World Arabic Language Day : December 18th

December 18th. Since 2012. When the UN decided to adopt it as its 6th official language.

The Arabic language is a pillar of the cultural diversity of humanity.

It is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world, used daily by more than 290 million people.

World Arabic Language Day is celebrated every year on 18 December since 2012.

The date coincides with the day in 1973 that the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted Arabic as the sixth official language of the Organization.

Message from the Director – General

“Arabic is a bridge between cultures and across borders – a true language of diversity. (…) on this international day, UNESCO will celebrate and explore the role of Arabic language academies.  Not only do these institutions preserve, enrich and enhance the Arabic language, they also help monitor its use in conveying accurate information in the context of global current events.”

Message from Ms Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO

________________

The poster for World Arabic Language Day is an artwork of the Tunisian calligrapher Karim Jabbari which illustrates the following piece of poetry

He who imbued languages with the highest qualities
Bequeathed to Arabic the secret of beauty

— Ahmed Chawqi

pix: https://en.unesco.org/commemorations/worldarabiclanguageday

_______________

source: all text and images from en.unesco.org

Leila Aboulela. Award Winning Writer

Leila Aboulela . Writer. Author.

Awards :

  • Caine Prize for African Writing
  • Fiction Winner of the Scottish Book Awards
  • Saltire Fiction Book of the Year

Books:

  • Elsewhere (short story collection)
  • Home
  • Novel – Bird Summons (2019)
  • Novel – The Kindness of Enemies (2015)
  • Novel – Lyrics Alley (2011)
  • Novel – The Translator (1999)
  • Novel – The Minaret
  • The Museum ( short story)

Education:

  • BA (Ecomonics) – University of Khartoum, Sudan
  • M.Sc (Statistics) – London School of Economics
  • M.Phil (Statistics) – London School of Economics

www.leila-aboulela.com

_____________

pix : en.wikipedia.org / Vaida V. Naim

___________________________________________________________

UNITED KINGDOM / SUDANEGYPT / BRITISH SUDANESE

Hiam Abbass – Actress and Director

Hiam Abbas (aka) Hiyam Abbassa. Actress. Film Director.

Hollywood Film, TV shows. French Films

Awards/ International Participation :

  • Best performance by an actress ‘Asia Pacific Awards’ (2008)
  • Member, Jury of the Main Competition, 2012 Cannes Film Festival

Born in Nazareth, Israel. Arab citizen of Israel.

_____________

pix: reelbugs.com

_________________________________

ISRAEL (Arab Israeli) / FRENCH

Emel Mathlouthi Tunisian Singer Releases new Album ‘EMEL – The Tunis Diaries : 2020

Emel Mathlouthi (aka) Emel . Singer. Songwriter. Music Producer.

On October 23, Tunisian-born/New York-based experimental singer Emel released‘The Tunis Diaries’ .

A double EP that features a collection of newly recorded reworks from Emel’s catalog (‘Day’), paired with an eclectic selection of covers (‘Night’).

Equipped with only a laptop, tape recorder, and a classical guitar she crowdsourced from a local fan via Facebook, Emel created ‘The Tunis Diaries’ entirely in Tunis after she was unexpectedly quarantined in her childhood home this Spring.

www.emelmathlouthi.com

____________

pix: emel.bandcamp

____________________________

TUNISIA / New York, U.S.A.

Hiba Abouk : Spanish Television Actress

Hiba Aboukhris Benslimane (aka) Hiba Abouk . Television Actress. Model.

Roles in:

  • El Principe – TV series (29 episodes)
  • El corazon del oceano – TV series (6 chapters)
  • Con el culo al aires (es) – TV series (26 episodes)
  • Cheers – TV series (1 episode)
  • La isla de nominado – TV series
  • El Sindrome de Ulises

Awards:

  • Winner – Cosmopolitan Beauty Awards , Women’s Beauty Icon – 2014

_______________

pix: youtube.com / SHA Wellness

____________________________

SPAIN / LIBYAN-TUNISIAN

New Book on Modern & Contemporary Arab Art by British Museum Curator Dr. Venetia Porter : 2020

Book title : ‘Reflections : Contemporary Art of the Middle East and North Africa’

Dr. Venetia Porter is currently the British Museum curator of ‘Islamic and Contemporary Middle East Art’ at the British Museum.

Porter edited the publication with scholar Natasha Morris and SOAS Professor Charles Tripp.

________

pix: thenationalnews.com

_____________

London, U.K

Arab World’s First Virtual Theatrical Performance enters Guinness Book of Records : Kuwait : 2020

Kuwaiti play ‘System Out Of Order’ entered the Guinness Book of Records as the ‘First Virtual Performance in the Arab World’.

The plays’ actor and director was Mohammed Al Hamli.

The play was shown digitally-remotely and the number of tickets sold on May 25th, Eid Al Fitr day was 1,474 breaking the record for tickets sold on one day – for an electronic comedy show.

___________

pix: gulfnews.com

__________

KUWAIT

Female Emirati Adventurer-Traveller Breaks World Record. ‘Around the World in 3 Days ‘ – Dr. Khawla Al Romaithi: 2020

Dr Khawla Al Romaithi travelled the world solo, across the 7 continents and broke the world record for ‘fastest time to travel all seven continents’ .

The whole trip took 3 days, 14 hours, 46 minutes and 48 seconds. Her epic travel journey ended in Sydney, Australia on February 13th, 2020.

The record was announced on the occasion of Guinness World Records Day. The journey was in sync with this years’ theme ‘Discover Your World’.

Dr. Khawla Al Romaithi’s record broke the previous record achieved by Kacey Stewart and Julie Berry (both of USA) on December 2017.

_____________

pix: guinnessworldrecords.com

_______________________________________________

Abu Dhabi, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (U.A.E)

Amal Al Raisi – Founder & Creative Director : Dar Al Aseel. Omani Fashion Designer

Amal Al Raisi – Founder and Creative Director. : Dar Al Aseel

Fashion Designer . Omani Women’s Wear, over 12 years plus Label: Dar Al Aseel.

Available in Oman and regionwide through selected retail outlets.

www.amalalraisi.com

_____________

pix: omanmagazine.com

_________

OMAN

NEW – Textbook being released – ‘A History of Arab Graphic Design’

The book covers 4 generations of Arab designers.

Co-authored by Bahia Shehab, Professor of Practice at American University in Cairo and Haytham Nawar , Artist and Academic also of the American University in Cairo.

Bahia Shehab is also the Founder of the University’s Graphic Design Programme.

The book is scheduled to be released by the American University in Cairo Press in December 2020.

________________

Advertisements for Bastos cigarettes and the Shell Oil Company, both designed by the Algerian artist Omar Racim (Illustrations from A History of Arab Graphic Design). / pic: al-fanarmedia.org

______________

Cairo, EGYPT