BAHRAIN : The Sharjah Award for Gulf Women’s Creativity in Literature & Arts chooses Bahraini Fawzia Al-Sindi, the ‘Cultural Personality 2024’, for its 6th session

The Sharjah Award for Gulf Women’s Creativity in Literature and Arts announced the selection of the Bahraini innovator and poet, Fawzia Al-Sindi, as the cultural personality for its sixth session for the year 2024.

Al Sindi will be honored on April 23 at Al Jawaher Center for Events and Conferences in the presence of Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Chairwoman of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs in Sharjah, as part of a ceremony honoring the award winners.

The award, which is organized by the Cultural Office of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs in Sharjah, was created in special honor for the cultural figure among the creative Gulf women pioneering in cultural work.

Salha Ghabish, head of the Council’s Cultural Office, said: “This addition required many discussions with the award’s work team, including members of the jury, as we saw the importance of honoring female figures with distinguished creative, intellectual and professional contributions who are well-known in the Gulf and Arab cultural arena, and whose works have reached the international level through translation.” And communicating with cultural bodies in the world and participating in introducing Arab and Gulf culture through their productions.”

The Bahraini Fawzia Al-Sindi was chosen as one of the influential figures in Bahraini and Gulf society. She has literary and poetic works, and her works have been translated into English, French, Italian, Spanish and German. She has written many articles in Arab newspapers, including the Emirati Gulf, and has participated in many conferences, literary festivals and intellectual forums in the Arab world. And the world.

Regarding her winning the award, Fawzia Al-Sindi said: “I am pleased and honored to have been chosen as a ‘cultural personality’, which in its cultural and human depth represents a tribute and honor to my poetic and literary experience and to all Arab poetic experiences, with my gratitude to those in charge of the Cultural Office of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs in Sharjah for honoring poetic and literary experiences.

source/content: wam.ae (headline edited)

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BAHRAIN

TUNISIA : Jonathan Lourimi on historic Bobsleigh Medal run for Tunisia: “I never thought this was possible”- Gangwon 2024

Final event of bobsleigh competition at 2024 Youth Olympic Games (YOG) sees slider from North African nation pick up silver.

The smile on Jonathan Lourimi’s face said it all.

“It’s history, my friend,” the Tunisian said to Olympics.com after winning men’s monobob silver at the Gangwon 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games (YOG)  on Tuesday (23 January). It is his country’s first ever medal at the winter edition of the Youth Olympics.

“I never thought this was possible when I started with this sport one year ago. And now I’m here with a silver medal. It’s crazy. And yeah, I’m just going to enjoy the moment,” he added.

Tunisia had never sent athletes to a Winter Youth Olympics previously, and their small band of fans and officials in the Republic of Korea certainly seemed to be enjoying themselves when his second place finish was confirmed at the Alpensia Sliding Centre,

“It never happened before, so they are very happy. I’m very happy and yeah, just unbelievable.”

Lourimi finished 1.33 seconds behind winner So Kaehwan from the host nation, with Chi Xiangyu (People’s Republic of China) taking bronze.

“Today, just the race, I just didn’t focus on any medals or any times. I just wanted to enjoy the time, as I have been doing in training. Enjoy the runs,” Lourimi told us. “I’ve really had fun. Of course, I’ve been focusing a lot on this race, but meeting a lot of new people from different countries and [got the chance to] enjoy with them.”

The historic first medal for Tunisia came a day after Thailand also made history in the women’s race, with Agnese Campeol taking silver for the Asian nation.

For Tunisia’s Lourimi, the next step in his career is clear: “My goal is to be in the real Olympics, so I’m going to work hard for that, now just enjoy the moment, some weeks, and then keep on the hard work and yeah, hopefully I’m there in the real Olympics.”

source/content: olympics.com (headline edited)

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(Handout image supplied by OIS/IOC. Olympic Information Services OIS.)

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TUNISIA

EGYPT: ‘Oldest complete Coptic Psalter’ re-exhibited at the Coptic Museum after restoration

After undergoing a meticulous five-year restoration, the Coptic Museum in Old Cairo has re-exhibited its most treasured artefact – the oldest complete Coptic Psalter ever discovered.

“This is the first time we possess a complete book of Psalms dating to late fourth century AD, making it the oldest complete Psalms book unearthed to date. We’ve never encountered such an early book in Egypt, and I’ve found no evidence of an earlier genuine book anywhere else,” said the late director of the Coptic Museum and Coptic studies expert Gawdat Gabra when he first saw the book days after its discovery in 1984.

The Book of Psalms (Psalter) by David is one of the most valuable artefacts in the Coptic Museum in Old Cairo, having been discovered in a tomb going back to the early Christian period. 

