Arabs & Arabian Records Aggregator. Chronicler. Milestones of the 25 Countries of the Arabic Speaking World (official / co-official). AGCC. MENA. Global. Ist's to Top 10's. Records. Read & Enjoy./ www.arabianrecords.org
The Academy will nurture the development of the language in Mauritania and beyond, bringing together an elite group of scholars dedicated to the cause.
The new headquarters of the Arabic Language Council in Nouakchott, Mauritania, was inaugurated on Monday under the patronage of Mauritania President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani, and through the contribution of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, and Supreme President of the Arabic Language Academy (ALA) in Sharjah.
Development of the Arabic language
Ahmed Sid Ahmed Dié, Mauritanian Minister of Culture, Youth, Sports and Relations with Parliament, presided over the ceremony, expressing gratitude for the generous contribution from Sheikh Dr. Sultan. The Academy in Mauritania will nurture the development of the Arabic language in Mauritania and beyond, bringing together an elite group of scholars dedicated to this noble cause.
The ceremony was also attended by several senior diplomatic and media figures, as well as heads of Arab language academies.
During the event, Mohamed Hassan Khalaf, an ALA Board of Trustees member and Director-General of the Sharjah Broadcasting Authority, conveyed a message to the community of linguists and researchers in Mauritania from the Ruler of Sharjah. He also spoke about the importance of supporting major scientific projects and continuous efforts to empower the Arabic language in various countries worldwide, highlighting the strong relationship between the UAE and the Mauritania.
Championing Islamic and Arabic culture
Ahmed Sid Ahmed Dié presented a commemorative shield to the Ruler of Sharjah, and was received by Mohamed Hassan Khalaf in appreciation of Sheikh Dr. Sultan’s efforts in championing Islamic and Arabic culture and language, in various countries around the world.
Dr. Khalil Al Nahwi, Chairman of the Arabic Language Council in Mauritania, delivered a speech congratulating the attendees, the entire Mauritanian population and all guardians of the Arabic language. He also reviewed the council’’s achievements over the past five years, praising the support it receives directly from the Ruler of Sharjah and the Arabic Language Academy in Sharjah.
Ahmed Sid Ahmed Dié, along with Mohamed Hassan Khalaf and Dr. Mohamed Safi Al Mosteghanemi, Secretary-General of ALA, unveiled a commemorative plaque marking the opening of the building before the ceremonial cutting of the ribbon, and was followed by a tour of the impressive building, designed in the Mauritanian architectural style.
Built with eco-friendly materials, the new headquarters consists of two floors and includes several administrative offices, study halls, meeting rooms, and an expansive library. The main building is accompanied by a hall named Al Qasimiya Hall to be used for seminars and events. The headquarters also houses a mosque that can accommodate more than 300 worshippers.
Situated in the University district on land provided by the Mauritanian government, the entire construction and furnishing of this significant establishment were funded by the Ruler of Sharjah.
Saudi Arabia’s record-breaking hanging prayer room offers spectacular Kaaba views.’
Saudi Arabia has set a new world record with the opening of the highest hanging prayer room, as recognised by Guinness World Records.
Situated at a breathtaking 483 meters above sea level, this architectural marvel offers unparalleled views of the Kaaba and other significant religious landmarks in Mecca.
Nestled within the bridge connecting the two towers of the Address Jabal Omar Mecca Hotel, the prayer room is not just a feat of engineering but also a testament to architectural ingenuity and creative prowess.
Using the latest technology and specially designed equipment, the 650-tonne steel bridge was initially assembled at 312 meters above ground before being elevated to its final position, linking the hotel’s twin towers across floors 36, 37, and 38.
The hall, which can accommodate up to 520 worshippers in a spacious 550 square meter area, blends traditional Arabic designs with modern luxury. Arabic calligraphy adorns its interiors, enhancing the room’s sanctity with the names of Allah and reflecting the rich Islamic heritage.
Worshippers in this prayer hall are treated to a spiritual experience filled with peace and tranquility. During Fajr prayers, they can witness the sunrise over Mecca, while the sunset bathes the chapel in warm.
source/content: gulfnews.com (headline edited)
_________
It was initially assembled at 312 meters above ground before being elevated to its final position, linking the hotel’s twin towers across floors 36, 37, and 38. / Image Credit: Courtesy of X/@ThamerAlbugami
Renowned artist who died in Beirut this week spent 2 decades studying and working in Rome, and had his work showcased across the world.
