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The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) has re-elected Hamad Salem Al Muhairi, Assistant Director-General of the Aviation Security Affairs Sector at the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), as Chairperson of the ICAO Aviation Security Panel for the third consecutive year.
This decision was made during the Panel’s meeting held at ICAO Headquarters in Montréal, Canada, on 7th April 2025, in the presence of ICAO Secretariat representatives and technical officers of the Panel.
The ICAO Aviation Security Panel includes 33 experts representing 193 Member States of the Organisation.
Al Muhairi’s re-election underscores the continued international trust in the expertise of Emirati professionals and reflects the UAE’s distinguished global standing and active leadership in shaping the future of civil aviation security.
Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Chairman of the GCAA Board, stated,” Al Muhairi’s re-election is a testament to the UAE’s growing influence and reputation in the global civil aviation sector. It reinforces the international community’s confidence in our national talents and their ability to contribute meaningfully to global aviation safety and security.”
He pointed out the UAE’s commitment to continuing its efforts, in cooperation with its partners at the regional and international levels, to support the growth and sustainability of the global aviation sector.
Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi, Director-General of the GCAA, stated, “This achievement reflects the UAE’s strong commitment to actively contributing to the development of the global civil aviation security system. It also reaffirms the country’s position as an influential partner in shaping international aviation policies and as a leading hub for the exchange of best practices and expertise with partners from around the world.”
Awards, most prestigious in Muslim world, recognize outstanding achievements in science, medicine, Islamic studies, Arabic language and literature, service to Islam.
The King Faisal Prize ceremony, held on Monday night under the patronage of King Salman in Riyadh, honored six distinguished laureates whose contributions have significantly advanced their fields and enriched humanity.
Held under the auspices of King Salman, Riyadh Gov. Prince Faisal bin Bandar handed over the awards to laureates at the event’s 47th edition.
Several princes, senior government officials, academics and scientists attended the ceremony at Prince Sultan’s Grand Hall at the Al-Faisaliah Center.
Prince Turki Al-Faisal, the chairman of the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies, thanked the dignitaries for attending and congratulated the laureates.
Scholars and experts in service to Islam, Islamic studies, medicine, and science gathered in the Saudi capital to celebrate excellence, knowledge, and service.
This year’s Service to Islam Prize was awarded jointly to two laureates from Saudi Arabia. The Tebyan Qur’an Project by Liajlehum Association for Serving People with Disabilities was recognized for developing the world’s first complete Qur’anic interpretation in sign language, making the sacred text accessible to the deaf community and promoting inclusivity in Islamic education.
The second laureate, Sami Abdullah Almaqlouth, was honored for his outstanding efforts in mapping and preserving historic Islamic sites through his work at the General Authority for Survey and Geospatial Information. His documentation supports cultural preservation and public awareness of Islamic heritage.
The Islamic Studies Prize, awarded for archaeological studies in the Arabian Peninsula, was also shared between two scholars. Prof. Saad Abdulaziz Alrashid, a leading Saudi archaeologist, was recognized for his foundational contributions to the study of Islamic inscriptions and archaeological heritage. His work has laid the groundwork for a new generation of scholars and brought international attention to the region’s historic richness.
Prof. Said Faiz Alsaid, another prominent Saudi figure in the field, was honored for his comparative studies of Arabian epigraphy and his contributions to decoding the ancient civilizations of the peninsula, bridging pre-Islamic history with Islamic archaeology.
The Arabic Language and Literature Prize on the topic of studies of identity in Arabic literature was withheld this year as the works nominated did not meet the standards of the selection committee.
The Medicine Prize, awarded for cellular therapy, went to Prof. Michel Sadelain, director of the Center for Cell Engineering at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
He was recognized for his pioneering work in CAR-T cell therapy, a breakthrough cancer treatment that involves genetically modifying immune cells to target and destroy tumors. His research has opened new possibilities in treating leukemia and other previously incurable diseases, marking a milestone in medical innovation.
The Science Prize, focusing on physics this year, was awarded to Prof. Sumio Iijima of Japan. Known as the father of carbon nanotubes, his 1991 discovery of these cylindrical nanostructures revolutionized the field of nanotechnology.
Carbon nanotubes are now used in cutting-edge applications across electronics, materials science, energy storage, and even biomedicine. His discovery laid the foundation for countless technological innovations in the 21st century.
The KFP was established in 1977, and was awarded for the first time in 1979 in three categories — service to Islam, Islamic studies, and Arabic language and literature. Two additional categories were introduced in 1981 — medicine and science. The first medicine prize was awarded in 1982, and in science two years later.
Since its inception in 1977 and its first awards in 1979, the KFP has recognized 301 laureates from 45 nationalities who have made outstanding contributions to Islam, knowledge, and humanity.
Each of the five prize categories is endowed with SR750,000 ($200,000), a 24-carat gold medal and a certificate signed by Prince Khalid Al-Faisal.
Egyptian actor Youssef Omar will join the cast of the British-Chinese production Shashou, set in Hong Kong.
Youssef Omar is a rising Egyptian actor known for his versatile roles in film and TV series, including, most recently in Ramadan, TV series A Woman’s Youth (Shabab Emraa, 2025), where he co-starred opposite Ghada Abdel Razek.