It is the oldest Coptic Psalter ever translated from the Septuagint text. After almost four years of restoration, the museum has re-exhibited the Psalter in a special hall in the museum.

The book comprises 498 parchment sheets, encased within wooden bindings laced with leather. Rendered in a dialect of Coptic — a defunct language utilizing Old Greek characters augmented by seven hieroglyphs from ancient Egypt’s twilight era — the Psalms are meticulously inscribed by hand.

According to Gihan Atef, director of the museum, the manuscript harbours numerous Greek terms alongside some Coptic lexemes hitherto unrecorded. It is penned predominantly in brown ink derived from iron, though sporadic patches exhibit black carbon ink, ostensibly applied in efforts to rectify damage. Evident signs of wear manifest where fingers once turned the delicate parchment leaves.


Upon its discovery, the book’s pages were fused together, save for the final quintet, two of which remain blank. Affixed to the book via leather cords dangles a diminutive ankh — a symbol from ancient Egypt, seamlessly integrated into Christian iconography — crafted from bone.
Hamdi Abdel-Moneim, head of the restoration section at the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) said that a team of restorers from both the MIA and the Coptic Museum embarked on a long journey to restore the Psalter.

He pointed out that the manuscript suffered from various forms of damage, including the detachment of its pages due to sewing deterioration. Most of its pages were plead and dried, chemical decomposition was found, along with the loss of parts from the edges and traces of liquids. There was also degradation, deterioration, and erosion of the inks, as well as dryness of the leather cover and cords.

The restoration works included the complete dismantling of the manuscript and addressing all aspects of damage. UV and infrared digital imaging were conducted, along with photographic documentation. Throughout the restoration process, Abdel-Moneim continued, all pages were numbered before disassembly, and specialists in codicology and Coptic texts were consulted.

The Coptic Museum is comprised of two wings joined by a narrow hallway. Inside, approximately 16,000 collectibles are showcased, arranged by type across 12 distinct departments.

The departments encompass a wide range of subjects such as Stones and Plasterboard, Development of Coptic Writing and Manuscripts, Textiles, Ivory and Iconography, Wood, Metals, Pottery, and Glass. Visitors can also marvel at mesmerizing Coptic art and manuscripts of the Holy Bible, some dating back thousands of years.

source/content: english.ahram.org.eg (headline edited)

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EGYPT

SAUDI ARABIA : Saudi’s Munira Khalid Al Rasheed becomes First Arab & First Saudi Woman to lead World Customs Organisation’s regional offices

Munira’s election recognises contributions of regional office in achieving WCO objectives

Saudi academic Munira Khalid Al Rasheed has made history by becoming the first Saudi and Arab woman to lead the World Customs Organisation’s regional offices for global information exchange.

The Regional Information Exchange Offices of the World Customs Organisation have elected Munira as the President of the Regional Information Exchange Network for the next two years (2025-2026).

The announcement was made during the 31st global meeting of the Regional Offices, recently held at the headquarters of the World Customs Organisation in the Belgian capital, Brussels.

The election follows Munira Khalid Al Rashid’s appointment as Vice-President in addition to her current position as the Director of the Regional Office for Information Exchange in the Middle East (RILO ME) at the Zakat, Tax, and Customs Authority.

Her election recognises the contributions of the Middle East Regional Office in achieving the objectives of the World Customs Organisation. It also involves representing 11 local offices affiliated with the Middle East region in all meetings, conferences, and workshops.

The Kingdom has, in recent years, enacted landmark reforms, significantly expanding women’s opportunities.

These reforms include granting women the right to drive and increasing their workforce participation.

Munira’s educational background includes a Bachelor of Business Administration with a major in Management, Marketing, and International Business from the University of New Haven, USA, in 2004, and an Executive MBA from Al Yamamah University, Saudi Arabia, in 2013.

Over her 18-year career, Munira has held various positions, including heading the Admission and Registration Department at Al Yamamah University, working in the Regional Management Department at Credit Suisse Saudi Arabia, and serving as Director of Public Relations at Volkswagen Group Saudi Arabia.

She has also been the Director of the Marketing and Communication Program at the Government Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF) and Advisor to the Deputy Governor for Security Affairs at the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority.

source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)

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SAUDI ARABIA

DUBAI, U.A.E & U.K: Drydocks World announces the official start of work on the Norfolk Vanguard project in the United Kingdom

Drydocks World celebrated the official launch of work on the Norfolk Vanguard East and West Wind Energy platforms in the United Kingdom, where the Drydocks World arena in Dubai witnessed the project’s inauguration ceremony.