The veteran Lebanese master Hussein Madi, renowned for his vibrant paintings, has died in Beirut. Often called the “Lebanese Picasso,” Madi crafted his own visual language, peppered with bird motifs, curvy women, and geometrical symmetry, that made his bold oeuvre look instantly recognizable amongst Arab art enthusiasts.
Fellow artists and gallerists took to social media to offer their condolences. On Instagram, the Lebanese artist Abed Al-Kadiri posted some old snapshots of Madi in his studio and wrote. “Today at his burial ceremony Madi joined his flock of birds, flying alone, united with himself, just as he always lived.”
Maliha Tabari, founder of Dubai’s Tabari Artspace, said that Madi was the first artist she worked with in 2003, which proved to be an invaluable experience. “I’ll never forget the afternoons that would turn to evenings spent on his balcony in Beirut, delving into intense discussions of form explained by him through the curve of a pomegranate or a bird’s wing,” Tabari posted. “We lost not only a key figure from our region’s art journey, but also a father figure.”
Madi, who was also a sculptor, printmaker, educator and press illustrator, was born in the southern Lebanese town of Shebaa in 1938. While his parents reportedly did not approve of his artistic pursuits, it was his encouraging grandfather that saw potential in Madi. He left his parents’ home at the tender age of 19. He reportedly supported himself financially by submitting caricatures to newspapers in Lebanon and Iraq.
In the early 1960s, Madi was a student at the Lebanese Academy of Fine Arts. He later went on to have an international education, by traveling to the exciting art capital of Rome, in 1963, where he enrolled at the Accademia di Belle Arti.
He would spend nearly the next two decades of his life in Rome, before returning for good to Lebanon in 1986, while the civil war was still happening. “I bitterly regret not having remained in Rome because of all the frustrations I endured since my return to Beirut. In fact, civil war drastically affected the course of my life,” Madi once said.
In Lebanon, Madi devoted himself to his canvas, showcasing his work in several art galleries in Beirut. For 10 years, starting in 1982, Madi was also president of the Lebanese Art Association.
Madi’s paintings offer a visually appealing melange of thick lines, repetitive patterns, angular shapes, natural scenes, and bright colors. There is an element of spontaneity, presented in an orderly fashion. His images are also populated with figures, holding a book, a musical instrument — or simply reclining. “Despite all the mishaps, I was deeply happy. My work celebrated life,” he said.
Over the years, Madi’s artworks have been featured in auction sales at Christie’s and Sotheby’s. His works have also been acquired by regional and international art institutions including the Barjeel Art Foundation (Sharjah), Dalloul Art Foundation (Beirut), Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art (Doha), Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts (Amman), British Museum (London) and Institut du Monde Arabe (Paris).
source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)
____________
Renowned artist Hussein Madi who died in Beirut this week spent 2 decades studying and working in Rome, and had his work showcased across the world. (Instagram)
Event will cement the Kingdom’s efforts to promote cultural communication and exchange, scientific and social development.
Saudi Arabia, represented by its National Commission for Education, Culture and Science, is hosting the 44th session of the executive council of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in Jeddah from Jan. 16 to Jan. 18.
ICESCO media department told Arab News: “The proceedings of the executive council of the 44th Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization will kick off in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Tuesday (Jan. 16, 2024) with the participation of 54 member states. The event will run until Thursday.”
As the representative of the Kingdom, the NCECS said that hosting the event comes as part of the support provided to the education, culture and science sectors. It is also indicated the Kingdom’s role in driving forward educational, cultural and scientific development, both regionally and globally, it said.
Among the items on the executive council agenda are future strategies and action plans. The organization’s budget will also be discussed.
The council’s final recommendations will be handed over and included in a report to be endorsed by the ICESCO’s biannual general conference, the organization’s policy governing body event.
Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan, minister of culture and chairman of the NCECS, said: “The event will cement the Kingdom’s efforts aiming at creating spheres of cultural communication and exchange as well as scientific and social development. These sectors are considered to be cornerstones for developed human societies.”
As a prominent member of ICESCO, it is the strategy of the Kingdom to pursue all avenues supporting the organization’s goals in the best interests of the Muslim world.
Operating under the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, ICESCO is an intergovernmental organization specializing in the development of education, science and culture. Established in 1982 with its headquarters in Rabat, Morocco, ISESCO acts in line with the OIC’s general strategy aimed at achieving sustainable development in these sectors across all Muslim states.