He gained widespread recognition with his breakthrough in the 2018 drama Rahim (dir. Mohamed Salama) and has since starred in popular series like Sittat Bayt Al-Maadi (Women’s Maadi House, 2021), where he played Timo El-Badry (Timo), acting alongside Mira El-Helbawi, Tara Emad, and Enjy Kiwan.
Both series were directed by Mohamed Salama, with the latter catapulting Omar to fame.
Youssef has also successfully transitioned to the silver screen in high-grossing movies such as Awlad Hareem Kareem (2023) and El-Hareefa (2024), starring Nour Ehab, Khaled El-Zahaby, and Bayoumi Fouad.
In 2024, Omar starred in Meen Yasadaq (Who Would Believe?), a film directed by Zena Ashraf Abdel Baky. The film was screened during the 45th Cairo International Film Festival, further solidifying Omar’s status as an up-and-coming talent to watch out for.
Produced and directed by UK producer, screenwriter, and filmmaker Bizhan Tong, Shashou offers Omar his first international role.
Alaa Karkouti and Maher Diab, co-founders of MAD Solutions, which distributes the film in the MENA region, described the film as a thriller that is “an Arab spin on the packaging strategy that Hollywood has long deployed.”
Shashou is set in the shady world of ex-special forces, where outcasts Kelly Frost, Rachel Chan, and Inferno unite to stop a billionaire’s plot to destabilize Hong Kong.
Festival president Hussein Fahmy announced the appointment during the Berlin International Film Festival.
The Cairo International Film Festival has named Mohamed Tarek as its new artistic director, following his tenure as deputy artistic director. Festival president Hussein Fahmy announced the appointment during the Berlin International Film Festival.
Since its inception in 1976, the Cairo International Film Festival has been a cornerstone of the region’s cinematic landscape, held annually at the Cairo Opera House.
Tarek’s career spans film programming, festival consultancy, and jury roles at major international festivals. A graduate of the Locarno Industry Academy in Beirut and the Durban Talents programme, he has worked with CIFF, Dublin International Film Festival, El Gouna Film Festival, and Manassat Film Festival. His expertise also extends to projects with El Nahda Association, MedFest Egypt, and the Goethe Institute Cairo.
After exploring the Iraqi keffiyeh in their first collection, Suez spotlights a forgotten art in ‘Common Thread’.
Three thousand years ago, the art of khayamiya lined the streets of Egypt. Translating to “tent-making,” this ancient hand-stitching practice was once used to fashion tents for royalty, aristocracy, and the wealthy. Today, the practice nears extinction; the only image the word “khayamiya” evokes in our minds is one of cheap printed Ramadan-themed tablecloths. Only 18 khayamiya artisans remain on Egypt’s Khayamiya Street in Bab Al Khalq. Their work is now far from central to the city’s fabric.
Returning the forgotten khayamiya to the spotlight, the London-based Egyptian-Iraqi label Suez is reviving the art in its new collection, “Common Thread.”
“Khayamiya has been something I’d been wanting to incorporate for some time now—since we last spoke,” Suez founder Serag El Meleigy tells Scene Styled. “I think it was the perfect next step for Suez; me being half Egyptian and spending a lot of time in Egypt also made it that much more special.”
As a pursuit, Suez is archival. The label seeks to immortalize crafts that were once popular but have been lost on the road to modernity. Suez, observing that our attire has become synonymous with that of the colonizer, rejects homogeneity and sifts through millennia of historical archives to return culture to our costumes.
“We utilized the khayamiya in two forms: first in its true hand-stitched form, and secondly in a printed form—both of which we purchased from the artisans on Khayamiya Street,” shares El Meleigy. “The first khayamiya blanket I bought was back in 2023, so my ideas have been brewing with the khayamiya for some time now.”
Shortly after his first purchase, El Meleigy returned to Khayamiya Street for more. This is when “Common Thread” was born. The two blankets, both created by the same khayamiya artist, Esaam Ali, were fashioned into two beautiful single-piece collared jackets in two colorways—red and blue.
In respect to the amount of work, skill, and creativity poured into their making, whether as the original khayamiya blanket by Ali or the jacket itself by El Meleigy, the khayamiya jackets are special pieces. Surely, they could be dressed down, but something about the fabric, the common thread that holds them, demands a more prestigious welcoming of the pieces.
“The 1-of-1 khayamiya jackets are obviously statement pieces. We’ve seen them worn for a live recording performance, and we’ve had people say they’d save theirs for big events. I love the idea of these 1-of-1 jackets evolving into some form of suit for big occasions—but the Egyptian version.
Besides participating in the cultural evolution of our occasion wear, Suez’s “Common Thread” weaves the khayamiya practice into daily casual wear.
“The meander garments made way for the incorporation of ‘loud patterns’ in subtle ways—they are made for every occasion,” explains El Meleigy. “The elastic waist of the pieces gives them the benefit of comfort, but the straight-leg structure creates an illusion of formality that can be dressed up or down.”
“I heard one girl wore her keffiyeh meander trousers, from our previous collection, to a wedding, and someone else wore the full keffiyeh set at her dad’s MBE receival ceremony at a royal palace.”
To El Meleigy, “Common Thread” is an exciting pursuit, one he is consistently looking for ways to make even more tailored. In the future, he hopes to work more directly with khayamiya artisans, involving their work directly in garment-making, and potentially seeing them embroider on clothes, rather than refashioning their blankets. Before we know it, the art of khayamiya will be back on hoodies, tracksuits, shorts, and more.
