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Modon Holding P.S.C today said it has completed the acquisition of 100% of La Zagaleta S.L (“La Zagaleta”), the owner of the exclusive La Zagaleta residential estate in Costa del Sol, Spain, marking a significant milestone for Modon Holding’s entry into Europe’s luxury real estate market.
La Zagaleta, located in the hills of Benahavís and 20 minutes from the historic city of Marbella, is an ultra-luxury gated residential development in the heart of Costa del Sol, providing an exclusive, safe and private lifestyle to its residents, with easy access to the breathtaking coastline, vibrant beach towns, and warm Mediterranean waters.
Jassem Mohammed Bu Ataba Al Zaabi, Chairman of Modon Holding, said: “The acquisition of La Zagaleta is an important milestone in Modon Holding’s strategy to pursue international growth, supporting our vision to develop new possibilities for scaled luxury living. La Zagaleta ranks among the world’s most prestigious and exclusive private communities and is a remarkable addition to the Modon Holding portfolio. This acquisition sets a benchmark for future expansion that is fully aligned with Modon Holding’s ambition to consistently surpass expectations, and brings new potential and capability to our international real estate strategy.”
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, has congratulated artist Dia Al-Azzawi on winning the Great Arab Minds Award in the Literature and Arts category.
In a post on “X”, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed said, “We congratulate the winner of the Great Arab Minds Award in the Literature and Arts category, artist Dia Al-Azzawi from Iraq. He has drawn inspiration from the rich heritage of Mesopotamia to create numerous works displayed in the world’s most prestigious museums and galleries. His art addresses important Arab humanitarian issues and combines calligraphy, poetry, and tradition in a contemporary artistic form.”
In a video call with Al-Azzawi, Mohammad bin Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and Chairman of the Great Arab Minds Higher Committee, informed him of his win in the Literature and Arts category of the Great Arab Minds Award and praised his global contributions, which have elevated the profile of contemporary Arab art internationally.
Al Gergawi emphasised that the Great Arab Minds Award is a strategic initiative that reflects Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid’s vision, providing a platform for the most creative Arab minds and celebrating their impactful contributions. It also aims to inspire emerging talents and motivate young Arabs to contribute positively to the advancement of humanity.
For over fifty years, Dia Al-Azzawi, a visual artist specialising in contemporary Arab art, has been a leading figure in the field. He has showcased Arab culture and heritage to the world through his innovative and diverse works.
He has produced hundreds of artworks and organised and participated in numerous art exhibitions worldwide, significantly bridging contemporary art with Arab culture, history, and its most pressing issues. His works embody Arab identity and heritage through a creative style that seamlessly blends modernity with tradition.
Al-Azzawi is distinguished for his use of visual art, Arabic calligraphy, and sculpture to highlight events and challenges relevant to the Arab world in a contemporary style that resonates with global audiences. His innovative approach integrates Arabic letters and poetry into modern artistic expressions, skillfully blending text and imagery in a unique and creative manner.
The Great Arab Minds Award is the largest of its kind in the Arab world, recognising pioneering contributions across six key areas: Natural Sciences (Physics, Mathematics, Chemistry), Economics, Medicine, Literature and Arts, Engineering and Technology, and Architecture and Design.
Frantz Fanon’s revolutionary ideas, shaped in North Africa’s colonial battlegrounds, take centre stage in a new biopic exploring his pivotal years as a psychiatrist in French-ruled Algeria.
Premiering at the Marrakesh International Film Festival, “Fanon” examines how his work and activism during the Algerian war of independence forged enduring theories on decolonisation and resistance.
Fanon began his Algerian journey in 1953 at Blida psychiatric hospital, where he served as chief physician.
There, he was appalled by the systemic neglect of Algerian patients, who were treated as second-class citizens under French colonial rule.
Determined to challenge this, he introduced a humane, empathy-driven approach to psychiatric care, addressing both the mental and societal wounds of his patients.
At the same time, he secretly treated and supported members of the National Liberation Front (FLN), whose armed struggle against colonial rule was escalating.
The film vividly captures the brutal realities of colonial Algeria, portraying systemic violence, repression and the deep-seated contempt for native populations.
Fanon’s growing activism put him at odds with colonial authorities, and in 1956, he was pressured to leave Algeria.
By then, the Algerian war for independence was in full swing, a conflict that lasted until 1962 and claimed hundreds of thousands of lives.
Director Jean-Claude Barny uses evocative imagery, voice-over narration and flashbacks to delve into the inner world of the Martinican thinker.
“We wanted to immerse viewers in his psyche, making them feel part of his journey,” Barny told AFP in an interview during the festival.