An Iraqi artist celebrated his culture and history by recreating a mythical beast in a whopping piece of art that took him a whole year to complete, according to Guinness World Records.
The Iraqi young artist, Ali Al-Rawi, created a work of art depicting the ancient Assyrian winged bull by wrapping copper wires around nails attached to wooden boards to create the largest wire art, measuring 203.76 square meters.
The Assyrian winged bull, known as ‘The Lamassu,’ is a mythological hybrid composed of the head of a human, the body of a bull, and the wings of a bird.
This giant artwork extends over the space of approximately 15 car parking spaces, and it took a whole year to complete.
Around 89 thousand nails and 250 kilograms of pure copper formed into wires of 35,714 meters were used on the surface of 18 wooden planks.
Al-Rawi works as a physician assistant in the city of Ramadi in the Iraqi western governorate of Anbar. His artistic talent grew from scribbling on a school bench to now creating epic pieces of art with wires.
Al-Rawi was inspired after seeing a German artist using that technique in 2016.
After a long search online, he couldn’t find anything to teach him how to do it, so he practiced until he mastered the technique on his own.
“I drew a sail at the beginning. But after that, it took me a lot of experimenting to select the usable materials,” Al-Rawi explained.
“I decided on copper wires and one-inch nails with small heads in order not to affect the shape of the work, to make sure the monuments insulate heat, moisture and scratching, as wood is also coated with three materials to serve this purpose,” Al-Rawi added.
Al-Rawi worked hard over the course of a year and had to cover the board’s entire dimensions with wires of different colors to meet the requirements of breaking the world record.
Al-Rawi moved the entire artwork to several different locations in Iraq to carry out the final measurements and filming.
source/content: iraqinews.com (headline edited)
_________
The Iraqi artist Ali Al-Rawi holding Guinness World Records certificate. Photo: Guinness World Records
The Egyptian architect turned photographer walks us through his award-winning photographs in Dubai.
Renowned Egyptian architectural photographer Nour El Refai was announced as the winner of Architecture Masterprize 2023 Photography Award in the ‘Healthcare-Exterior’ category for his work on Thukher Club, a seniors social club in Al Wasl, Dubai which was designed by Naga Architects. This is the second year in a row that El Refai wins the prestigious award, after his shots of Museum of the Future won the ‘Cultural-Interior’ category in 2022.
Capturing the organic architecture and layout of Thukher Club, the brilliance of El Refai’s photographs rest in their nuanced approaches. From meticulous compositions and dramatic perspectives to calm lighting and consistent tones, his work helped translate Naga Architects’s design and concept.
Over the past decade, El Refai has steadily grown into a benchmark in architectural photography within the MENA region. Whether it’s stunning summer houses or cultural centres, his work is helping document the design upheaval taking over the region. In Al Wasl, he delivers a masterclass in the relationship between architecture and lighting.
Light rain set the tone to the first day of photographing Thukher Club. “Clouds felt dramatic. For Naga Architects, it made sense to opt for a clear sky to define the architecture,” El Refai tells SceneHome. “I adjusted the composition based on the natural sky and clouds to balance the architecture without overshadowing it.”
A key parameter of El Refai’s work on Thukher Club was our yellow dwarf star. “The sun’s movement helped define the masses. I visited early in the day and imagined the shape of shadows against them,” he recalls. After almost completing his work, El Refai revisited Thukher Club at noon, which required a new set of permissions since it was during a peak time, when crowds of people would pass through. “When the sun’s perpendicular there’s contrast between the masses and the foreground. Human elements add a sense of scale. It shows you how the masses overlap, that’s why I needed the sun to be high. Had it been low, both surfaces would’ve been white and lacked shade.”
The exterior masses of Thukher Club featured irregular and organic forms. Its main entrance, covered by undulating architecture, was photographed from two different angles; one emphasises its curves before sunset and the other has a wider view that establishes context. “Lines guide me in terms of where to stand and look, and lenses provide the freedom to shift in direction,” El Refai says. Both perspectives guided him and how shifts were illustrated in the former entrance image.
“I exaggerated the curve by getting closer to the building with an acute angle. I wasn’t photographing elevations but accentuating them,” he says, referring to the dramatic perspective where the building appears in motion towards its vanishing point. On the far right side of the same image, Thukher Club’s logo (which is the abstracted layout of the buildings) appears from within the club. To get this shot, El Refai kept adjusting the frame until it felt right.
