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The Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology (MTCIT), in cooperation with Universal Postal Union, will host the first edition of the Arab Postal Leaders Forum from February 12 to 14 in Muscat.
An official at MTCIT informed that with participation of more than 60 representatives from 18 Arab countries, the forum will serve as a platform for discussions of crucial topics related to the digital transformation of business models within the postal sector. He explained that the primary focus of the forum is on leveraging digital technologies to reshape the postal industry.
Among its key objectives is exploration of opportunities to broaden access to digital economy services, encompassing e-governance and e-commerce, through various digital platforms.
The event will delve into the challenges associated with digital transformation across diverse sectors such as trade, finance, communications, transportation and customs.
“The forum’s agenda includes presentations and discussion sessions that will spotlight innovative digital solutions in the postal and e-commerce domains. Moreover, global best practices in the realms of digitisation and postal transformation will be discussed. The goal is to underscore the significance of collaborations and information exchange among stakeholders, fostering increased adaptability in postal systems amid the rapid pace of digital transformation,” the MTCIT official said.
The event seeks to enhance the adaptability of postal services and systems in response to the evolving technological landscape.
Tunisian poet Abdelaziz Hammami’s words resonated through the prestigious Sharjah Arab Poetry Festival, earning him the coveted Al Qawafi award. Held from January 8th to 14th in the UAE, the festival witnessed a celebration of Arabic poetry from across the region.
Hammami, already a seasoned voice in the poetry world with works published in various newspapers and magazines, stood out amongst the diverse talent. This is reported by TAP, a partner of TV BRICS.
Hammami’s journey with poetry began in his hometown of Kairouan, where he played a pivotal role in establishing the city’s first literary club in the late 1960s. His passion for the craft extended beyond writing, as he also served as a correspondent for the TAP news agency and collaborated with national radio and Tunisian television. This win at the Sharjah festival marks a crowning achievement for a poet who has dedicated his life to the beauty of language.
Hammami is not the only Tunisian celebrating at the festival. His compatriot, Moncef Ouhaibi, had earlier bagged the “Sharjah Prize for Poetic Criticism.” This double triumph signifies a potent resurgence of Tunisian poetry on the international stage.
With 12 awards bestowed upon deserving poets and critics from across the Arab world, the 20th Sharjah Arab Poetry Festival reaffirmed its position as a beacon for literary excellence. Hammami’s victory, in particular, underscores the enduring power of poetry to transcend borders and touch hearts.
The UAE is gearing up to host the 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13) of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in Abu Dhabi between 26th and 29th February, 2024.
This pivotal event brings together ministers and senior officials from around the world for discussions on the rules and regulations governing international trade.
The gathering of 175 Member States, private sector leaders, NGOs, and civil society representatives will allow the global community to work together toward advancing a more efficient, sustainable, and inclusive trading system.
Ministerial Conferences are the highest decision-making body of the WTO and serve as crucial forums for member states to address trade challenges, refine trade rules, and set the agenda for global trade policy.
The 13th Ministerial Conference is set to build on the progress achieved during MC12, held in Geneva in June 2022, which made substantive breakthroughs on fisheries subsidies, food insecurity, and e-commerce. Focus areas will include improving the ability of developing countries and Least Developed Countries (LDCs) to access the global trading system, intellectual property, and WTO’s dispute resolution mechanism.
The forum will also provide an opportunity to explore greater collaboration and partnership with non-governmental organisations, the private sector, and civil society to enhance the effectiveness of trade policies and programmes via a series of side events.
These include the TradeTech Global Forum, promoting the use of technology in global supply chains, and sessions on trade facilitation in partnership with Etihad Credit Insurance, trade finance with HSBC, SMEs with the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED), the WLP Logistics Challenges with DP World, Future of Cargo in collaboration with Emirates, and Sustainable Trade Africa.
Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade and Chair of the MC13, emphasised the significance of the upcoming conference, stating, “A robust and inclusive multilateral trading system is essential for fostering economic growth, creating jobs, and raising living standards. At MC13, ministers and senior officials worldwide can help ensure that global trade lives up to this promise by reviewing and refining its rules, confronting issues that prevent the free flow of goods and services, and supporting the needs of every nation that wishes to benefit from the multilateral trading system. We look forward to welcoming all the MC13 participants to Abu Dhabi and providing a platform conducive to positive, collaborative discussions on the future of trade.”