The project, according to a statement issued today by the company, includes two eastern and western switching platforms that will be implemented over the next five years, including offshore construction and sailing installations. In the first part of the project, the western Norfolk Vanguard platform will be used to efficiently transfer electrical energy from offshore wind turbines. to the mainland, and major manufacturing operations will also take place year-round at Drydocks World.


The West and East Norfolk Vanguard platform projects are located in the southern North Sea, between 50-80 kilometers from the coast of Norfolk in eastern England. The planned capacity of each of the two platforms reaches 1.4 gigawatts, and these two projects will contribute greatly to enhancing the production of renewable energy. in the UK.


Dr. Captain Rado Antolović, CEO of Drydocks World, said: “Thanks to our cooperation with Aker Solutions and Siemens Energy on these two projects, we will be able to benefit from our combined expertise in renewable energy projects, especially Drydocks World’s expertise in DC platforms.” High voltage and high voltage alternating current, which is an important new step that confirms our commitment to supporting the transition towards renewable energy.”


Drydocks International had concluded a pre-commitment agreement with Aker Solutions in November 2023, to deliver the eastern and western Norfolk Vanguard platforms in the United Kingdom, and during the months of February and March of this year, the two final agreements for the project were signed.


The scope of this strategic cooperation focused on engineering, procurement, construction and installation works for a marine substation for high-voltage direct current electricity. This cooperation also aims to raise the standards of solutions provided in the field of sustainable energy.


It is noteworthy that Drydocks World has successfully delivered two high-voltage direct current platforms and two high-voltage alternating current platforms in the North Sea, including the famous “Dolwyn 2”, “Burwen 3” and “Holland Kast Zuid Alpha and Beta” platform projects.

source/content: wam.ae (headline edited)

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DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (U.A.E)

SAUDI ARABIA : Hiba Al-Qwaidi makes History as Saudi Women’s Premier League’s First Female Referee

Al-Qwaidi was accredited by FIFA last year, and took charge of Friday’s clash between Al-Qadsiah and Al-Riyadh.

Hiba Al-Owaidi has become the first Saudi female referee to take charge of a Women’s Premier League match, after she officiated Al-Qadsiah’s 1-0 win against Al-Riyadh on Friday.

In a historical first for Saudi women’s football, Al-Qwaidi took charge of the match as field referee after she was internationally accredited by the games’s governing body FIFA.

The clash the Al-Qadsiah’s stadium in Al-Khobar saw Abdullah Al-Madad and Khaled Al-Anezi take part as assistant referees.

Al-Qwaidi’s first appearance after receiving her accreditation was as the fourth referee in the Riyadh Season Cup tournament, specifically the match that that’s aw Saudi’s Al-Hilal beat Inter Miami of the US 4-3 at Kingdom Arena.

Al-Qwaidi, a graduate of College of Sports Sciences at the University of Jeddah, is now among 22 Saudi referees accredited by FIFA, as announced by the Saudi  Arabian Football Federation last December.

The referees include Mohammad Al-Hoaish, Faisal Al-Balawi, Sami Al-Garisi, Majed Al-Shamrani, Khaled Al-Taris, Abdullah Al-Shehri, and Shukri Al-Hanfosh.

source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)

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Hiba Al-Qwaidi on the extreme left, Referee

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SAUDI ARABIA

JORDANIAN Fashion Designer Kish Jeane Breaks World Record with outfits for Lebanese Superstar Najwa Karam

Jordanian Fashion Designer Kish Jeane, breaks Guinness World Records by making the longest cape in the world for Lebanese superstar, Najwa Karam.

The cape is 55.7m long, with 118m of fabric and 3m of gold reflective leather used to craft it.

Jeane, who is known for his use of reflective leather in his designs, designed the cape drawing from Greek mythology for inspiration . He also added the name of Najwa’s most recent album “Charisma” in Arabic calligraphy on the back of the cape.

Najwa Karam also wore a gold cage shoulder piece with a white jumpsuit, also designed by Jeane. She wore both outfits to her welcoming event in Jordan, celebrating her participation in the Jerash Festival .

Kish Jeane will also be the first Jordanian designer to participate in New York Fashion Week, as he will be presenting his Spring Summer 2024 Collection there.

source/content: jordannews.jo (headline edited)

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(Photos: Handouts Kish Jeane)

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JORDAN

SAUDI ARABIA: Saudi Pavilion at Doha Horticultural Expo 2023 Wins 5 Awards, sets World Records

Kingdom dazzles with record-breaking LED display and inspiring sustainability schemes.

The Saudi pavilion at the Doha Horticultural Expo 2023 won five awards, set world records and drew 1.8 million visitors to its expansive site spanning 5,000 sq. meters.

The pavilion’s lush green design drew inspiration from Mount Tuwaiq, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Saturday.