Every architectural project presents unique challenges to photographers. Once they’ve become confident in their process and tools, only then will they be able to showcase it in the best light possible. That’s something El Refai learned from practice. “Practice makes you understand that you don’t have to be perfect,” he says. “You understand the parameters of perfection but more importantly you’re able to tell when it’s enough, how to have vision and imagine situations in advance.”
In Al Wasl, El Refai predicted that night shots would be challenging because lamp posts close to the building switched between too many colours. A full day was spent solving the issue and as a result, instead of having 10 colours switching during twilight, there were only three. This was an example of the importance of preparing in advance and understanding the project.
From inside, Thukher Club was composed of three main spaces with skylights providing natural light. An all-white interior provoked nuanced approaches by El Refai, which conveyed the desired level of brightness intended by the design, highlighted the importance of toning and how subtle changes in composition make all the difference. In one of the shots, El Refai pictures a space flanked by a corridor, followed up by a closer shot that places viewers within the seating area.
“I tried to show different levels without appearing too overlapped,” El Refai says. “The oddity of photographing a 3D space into a 2D plane is that people don’t experience space in 2D, so when you add it on a page the masses blend together, and you have to figure out the point from which you’re photographing and the lens you’re using in order to ease the composition.”
Once the composition is settled, the rest of the process includes lighting, editing and adjusting the layers and tones. “Consistency of tones is crucial. Depending on camera measuring, sunlight and timings, tones are always changing but they need to remain consistent,” El Refai adds. Between day and night, there are naturally changes in tones but in both sets of images the tones of each need to remain consistent.
“Most of the work is in the composition and the rest is timing,” El Refai continues. “It’s all about enjoying the process. I roam around the project to get a feel for the spaces and the relationships between them.” To be able to get these shots, El Refai schedules the entire day and determines how much time each perspective will have, the window of opportunity so to speak.
presentation. “Transitioning from day to night needs to be seamless, unless designers request to emphasise different moods of the same space,” he says. “I prefer telling the story of the project as an experience, walking from one space to another. Visual storytelling is of paramount importance, I don’t deliver an album without ordering it. It may not be the same order of photography because that depends on context, presenting the images is a different story. The order depends on the story that I want people to feel.”
When asked for advice for upcoming photographers, El Refai says, “Research the designer and the design to understand the project. If you receive plans or renders, use them to envision the space. On the ground, there will be some changes but when you imagine the project’s architecture you can interpret it properly through images.”
If El Refai’s insights are an indication of anything, it’s that preparing for a shoot is equally as important as the shoot itself. Whether it’s the scheduling or communication, proper briefing and communication, when a photographer understands the context, they find the freedom to explore nuanced angles. With time, as demonstrated by El Refai’s serial award-winning approach, there will be less photos and more keepers.
A group of academics have spent close to a decade scanning historic documents and images and making them available online.
Sudanese academic Badreldin Elhag Musa followed the news with alarm when Al Qaeda-affiliated fighters set fire to two libraries containing historic documents in the Malian city of Timbuktu in 2013.
While local residents managed to smuggle many manuscripts to safety in advance, a Unesco team later found that some 4,200 of the documents stored in the libraries were either destroyed or stolen – about a tenth of its archives .
At the time, Elhag Musa already had concerns about the preservation of rare documents in his country. The events in Timbuktu accelerated the sense of urgency for the scholar, a member of the Sudanese Association for Archiving Knowledge (Saak).
The tragic episode served as a warning that highlighted the plight of cultural heritage artefacts in areas of actual or potential conflict – just like Sudan.
Elhag Musa set a plan in motion, connecting with King’s College London Professor Marilyn Deegan, who has over 20 years of experience in digital humanities. His goal: to find ways to safeguard as much of Sudan’s cultural heritage as possible.
A decade later, the result is Sudan Memory, a project that seeks to preserve and promote valuable cultural materials about Sudan through digitisation. The online platform aims to ensure current and future generations can benefit from the country’s rich heritage.
In total, more than 200 people and over 40 institutions have been involved in the project, which offers 60,000 digitised documents.
The results are invaluable: The materials range from manuscripts, photographs, books and films, covering a myriad of topics, as well as jewellery, traditional dresses, and artefacts from different regions spanning around 6,000 years of history.
“We never expected such success when we started,” Elhag Musa told Middle East Eye.
His colleague Deegan notes, “We’ve digitised… well over 100.000 images,” adding, “We thought we would be able to do millions…but I think we did do a lot.”