The film avoids conventional, dialogue-heavy storytelling, instead relying on visual and emotional cues to reflect Fanon’s intellectual and personal struggles.
Barny spent a decade bringing the project to life, citing the need for meticulous research and financial constraints that delayed production.
“I needed time to fully grasp his philosophy and refine the script,” said Barny, 59, who storyboarded every scene to ensure the film captured Fanon’s essence.
Unable to film in Algeria, the production recreated settings in Tunisia, where Fanon relocated in 1957 after his activism put him at risk.
In Tunis, he continued working with the FLN, aiding their political and military campaigns against French rule while writing prolifically on the psychology of colonisation.
Barny hopes the film resonates with modern audiences by drawing parallels between Fanon’s ideas and today’s struggles against systemic injustice.
“His work provides tools to understand and confront ongoing issues like occupation and discrimination,” Barny said.
The biopic is set to release in France in April, aiming to provoke critical reflection while reaching a wide audience.
“This film proves that visually stunning cinema can also tackle deep, thought-provoking issues,” Barny said.
Egypt on Tuesday celebrated the launch of the first batch of locally produced insulin glargine, a much-needed medication for millions of diabetes patients in the country.
The long-acting insulin, which will treat millions of diabetes patients, is the result of a 2022 partnership between Egyptian firm Eva Pharma and global pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly and Company.
“Egypt is prioritizing the localization of pharmaceutical production,” said Health Minister Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar, speaking at the launch event held at the Eva Pharma factory in Giza.
The initiative is a significant step towards self-sufficiency in pharmaceutical manufacturing, Abdel-Ghaffar added.
Blood sugar levels
Insulin is a hormone that helps the body convert food into energy. In people with diabetes, the body either doesn’t produce enough insulin or cannot use it effectively, leading to elevated blood sugar levels.
Insulin glargine works gradually over approximately 24 hours and, like other types of insulin, helps maintain near-normal blood sugar levels in people with diabetes.
Minister Abdel-Ghaffar noted that 15.5 percent of Egyptians are diabetic, a figure that matches the global statistics of the disease prevalence, according to a statement by the health ministry.
Furthermore, Abdel-Ghaffar added that the number of diabetes patients in Africa has reached 24 million, with projections indicating a rise to 55 million by 2045.
He emphasized the urgent need for affordable medications, the statement added.
Affordable insulin
In a joint statement issued today, Eli Lilly and Eva Pharma said they aim to provide high-quality, affordable insulin to over one million people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes annually by 2030.
The partnership focuses on low- to middle-income countries, particularly in Africa, the statement added.
As part of the collaboration, Eli Lilly supplies its insulin active ingredient at a reduced price and provides pro bono technology transfer.
This will enable Eva Pharma to locally formulate and package insulin vials and cartridges for production, according to the statement.
During today’s event, the health minister emphasized that localizing drug production is national security.
He noted that 90 percent of the country’s pharmaceutical needs are currently met domestically, with only 10 percent imported.
Milestone!
Ali Al-Ghamrawy, head of the Egyptian Drug Authority, described the move as a major national achievement.
He explained that the focus on localising insulin production is crucial, as insulin is an essential medicine for millions of diabetes patients.
Highlighted its economic benefits, Al-Ghamrawy said that the move will significantly reduce Egypt’s import costs.
By the end of September, these costs for insulin alone amounted to $30 million.
He added that Eva Pharma’s production capacity, which can reach 100 million insulin vials, will contribute to the sustainability of the Egyptian pharmaceutical market.
Egypt currently has 10.9 million people with diabetes, Hossam Abdel-Ghaffar, a spokesperson for the health ministry told Al-Masry Al-Youm last week.
He added that this number is projected to rise to 13 million by 2030 and 20 million by 2045.
The General Secretariat of the Sharjah Award for Arabic Poetry Criticism announced the three winners of the fourth edition, which was titled “The Convergence of Literary Genres in Contemporary Arabic Poetry.”
The award is held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, and is organised by the Department of Cultural Affairs at Sharjah Department of Culture, to care for Arabic poetry, and to stimulate the energies of critics and those interested in studies directed towards the poetic experience, in service of the Arab creative arena.
First place went to Fathi bin Belkacem Nasri from Tunisia, for his research “Autobiographies in Contemporary Arabic Poetry”; second place went to Dr. Ahmed Jarallah Yassin from Iraq, for his research “The Convergence of Literary Genres in Contemporary Arabic Poetry”; while Ibrahim Al Karawi from Morocco won third place for his research “The Poetics of the Trans-Genre Text: From the Obsession with Authenticity to the Question of Boundaries (Towards a Generalised Poetics)”.