Ahmed Jasim Al Zaabi, Chairman of ADDED, said, “We look forward to welcoming the international trade leaders and shapers to tackle the pressing issues and devise innovative solutions to current and future challenges. Hosting the 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13) of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) by Abu Dhabi underlines its credentials as a global hub.”
“Trade and the exchange of goods, services, and innovations with the rest of the world are an integral part of Abu Dhabi’s history and modern progress. Fair and free trade will also be central to our future as we cement our position as a preferred hub for talents, businesses, investments, and a key node on international supply chains. As host of MC13, we are offering our support to ensure a successful conference that enables the global trading system to uplift economies and enrich lives,” he added.
Formed in 1995, the WTO is the international body that supervises international trade rules. Its biannual Ministerial Conference is considered its topmost decision-making forum, bringing ministers and senior officials from all member states to review and update regulations shaping the global trading system.
source/contents: wam.ae (headline edited)
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________________________________________________ ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (U.A.E)
Saudi Arabia took the first steps on the road to nationhood in 1727 when Imam Mohammed became ruler of Diriyah
By the time of his death in 1765, he had laid the foundations for the greatest political entity central Arabia had ever seen
The House of Saud took the first steps on the long road to nationhood in 1727, when Imam Mohammed bin Saud succeeded his cousin, Zaid bin Markhan, as ruler of the city state of Diriyah.
It is this pivotal moment, recognized as the date when the First Saudi State came into being, that is celebrated in the Kingdom on Feb. 22 each year as Founding Day.
Imam Mohammed had learned the art of politics at his father’s side. He played a significant role in supporting him throughout his reign and proved his mettle as a leader when Diriyah was attacked in 1721 by the Banu Khalid tribe of Al-Ahsa.
Imam Mohammed led his father’s forces to victory, strengthening Diriyah’s regional standing in the process.
After the death of his father in 1725, Imam Mohammed pledged his support to Markhan of the Watban clan of the tribe Zaid, and after he emerged victorious served him loyally until the prince’s short reign was ended by an assassin the following year.
From the outset, unity was Imam Mohammed’s dream, as the official history published by the Diriyah Gate Development Authority attests.
Contemporary Arab chroniclers recorded that “the people of Diriyah were fully confident in his abilities and (that) his leadership qualities (would) free the region of division and conflict.”
Imam Mohammed was already known for “his many personal characteristics, such as his devotion, goodness, bravery, and ability to influence others,” and the passing of power to him was “a transformative moment, not only in the history of Diriyah, but in the history of Najd and the Arabian Peninsula.”
Already renowned as a man of action, Imam Mohammed would also prove himself to be a wise leader.
Imam Mohammed set about the daunting task of achieving political unity among the tribes, with the ultimate aim of establishing a greater Arabian state. (Sotheby’s)
Imam Mohammed set about the daunting task of achieving political unity among the tribes, beginning with the neighboring towns of Najd, with the ultimate aim of establishing a greater Arabian state.
As the official history published by the Diriyah Gate Development Authority attests, “it wasn’t an easy task,” but by the time of his death in 1765, Imam Mohammed bin Saud had laid the foundations for the greatest political entity central Arabia had ever seen.
From the day of his ascension, “he began planning to change the prevailing status quo of that day and time, laying down a new path in the region’s history toward unity, education, the spread of culture, enhanced communication between members of society, and perpetual security.”
Over the next nine decades, the power and influence of Diriyah grew, as the great task of unity was handed on to Mohammed’s three successors — his son Abdulaziz, who would found the royal district of At-Turaif, Abdulaziz’s son Saud the Great, under whose direction the authority of the First Saudi State reached its peak, extending over most of the Arabian Peninsula and, upon his death in 1814, his son Abdullah, who was known to be great warrior.
But challenging the vast and aggressive Ottoman empire for control of Makkah and Madinah would prove to be Diriyah’s undoing. Imam Abdullah inherited the wrath of Istanbul, which dispatched a vast force to end the threat Diriyah posed to Ottoman authority in Arabia.
It took far longer than the Sultan could have imagined. Fighting a series of fierce battles over several years against impossible odds, the Arabs were slowly driven back from the Red Sea coast to their last stand before the walls of Diriyah.
After a six-month siege, Diriyah fell. Imam Abdullah was taken as a prisoner to Istanbul, where he was executed.
Undeterred, the Second Saudi State sprang up from the rubble of the first, this time in Riyadh — the ancient capital of the Hajer Al-Yamamah region, where it thrived from 1824 to 1891.