Sourcing collections
One of the reasons that prompted Elhag Musa and his colleague at Saak to protect Sudan’s cultural heritage with such urgency was that many of the country’s richest archives, particularly private collections, are in danger.
The reasons are manifold, ranging from extreme weather and lack of appropriate storage to neglect and conflict.
Many valuable collections, whether public or private, are also locked away and not easily accessible to the public.
Yet at the same time, many of Sudan’s archives and collections were in good enough condition to undertake a project like Sudan Memory, as Deegan saw for herself on her first visit to Khartoum, Omdurman and Atbara in May 2013.
“Archives in Sudan are not (like) the British Library, but they are not too bad,” she said.
Although its origins go back a decade, the Sudan Memory team was only able to start digitising documents in 2018, some time after securing funds.
At first, the focus was on large institutions; one of the entities that contributed the most was the National Records Office (NRO), which serves as Sudan’s national archives.
The NRO holds more than 30 million documents, some dating as far back as 1504 CE, and they are currently classified into around 300 collections.
Today, some of these materials can be found in the Sudan Memory archive, including early issues of The Sudan Times newspaper, as well as old magazines, rare books and precious photographs.
Another major collection included in the Sudan Memory project was provided by Al Rashid Studio, the largest private photo studio in the country.
Located in the city of Atbara, once the centre of Sudan’s railway industry and regarded as the cradle of its trade union and communist movements, the studio holds over four million negatives dating back to the 1940s.
Through these negatives, the Rashid family has captured the cosmopolitanism that once defined Atbara, as well as some of the changes Sudan has undergone in recent decades.
“What’s interesting about [it] is looking at the early images and seeing over time how things like fashion changed, and how that’s related to politics,” Deegan noted.
A turbulent process
Building the Sudan Memory archive was not an easy task, primarily as a result of political circumstances in the country.
Training could not start until scanners were imported into the country and these were not installed until July 2018, as the team had to navigate sanctions still in place at the time – a period when former president, Omar al-Bashir, was still in charge.
These restrictions also affected the purchase of other equipment and the transfer of funds to teams within Sudan.
Additionally, in the lead-up to the revolution in Sudan in late 2018 and the period until the formation of the now-ousted transitional government, there was little stability within the country’s institutions with many regularly closing, thereby disrupting the project.
And just as the situation began to settle down and work restarted, the Covid-19 pandemic hit in early 2020, once again putting a hold on scanning in local institutions.
Throughout this turbulent process the project stayed going thanks to the efforts of Katharina von Schroeder, Sudan Memory’s project manager in Khartoum.
“Just like many other projects, Covid times were difficult,” Elhag Musa said.
“But for us the passion was great, and as Marilyn continued to work on targeting international sources [of funding], we went on to focus on training talented team members on digitisation skills,” he added.
As if all this was not enough, the military coup of October 2021, which derailed the fragile transition in the country, further aggravated political instability in Sudan and delayed the project’s launch in Khartoum indefinitely.
“It has just been so turbulent over the last few years,” Katherine Ashley, another of Sudan Memory’s project managers, told MEE.
“But people, if anything, have become as or even more generous and excited to share their collections and do things about it,” she noted.
Private collections
About halfway through the project, the Sudan Memory team decided to expand beyond the country’s major institutions and dive into private collections as well.
And that’s when Ashley, who has extensive experience in the field, came in.
“The big collections are amazing, but the ones that people feel so passionate about are (ones) hidden away in people’s homes; private collections and stories,” she said.
“This is what (made me realise) how important it is to try and make some effort…on Sudan and record some of these oral histories and stories,” Ashley added.
One such preserved collection is that of Sadia el-Salahi , a Sudanese artist and designer born in 1941 in Omdurman and famous for her pioneering work on Sudanese folklore and traditional costumes.
In 1968, Salahi joined the Sudanese Ministry of Culture and became the first Sudanese national to hold the position of head costume designer, according to Sudan Memory.
“She sadly passed away…but we were lucky to record what was left of her collection and also do a video recording about her career and life story,” Ashley said of Salahi, who died in 2022.
Another jewel in the crown of the Sudan Memory project is an interactive 3D reconstruction of Suakin Island , on the west coast of the Red Sea, as it was in 1900.
The portal also features some important documentation about the history of the island, and links to digitised content about it.