Professor Mohammed Ibrahim Al Qasir, Director of the Cultural Affairs Department and Secretary-General of the Award, said, “Since its establishment in 2020, the Sharjah Award for Arabic Poetry Criticism has enjoyed the continuous patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi.
This patronage has re-read Arabic poetry from a comprehensive critical perspective by Arab critics, and presented a new critical vision based on the award’s topics that discuss the most prominent issues of poetry with broad horizons.”
Al Qasir added that the current edition presents 3 critical names to the Arab cultural scene, who have worked hard on an important critical topic that discusses “The Convergence of Literary Genres in Contemporary Arabic Poetry”, and they have set their sights on presenting a new critical vision that examines the topic in depth, while being keen to adhere to the award’s standards.
Al Qasir pointed out that the award records an increase in the number of participants in each edition, and in its current edition it has attracted more than 60 research papers distributed across the countries: the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Jordan, Tunisia, Yemen, Sudan and Mauritania. Perhaps this diversity in participation confirms the importance of the award among Arab critics.
The award provides financial rewards to the winners of the first three places, with the first place winner receiving AED100,000, while the second place winner receives AED75,000, and the third place winner receives AED50,000.
The Noor Riyadh light festival has set new Guinness World Records for the fourth consecutive year, bringing the total to 16 record-breaking achievements, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Sunday.
One of the two new records is for the Longest Distance Covered by a Laser Light in a Laser Show. UK artist Chris Levine’s Higher Power set the record with a 1 kW laser projected from the 267-meter Al-Faisaliah Tower.
The installation featured four beams extending across Riyadh, visible even against the city lights. The laser encoded “Salaam” (meaning “peace” in Arabic) in Morse code, reflecting Levine’s philosophy of light as a medium for spiritual connection, unity and reflection.
Levine, known for his work with light and sound, has exhibited at institutions like MoMA in New York City. His immersive installations, including Light is Love at this year’s festival, merge technology with emotional and sensory experiences, redefining light’s role in contemporary art.
The other record was for the Largest Illuminated Recyclable Material Sculpture of a Pyramid.
The Fifth Pyramid, by Saudi artist Rashed Al-Shashai, set the record with a 28-meter-high structure made from sustainable materials, including scaffolding and green petrochemical shipping pallets.
The pyramid features a striking fuchsia-lit central walkway, symbolizing Saudi Arabia’s transformation into a hub of creativity and innovation.
Al-Shashai’s work often reimagines everyday objects to explore cultural and societal themes. With more than two decades of experience as an artist and educator, his work has been showcased internationally, including at the Giza pyramid complex and Art Dubai, solidifying his place in contemporary Saudi art.
Architect Khalid Al-Hazani, director of the Riyadh Art program, said: “Achieving two more Guinness World Records at Noor Riyadh is a testament to the transformative power of art and creativity. We are proud to see Noor Riyadh continuing to inspire and unite people through the universal language of light.”
Festival director Nouf Al-Moneef said: “The scale and creativity of this festival are unparalleled, and these records underscore its global significance as a landmark event in the world of contemporary art. This achievement highlights Riyadh’s position as a global cultural hub and reflects the incredible talent and dedication of the artists and curators who brought this vision to life.”
Curated by Effat Abdullah Fadag and Alfredo Cramerotti, Noor Riyadh took place at three hubs this year: King Abdulaziz Historical Center, JAX District and Wadi Hanifah, from Nov. 28 to Dec. 14.
The fourth edition featured more than 60 artworks by over 60 artists from 18 countries, transforming the city into a vibrant, open-air gallery that attracted millions of visitors.
source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)
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Noor Riyadh Acquires Guinness World Records™ Titles for the Fourth Consecutive Year
In this era of intolerance and cultural tension, the west needs to appreciate the fertile scholarship that flowered with Islam.
Watching the daily news stories of never-ending troubles, hardship, misery and violence across the Arab world and central Asia, it is not surprising that many in the west view the culture of these countries as backward, and their religion as at best conservative and often as violent and extremist.
I am on a mission to dismiss a crude and inaccurate historical hegemony and present the positive face of Islam. It has never been more timely or more resonant to explore the extent to which western cultural and scientific thought is indebted to the work, a thousand years ago, of Arab and Muslim thinkers.
What is remarkable, for instance, is that for over 700 years the international language of science was Arabic (which is why I describe it as “Arabic science”). More surprising, maybe, is the fact that one of the most fertile periods of scholarship and scientific progress in history would not have taken place without the spread of Islam across the Middle East, Persia, north Africa and Spain. I have no religious or political axe to grind. As the son of a Protestant Christian mother and a Shia Muslim father, I have nevertheless ended up without a religious bone in my body. However, having spent a happy and comfortable childhood in Iraq in the 60s and 70s, I confess to strong nostalgic motives for my fascination in the history of Arabic science.