This, too, would fall.
But among the members of the family ousted from Riyadh in 1891 by the rival House of Rashid was the 16-year-old son of the last Imam of the Second Saudi State, a young man destined to take the last great step on the path upon which his predecessor Imam Mohammed had embarked generations before.
The story of how Prince Abdulaziz ibn Abdul Rahman Al-Saud and a small band of warriors recaptured Riyadh in 1902, restoring the House of Saud to its rightful home in the Nejd, is well known to every schoolchild in Saudi Arabia.
But Abdulaziz’s most remarkable achievement — the bringing together of the many tribes of Arabia to make possible the foundation in 1932 of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia — would require decades of unwavering dedication to his ancestor’s vision of unity.
Today, familial attachment to one or other of the tribes rooted deep in the history of the Arabian Peninsula remains a source of great pride for many Saudis and their families, and part of the fabric of the country’s diverse but unifying heritage.
This was, however, not always the case, as John Duke Anthony, founding president and chief executive of the Washington-based National Council on US-Arab Relations, noted in 1982.
“For much of Arabian history, most of these tribes existed as independent political entities in microcosm,” he wrote in an essay “Saudi Arabia: From tribal state to nation-state.”
“As such, they were capable of uniting for common action. At the same time, however, they more often than not acted as divisive forces in any larger societal context.
“It was this latter characteristic as much as any other attribute that prompted the late King Abdulaziz, the founder of modern Saudi Arabia, to seek a number of means by which he could integrate the various tribes into the new national political structure of the Kingdom.”
It was, added Anthony, “the religious content of Abdulaziz’s message as he set about knitting Arabia into a single state (that) proved to be his greatest source of strength.
“He was able to direct and control a strict adherence to Islamic doctrines and, in this manner, affect a significant modification of the tribal distinctions which formerly had divided the realm.”
In 2022, Hasan Massloom, a member of the Shoura Council of Saudi Arabia, wrote that in the modern Saudi Arabia tribalism complemented rather than contradicted the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 ambitions, which were unveiled to Saudi citizens and the world by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in 2016.
“No discussion of social change is conceivable without acknowledging the tribal background of the society of Saudi Arabia,” Massloom wrote in an op-ed piece for Arab News.
“Tribalism in Arabia has existed for thousands of years, predating Judaism, Christianity and Islam. It was an independent, cohesive system for survival in the desert that provided social status, economic advantage and physical protection for its members.
“People of one tribe shared a common ancestry, a collective dignity and a coalesced reputation. Harsh life in the arid desert decreed a firm and binding moral bond among tribes to defend their progeny and possessions. Tribal history prided itself on social hierarchy, an obligation for vengeance and a deep commitment to territory, pasture and water wells.”
King Abdulaziz, he continued, had “tactfully pivoted the Arabian tribal scene toward his dream of a national kingdom when he persuaded hostile and fighting tribes to cast their conflicts aside and unite under his leadership to build a modern state.”
Indeed, Abdulaziz, the man known to the wider world simply as Ibn Saud, had completed the journey begun by the founding of the First Saudi State by Imam Mohammad in 1727.
On Jan. 27, 2022, Founding Day was established by a Royal Order of King Salman in recognition of this pivotal moment in the nation’s history, and to honor the wisdom of a leader who “provided unity and security in the Arabian Peninsula following centuries of fragmentation, dissension and instability.”
source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)
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A drawing of Imam Muhammad bin Saud as envisaged by Manga Production in Riyadh. (Manga Production)
Sustainable desalination technology in Saudi Arabia has achieved global recognition, with the Kingdom’s Saline Water Conversion Corp. receiving nine Guinness World Records.
In a ceremony at the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture headquarters in Riyadh, the company was awarded a certificate for its multi-effect distillation water desalination plant. This facility, with a daily capacity of 92,000 cubic m., is recognized as the largest in the world.
In December 2021, the organization unveiled its roadmap for achieving environmental sustainability at a major international industry conference. By being awarded the record for the lowest energy consumption for a water desalination plant globally, SWCC has taken a significant step toward fulfilling its Saudi Green Initiative action plans.
Saudi Arabia, considered one of the most water-stressed countries globally, is implementing various measures to ensure water security, a foundational element for the socioeconomic transformation outlined in the Vision 2030 plan.
