanding contributions and leadership in her field. Born in Tunisia, Dr. Ennaceur completed her schooling there, earning a civil engineering degree at Ecole National d’Ingénieurs de Gabès (National Engineering School of Gabes), where she was only one of two girls in a class of 20 students, and then a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering at the University of Technology of Compiègne in France.  

Marwa Al Mamari

The first aerospace engineer in the history of the United Arab Emirates, Marwa Al Mamari is pursuing a Ph.D. studying artificial intelligence in aviation at Coventry University, where she also earned a Master of Science in aviation safety and a Bachelor of Applied Science in aerospace engineering. She has previously worked with the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority, specializing in accident prevention and safety recommendations. This mother of two is also an adjunct lecturer in engineering at New York University Abu Dhabi. In 2024, she was honored as an Emirati Woman Achiever, an award recognizing visionary Emirati women leading entrepreneurship and innovation in the UAE. She has spoken at TEDx and other events globally on changing the narratives, the power of STEM, and women’s empowerment in shaping the future. 

Dr. Raida Al-Alawi

As the president of the Bahrain Society of Engineers, Dr. Raida Al-Alawi is the first woman to lead the organization in its 50+ year history and the first Bahraini woman to earn a Ph.D. in engineering. Her professional experience includes serving as dean of Student Affairs at Manama’s Ahlia University, and as associate professor in the department of electrical and electronics engineering at the University of Bahrain, where she also chaired the department of computer engineering. Dr. Al-Alawi is a Fellow of both the Institution of Engineering and Technology and the Academy of Engineering and Technology of the Developing World, and senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and the International Association of Engineers. She holds a Ph.D. in Computational Intelligence from Brunel University London, an MSc in Computer Engineering from King’s College London, and a BSc in Electrical Engineering from Kuwait University.

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

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ARAB