If there is anything I truly believe, it is that progress through reason and rationality is a good thing – knowledge and enlightenment are always better than ignorance. I proudly share my worldview with one of the greatest rulers the Islamic world has ever seen: the ninth-century Abbasid caliph of Baghdad, Abu Ja’far Abdullah al-Ma’mun. Many in the west will know something of Ma’mun’s more illustrious father, Harun al-Rashid, the caliph who is a central character in so many of the stories of the Arabian Nights. But it was Ma’mun, who came to power in AD813, who was to truly launch the golden age of Arabic science. His lifelong thirst for knowledge was such an obsession that he was to create in Baghdad the greatest centre of learning the world has ever seen, known throughout history simply as Bayt al-Hikma: the House of Wisdom.
We read in most accounts of the history of science that the contribution of the ancient Greeks would not be matched until the European Renaissance and the arrival of the likes of Copernicus and Galileo in the 16th century. The 1,000-year period sandwiched between the two is dismissed as the dark ages. But the scientists and philosophers whom Ma’mun brought together, and whom he entrusted with his dreams of scholarship and wisdom, sparked a period of scientific achievement that was just as important as the Greeks or Renaissance, and we cannot simply project the European dark ages on to the rest of the world.
Of course some Islamic scholars are well known in the west. The Persian philosopher Avicenna – born in AD980 – is famous as the greatest physician of the middle ages. His Canon of Medicine was to remain the standard medical text in the Islamic world and across Europe until the 17th century, a period of more than 600 years. But Avicenna was also undoubtedly the greatest philosopher of Islam and one of the most important of all time. Avicenna’s work stands as the pinnacle of medieval philosophy.
But Avicenna was not the greatest scientist in Islam. For he did not have the encyclopedic mind or make the breadth of impact across so many fields as a less famous Persian who seems to have lived in his shadow: Abu Rayhan al-Biruni. Not only did Biruni make significant breakthroughs as a brilliant philosopher, mathematician and astronomer, but he also left his mark as a theologian, encyclopedist, linguist, historian, geographer, pharmacist and physician. He is also considered to be the father of geology and anthropology. The only other figure in history whose legacy rivals the scope of his scholarship would be Leonardo da Vinci. And yet Biruni is hardly known in the western world.
Many of the achievements of Arabic science often come as a surprise. For instance, while no one can doubt the genius of Copernicus and his heliocentric model of the solar system in heralding the age of modern astronomy, it is not commonly known that he relied on work carried out by Arab astronomers many centuries earlier. Many of his diagrams and calculations were taken from manuscripts of the 14th-century Syrian astronomer Ibn al-Shatir. Why is he never mentioned in our textbooks? Likewise, we are taught that English physician William Harvey was the first to correctly describe blood circulation in 1616. He was not. The first to give the correct description was the 13th-century Andalucian physician Ibn al-Nafees.
And we are reliably informed at school that Newton is the undisputed father of modern optics. School science books abound with his famous experiments with lenses and prisms, his study of the nature of light and its reflection, and the refraction and decomposition of light into the colours of the rainbow. But Newton stood on the shoulders of a giant who lived 700 years earlier. For without doubt one of the greatest of the Abbasid scientists was the Iraqi Ibn al-Haytham (born in AD965), who is regarded as the world’s first physicist and as the father of the modern scientific method – long before Renaissance scholars such as Bacon and Descartes.
But what surprises many even more is that a ninth-century Iraqi zoologist by the name of al-Jahith developed a rudimentary theory of natural selection a thousand years before Darwin. In his Book of Animals, Jahith speculates on how environmental factors can affect the characteristics of species, forcing them to adapt and then pass on those new traits to future generations.
Clearly, the scientific revolution of the Abbasids would not have taken place if not for Islam – in contrast to the spread of Christianity over the preceding centuries, which had nothing like the same effect in stimulating and encouraging original scientific thinking. The brand of Islam between the beginning of the ninth and the end of the 11th century was one that promoted a spirit of free thinking, tolerance and rationalism. The comfortable compatibility between science and religion in medieval Baghdad contrasts starkly with the contradictions and conflict between rational science and many religious faiths in the world today.
The golden age of Arabic science slowed down after the 11th century. Many have speculated on the reason for this. Some blame the Mongols’ destruction of Baghdad in 1258, others the change in attitude in Islamic theology towards science, and the lasting damage inflicted by religious conservatism upon the spirit of intellectual inquiry. But the real reason was simply the gradual fragmentation of the Abbasid empire and the indifference shown by weaker rulers towards science.