The actions include reducing water demand through optimizing agricultural production and increasing water supplies via expanded desalination and storage capacity. Additionally, water system resilience will be enhanced through the implementation of transmission and interlinkage projects, as outlined in a report by the nation’s desalination company.
During the ceremony, the company was recognized for achieving a record for the largest water storage facility, the Riyadh Strategic Water Reservoir, with a capacity of 4.79 million cubic m.
It also received acknowledgment for having the largest drinking water storage tank network, totaling a capacity of 8.79 million cubic m..
Speaking on the sidelines of the event, SWCC Gov. Abdullah Al-Abdulkarim, said: “The corporation is proud to have achieved these new records that enhance its pioneering and leadership role in the desalination industry and to continue its race with the future with deliberate and confident steps.”
He further outlined that achieving nine new Saudi records in the Guinness resulted from continuous development, research, and innovation efforts. This success reflects a strategy emphasizing increased business efficiency through technology harnessing, capability empowerment, and knowledge localization.
“Our vision expands today in the desalination industry, so that our ambitions exceed the horizons of competing for record achievements to making a change, making a difference, and exporting Saudi leadership to the world,” added Al-Abdulkarim.
source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)
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A ceremony to mark the records was held at the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture headquarters in Riyadh. Supplied
In medieval Sicily, a specific variant of Arabic emerged after the Aghlabid and Fatimid dynasties. This language, now extinct, left a living legacy.
The emergence ofSicilian Arabic is a direct consequence of the Islamic conquest of Sicily. This period began in 827 AD, initiated by Euphemius, a Byzantine naval commander in Sicily, who sought aid from Muslim forces to regain his command after being deposed in a rebellion. This appeal set the stage for a protracted conflict, ultimately leading to the complete domination of Sicily by Muslim forces by 902 AD. Notably, the resistance persisted in some Byzantine strongholds, with Rometta succumbing as late as 965 AD.
A new era
Under the new Muslim governance, Sicily underwent a profound transformation. This era facilitated the intermingling of Islamic Arab and Berber settlers with the island’s Latin-Romance, Greek-Byzantine, and Jewish populations. Palermo, in particular, flourished as a significant cultural and political nexus within the Islamic world. The establishment of the Emirate of Sicily during this epoch (831 to 1091 AD) marked a significant phase in the island’s history, enduring until the Norman conquest in the late 11th century.
The emergence of Sicilian Arabic to the island was a byproduct of these migrations and conquests, rooted in the Maghrebi Arabic variant brought by Arab troops and settlers from Tunisia. From this dialect, the Siculo-Arabic language emerged. But this linguistic evolution extended beyond Sicily, influencing the language and cultural landscape of nearby Malta , where Sicilian Arabic eventually gave rise to the Maltese language. The Maltese language, with its deep connections to the Maghrebi Arabic variant spoken in Sicily during the Norman period, is a unique blend, integrating elements of Sicilian Romance and Arabic into a distinct parler. This linguistic transformation was later also significantly influenced by the conquests of Roger II and subsequent shifts towards a more European societal structure in both Sicily and Malta from 1091 to 1127, accentuating the Latin element of the Maltese language.
Between East and West
Maltese, today, is officially classified within the South Arabic branch of the Central Semitic languages, traces its lineage through Sicilian Arabic back to Tunisian Arabic, part of the broader Maghrebi Arabic family. Despite its Semitic roots, a substantial portion of the Maltese vocabulary is derived from Romance languages, predominantly due to the influence of Sicilian Latin and Tuscan. But the language, today, is a surviving descendant of the now-extinct Arabic of Sicily. Moreover, a study entitled “Mutual intelligibility of spoken Maltese, Libyan Arabic, and Tunisian Arabic functionally tested” by Čéplö et al. examines the proximity of Maltese to East Maghrebi Arabic and found an noteworthy degree of intelligibility between Maltese and Tunisian and Libyan Arabic dialects today.
Mohamed Ibrahim Warsame, one of Somalia’s greatest poets, dies aged 79.
Somali social media has been flooded with tributes to the man better known as ‘Hadraawi’.
Messages of condolences continue to pour in from around the world following the death of Mohamed Ibrahim Warsame, regarded as one of Somalia’s greatest poets.
Warsame, known as “Hadraawi”, died in Hargeisa, in Somaliland, on Thursday at the age of 79.
Social media has been flooded with tributes and praise for his contribution to Somali language and culture.