Saleh Bindakhil, the head director of the Saudi campaign, said that the pavilion provided a “groundbreaking digital experience” centered on agriculture and environmental sustainability.

It showcased more than 80 successful Saudi projects and initiatives in line with the exhibition’s objectives, he added.

The pavilion, which aimed to inspire the global community to combat desertification, secured five awards and set world records, Bindakhil said.

It broke the Guinness World Record for the largest display of exterior LED screens, with an impressive array of 435 external LED columns.

Additionally, the pavilion received a Gold Muse Award in the conceptual design and events category, and a Gold French Design Award in the interior design and architecture category.

It clinched the LIV Award in architectural and landscape design, along with a silver award from the Bureau International des Expositions in the self-built pavilions category.

The pavilion welcomed visitors from around the world, offering communications in seven languages: Arabic, English, French, Italian, Spanish, Japanese and Persian.

Its numerous sections showcased the diversity and richness of the Kingdom.

The pavilion also highlighted the pivotal role of agriculture and major sustainable projects in Saudi Arabia.

The Doha expo, which began in October last year and ended on March 28, aimed to promote environmental solutions to a global audience.

The event included four key pillars: Modern agriculture, technology and innovation, environmental awareness and sustainability.

source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)

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The pavilion’s lush green design drew inspiration from Mount Tuwaiq, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Saturday. (SPA)

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SAUDI ARABIA

ARAB WORLD: 26 films from 13 Arab countries to compete at 14th Malmo Arab Film Festival, Sweden

The 14th edition of the Malmo Arab Film Festival, scheduled to take place 22-28 April, will feature 26 films across its official competitions.

The official competition for feature films includes 12 films, while the short film competition includes 14 films.

The multi-award-winning Sudanese film Goodbye Julia will open the festival and compete in its Feature Film Competition.

This segment will also screen The Burdened (Yemen, Sudan, Saudi Arabia), Behind The Mountains (Tunisia, France, Belgium, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Qatar), Inshallah A Boy (Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, France, Qatar), Night Courier (Mandoob, Saudi Arabia), The Teacher (UK, Palestine, Qatar), A Nose And Three Eyes (Egypt), Messi of Baghdad (Belgium, Iraq), The Mother Of All Lies (Morocco, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar), Four Daughters – directed by Kouthar Ben Hania (Tunisia, France, Germany, Saudi Arabia), Under the Sky of Damascus (Denmark, Germany, USA, Syria), and Bye Bye Tiberias (France, Belgium, Qatar, Palestine).

The Short Film Competition includes the following titles: I Promise You Paradise (Egypt), It’s a Small World (Tunisia), Antidote (Saudi Arabia), Farewell (Syria), The Post Reader (Iraq), The Battle (United Arab Emirates), I Come from the Sea (Lebanon), Let Us Play Yesterday (Egypt), Some Where In Between (France, Egypt, Lebanon), Wishes For My Heart (Egypt), Saleeg (Saudi Arabia, Sweden), Transit (Iraq), The Red Sea Makes Me Wanna Cry (Germany, Jordan), and Ladies Coffee (United Arab Emirates). 

In addition, the festival will also showcase films participating in school screenings, Arabian Nights.

The film screened during the closing ceremony is yet to be announced.

Held annually, the Malmö Arab Film Festival (MAFF) is an Arab film festival based in Malmö, Sweden. 

It is the only festival dedicated to Arab films in Scandinavia.

source/content: english.ahram.org.eg (headline edited)

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ARAB WORLD

FUJAIRAH, U.A.E: Fujairah Scientific Center Wins 02 golds and 02 silvers at the ‘International Science and Technology Festival’, Tunisia

The Fujairah Science Club won two gold medals for the drone project and the helicopter project, and two silver medals for the desert watering hole project and the iron waste sorter project, at the conclusion of the International Science and Technology Festival in Tunisia.

During the ceremony, which was attended by His Excellency Bashir Attia, Secretary-General of the Mahdia Province in Tunisia, and Hatem Suleiman, President of the Tunisian Society for Science and Technology, His Excellency Dr. Saif Al-Maili, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Fujairah Science Club, delivered a speech to the participants, congratulating them on their victory and urging them to continue scientific research and develop their capabilities and capabilities.

Al-Maili said that the club’s participation in such scientific demonstrations places the club, its members and pioneers in the ranks of centers, universities and associations concerned with science and technology, indicating that the benefit of these participations is in creating partnerships, opening new horizons and working to transfer experience and knowledge among the participating parties.

It is noteworthy that the number of countries participating in the festival is 40 countries from all over the world, and the number of participants reached approximately 1,200 participants

source/content: wam.ae (headline edited)

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FUJAIRAH, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (U.A.E)