Why should this matter today? I would argue that, at a time of increased cultural and religious tensions , misunderstandings and intolerance, the west needs to see the Islamic world through new eyes. And, possibly more important, the Islamic world needs to see itself through new eyes and take pride in its rich and impressive heritage.
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by Jim Al-Khalili is a professor of physics at the University of Surrey; he is the 2007 recipient of the Royal Society’s Michael Faraday Prize and delivers the Faraday lecture at the Royal Society in London tonight.
source/content: theguardian.com (headline edited) / 2008 / Jim Al-Khalili
Qasim Hasan enjoyed every moment when he won Iraq’s first World Championships gold medal in any sport.
It happened here at the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) World Championships in Riyadh when Qasim made his third straight good lift in the men’s 96 kilograms, claiming snatch gold on 175kg and edging Karim Abokahla from Egypt into second place.
Qasim bowed, prayed, kissed the barbell and sat on the discs to savour his achievement. It was Iraq’s best weightlifting result since the 1960 Olympic Games, where Abdul-Wahid Aziz won a lightweight bronze medal to add to his 1959 World Championships bronze.
It was also his country’s first time on top of the podium in any Olympic sport at a World Championships – in only Qasim’s second competition.
“I was so, so happy,” said Qasim, 23. “The best result in the history of Iraq weightlifting – it makes me so proud.”
Abokahla pulled clear of Qasim in the clean and jerk to win on total. The effort of making his final lift left Abokahla flat on his back in the warm-up room for a few minutes but it earned him victory on 174-213-387 and gave Africa its first winner at these Championships.
Won Jongbeom from South Korea was second on 172-212-384 with Qasim third on 175-204-279.
To complete a good session for Egypt, Mahmoud Hosny successfully made a jump of 8kg with his final attempt to win clean and jerk bronze.
Abokahla, 26, won African titles in his past two outings, posting totals of 340kg at 96kg last October and 375kg at 89kg in Tunis in May. Here he improved again to post the best total of his career in only his second competition at this weight.
Two men who finished fourth in the Olympic Games lifted in the B Group. Sarat Sumpradit, fourth at Rio 2016 in the old 94kg category, made his first snatch at 170kg then declined his remaining lifts because he is focusing on the Asian Games in China, where he will compete in the first week of October.
It was a different story for Boady Santavy from Canada, who left the platform shouting: “Come on! Boady’s back!”
Santavy, 1kg behind the bronze medallist in Tokyo at this weight, had not lifted in international competition since December 2021 because of a serious elbow injury that required “having my UCL (ulnar collateral ligament) completely reattached”.
He had been talking himself up on social media and was challenged to live up to the talk by Pyrros Dimas, with whom he is friendly.
“Where’s Pyrros?” Santavy wanted to know after his five-from-six 166-196-362. The triple Olympic champion, who is performance director for the United States, appeared in the warm-up room to congratulate Santavy.
“It was pretty depressing being away so long, but I’ve trained really well since the doctor cleared me around March,” said Santavy. “There are some big numbers coming in Qatar.”
That will be in December at the IWF Grand Prix II, the next Olympic qualifier. Santavy, who weighed in below 93kg, will lift at 89kg there.
Yeison Lopez Lopez from Colombia was lightest of the 12 in the B Group at 90.62kg but made the best total by 9kg, posting 171-200-371. He will also go down to 89kg, starting at the Pan American Games in October.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas officially inaugurated the new building of Palestine’s Embassy in Vatican City on Thursday.
Abbas called on countries that have not yet recognized Palestine to do so, and to acknowledge the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, the news and information agency WAFA reported.
After raising the Palestinian flag, Abbas spoke of efforts to gain full UN membership and achieve greater international recognition for Palestine.
The Vatican officially recognized the State of Palestine on May 13, 2015. On June 26 of the same year, the Vatican’s Holy See and the Palestinian Authority signed a comprehensive agreement for mutual recognition.
Armenia was the last country — the 149th — to recognize Palestine, on June 21, 2024. There are Palestinian embassies, consulates, and diplomatic missions in 110 countries.
The opening ceremony of the new embassy building was attended by several Palestinian Authority officials, including Ziad Abu Amr, the first deputy prime minister, and Issa Kassissieh, the Palestinian ambassador to the Vatican.
Earlier, Abbas had a private audience with Pope Francis and senior Vatican officials. He is also scheduled to meet Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and President Sergio Mattarella in Rome.
source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)
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Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas officially inaugurated the new building of Palestine’s Embassy in Vatican City, Dec. 12 (WAFA)