“I’m heartbroken to inform you our giant Mohamed Ibrahim Warsame Hadraawi has passed away. Might Allah bless him and grant him Jannah,” Ayan Mahamoud, founder of Kayd Somali Arts and Culture , said on Twitter.
“We will treasure his legacy and the rich scholarly work he left behind,” added Said Salah Ahmed, a poet and playwright who teaches the Somali language at the University of Minnesota in the US.
Hadraawi, which means the “master, or father, of speech”, was regarded as a pillar of modern Somali literature and a strong advocate of peace and democracy.
In 1973, he was imprisoned for five years by the president, Siad Barre, who ruled Somalia until 1991, for speaking against the revolution. His work was banned but he continued to compose poetry upon his release, which were was passed on through word of mouth.
The songs and verses he wrote are full of imagery and metaphor, open to interpretation, which made it hard for the military regime to control. A verse from his poem The Killing of the She-Camel resulted in his imprisonment without trial.
The snake sneaks in the castle:
although it’s carpeted with thorns
still the coward casts off his curses
so the courageous must stretch out his neck;
the cob stallion sells his values
in order to cut a fine figure.
When such cockiness struts forth
and even laughter becomes a crime
our country has unfinished business.
In the early 1990s he called for an end to the civil war, which caused thousands of people to flee Somalia. In 2004, he travelled throughout the country on a “peace march” urging warring parties to stop the violence. His message of reconciliation resonated with Somalis at home and abroad.
He retired a few years ago.
“Poet Mohamed Ibrahim Warsame (Hadraawi) was a symbol of unity and peace,” said the Somali president, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, in a statement. “He was one of key pillars of Somalia’s art and literature who took a leading role in preserving the Somali culture and promoting the Somali language. His death is felt in every Somali household.”
The EU, Norway, the UK and other friends of Somalia sent condolences and tributes.
“Sending my heartfelt condolences to the people of Somaliland and to all Somalis for the loss of Mohamed Ibrahim Warsame “Hadraawi”, an iconic poet and one of the most eminent and beloved Somali poets of all time,” tweeted Lizzie Walker, head of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in Hargeisa.
Hadraawi had been called the “Somali Shakespeare”, but Somali singer and songwriter Aar Maanta said: “Hadraawi wasn’t the ‘Somali Shakespeare’ he was the Somali Hadraawi. He was more than a poet; he was a philosopher and a freedom fighter who spent many years in jail for his stance against injustice and dictatorship.
“He wrote some of the most beautiful love songs and poems that Somalis in the Horn of Africa and beyond use as a benchmark.”
Ahmed, who knew Hadraawi since late 1960s, added: “Hadraawi was one of the kindest people I have ever met. His poetry speaks for the voiceless and calls out oppression against the people …. he will be missed so dearly but we will treasure his legacy and the rich scholarly work he left behind.”
Known as a “nation of poets”, poetry is woven into the fabric of Somali society with centuries of oral history, as the Somali language was only written in 1972.
Contemporary Somali poetry, including the works of Hadraawi, has been preserved in books and translated into English.
The 2024 summit focuses on promoting development and prosperity, empowering Arab youth.
Arab ministers and governmental delegations are expected to play a significant role in the 11th edition of the World Governments Summit (WGS) which will take place in Dubai, between 12-14 February 2024.
The World Governments Summit 2024 will witness the participation of more than 100 ministers from Arab countries, including the ministers of finance, the ministers of youth and sports, the ministers of industries and advanced technology, and the ministers of communications and information technology, as well as the ministers of government development. The increasing participation from Arab States, Governments, organisations and companies underscores their growing interest in this significant global event, which has evolved into one of the foremost international platforms for shaping the future.
The ministerial meetings include the Arab finance ministers meeting, a meeting of energy ministers, a meeting for justice ministers, a meeting for government development ministers during the Arab Government Administration Forum as well as a meeting for Arab youth and sports ministers.
Since its launch, the World Governments Summit has fostered remarkably positive change in the region, reshaping both the Government’s operations and service delivery and bolstering its readiness for the future. It represents a key platform for participating governments and ministers to exchange knowledge and expertise, enabling them to better serve their developmental objectives.
The engagement of Arab ministers spans across the ministerial meetings and forums convened within the summit’s agenda which include 23 ministerial meetings and roundtables, alongside 15 forums and workshops.
The 2024 summit focuses on promoting development and prosperity, empowering Arab youth and paving the way for future opportunities. The participation of Arab officials and delegations in this year’s summit spans discussions on governmental policy developments, Economy and trade, urban growth and environment, as well as the technology and AI and the challenges confronting both the region and the world.
Prominent ministers
Arab ministers participating in the Summit’s main sessions include: Shaikh Salman bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, Minister of Finance and National Economy; Dr Amr Talaat, Minister of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) of the Arabic Republic of Egypt; Ahmad Al Hanandeh, Minister of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan; Ryad Mezzour, Minister of Industry and Trade of the Kingdom of Morocco; Engineer Ahmed Samir Saleh, Egypt’s Minister of Industry and Trade; Dr. Jalila bint Al-Sayed Jawad Hassan, Minister of Health of the Kingdom of Bahrain; Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Jadaan, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Finance; Nadia Fattah Al Alawi, Minister of Economy and Finance of Morocco; Taif Sami Mohammed, the Finance Minister of Iraq; Bihi Iman Egeh, Minister of Finance for the Federal Government of Somalia; Dr Mohamed Mahmoud Al-Asas, Minister of Finance of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan; Fahad Abdulaziz AlJarallah, the State of Kuwait’s Minister of Finance; Dr. Mohamed Maait, the Egyptian Minister of Finance; Ali Al Kuwari, Qatar’s Minister of Finance; Ould Mohamed M’Badi, Mauritania’s Minister of Finance; Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary-General of the Arab League; and Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council.
Rahman was one of the first women to be paid to play football in Europe – and set a host of records!
Deena Rahman owns five Guinness World Records
She was one of the players who got contracts when Fulham became professional in 2000
Rahman represented Bahrain in 40 matches, and scored 23 goals
In 2000, almost a decade before the English Football Association awarded the first central contracts to women, Fulham Ladies, at the insistence of club chairman Mohamed Al-Fayed, turned fully professional. It was a watershed moment in the history of women’s football. One of the 16 players paid to play professional football, a first in Europe, was Deena Rahman.
Deena Rahman’s career has since become one of football’s enduring legacies. She has played for the England women’s age group teams, then Bahrain national team. A midfielder during her playing days, the 39-year-old now works to promote gender equality in football while also creating a host of world records. The former Fulham midfielder currently holds five Guinness World Records!
Born to an Egyptian father, Deena Rahman rose through Fulham’s youth ranks, then joined the Arsenal Academy. But she returned to Fulham, and became a member of the team which completed a treble of Premier League National Division, FA Cup and League Cup in 2003. The club became semi-professional soon enough, after three years.
At 15, Rahman made her England U-18 debut. She also represented the country of her birth in two UEFA Women’s Under-19 Championships. However, she retired as a Bahraini player, having scored 23 goals in 40 matches after making her debut in 2011. She is regarded as one of the greatest to have played for the Reds, the nickname for the team from the small Western Asian kingdom.
In her journey – from Fulham to Manama with a brief stoppage in Cairo – Deena Rahman has witnessed a whole gamut of human experience. As a prodigious talent in England, she was a regular at the all-conquering Fulham. But injury and the disbandment of the Cottagers in 2006 forced her to move to Egypt, where she played for Wadi Degla for a brief spell. Another injury sidelined her, and she was back in England.
Then Bahrain came calling, thanks to her association with Arsenal. In 2010, Rahman arrived in the Gulf to work as a coach at Arsenal Soccer School at Soccer City in Janabiya. After five years there, she and her husband Paul Shipwright established their own academy, Tekkers Academy.
Meanwhile, Rahman was also busy creating her own legacy. In 2017, she, along with 32 women from 20 countries, set the Guinness World Record for the highest game of football ever played. And the setting was 18,760 feet above sea level, atop Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania – the highest mountain in Africa.
The following year, Deena Rahman played her part in setting another Guinness World Record, this time for a game of football at the lowest point in the world, the Dead Sea in the Jordan Rift Valley, at 1,412 ft below sea level.
In 2019, Rahman clocked two more Guinness World Records by taking part in a match featuring 822 players during the biggest five-a-side game at Olympic Lyonnaise Training Academy in Meyzieu, Lyon. Then in an exhibition match on the sidelines of the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France, she got her fourth Guinness World Record as a part of the match with the most nationalities – 114 participants, representing 53 nationalities. In 2020, Rahman secured her fifth record by hammering 7,876 penalties in 24 hours at the Kick Off Academy in Saar.