To a great extent, the reconstruction of Suakin was possible thanks to Mohamed Nour, a local Sudanese citizen, and his family, who dedicated their life to building a museum of the island’s history through photographs, artefacts and other documents.
“It’s a lifelong work that they are continuing,” Ashley said.
Remembering Sudan’s Jewish community
A significant part of the archive created by Sudan Memory does not come from within the country but by a process they call digital repatriation: content about Sudan acquired from institutions and individuals abroad.
“We are bringing Sudanese materials back into the country,” Deegan noted, adding: “We are pushing Sudanese materials out to the world, but also bringing stuff back in.”
One example is the Tales of Jewish Sudan archive , a collection of stories, photos and recipes from Sudan’s Jewish community compiled by historian Daisy Abboudi, a descendant of the Sudanese-Jewish community born in the UK.
The history of Sudan’s Jews is difficult to trace, but Abboudi has documented that from the early 20th century onwards, Jews from all over the Middle East and North Africa began to arrive after the building of a rail connection to Cairo by the British army.
At its peak in 1950s, Sudan’s Jewish community numbered approximately 250 families, mainly concentrated in Khartoum, Omdurman and Wad Madani. And its members were predominantly merchants involved in the textiles, silks and Arabic gum trades.
“The community was very active, they had a club, a synagogue… It was an equipped, functioning community,” Abboudi told MEE.
“It was small, but I think that that made it even more vibrant and active,” she added.
However, from the mid-20th century onwards, and for reasons ranging from the establishment of the State of Israel to the rise in antisemitic incidents and rhetoric in Sudan, the Jewish community began to shrink amid successive waves of emigration.
According to Abboudi, by the end of 1973 following the Arab-Israeli war, the last remaining Jews left Sudan.
To prevent the memory of the once vibrant Jewish community in Sudan from fading, Abboudi started Tales of Jewish Sudan in 2015 with the aim of preserving its history and stories before it was too late – a goal now shared with Sudan Memory.
“Living in the more Ashkenazi-dominant British community, I felt that my history was neglected, ignored or somehow not present. And that’s why I started,” she said.
“But also for my generation and the generations to come, because I realised that as soon as those people are no longer here, that community will be forgotten,” she explained further.
Another curious example of repatriated Sudanese materials comes from Air Tickets History , a collection belonging to Greek collector, Gklavas Athanasios, that today holds over 4,500 airline tickets and boarding passes from more than 1,000 airlines spanning six continents.
The extensive collection includes several documents dated from 1960 to 1983 from Sudanese airlines, such as Sudan Airways, the national airline; also one of the first airlines in Africa, Mid Airlines, a charter airline established in Khartoum in 2002, and Marsland Aviation.
“I started collecting tickets when I was eight and had my first flight with Olympic Airways, from Athens to Samos Island,” Athanasios told MEE. “But about the Sudanese tickets I unfortunately don’t have much information, as I bought them on Ebay many years ago.”
All in all, the compilation of these documents gathered from major institutions and private collections both inside and outside Sudan helps to build up a complex picture of the memory of a nation.
“We were optimistic, but we didn’t expect at all that we would succeed in the organisation of such magnificent collaboration,” Elhag Musa said.
And the process that has been followed also serves to pave the way to go further.
“What we do have at least is a much broader understanding of what is there and what else could be done in the future,” Ashley said.
Razan Al-Ajmmi plans to open international school in Saudi Arabia
People should visit ‘to see the beauty of the land from the sky,’ she says
Razan Al-Ajmmi, Saudi Arabia’s first licensed woman skydiver, has the lofty ambition of opening a school to help others take to the skies.
She outlined her plans during a recent interview on The Mayman Show by Arab News.
“I want to have like international competitions. I want to see the people around the world coming to Saudi Arabia, to my country, to see the beauty of the land from the sky,” she said.
Al-Ajmmi said it was difficult for her to start skydiving because Saudi Arabia has no schools, which forced her to seek training and jumps abroad.
She was determined to follow her passion. “If I don’t have something in my place, in my home, it doesn’t mean that is like an excuse or (should) stop me,” she said.
Al-Ajmmi said her first jump, about four years ago, was just a spontaneous try. After that experience, she quickly became a fan of the sport. “After the first jump, and when I just landed, I went to my instructor, and I say: ‘Hey man, I want to be a skydiver. I want this,’” she said.
Al-Ajmmi said she enjoys everything about the extreme sport, including the mental and physical challenges.
“I always like (having) freedom to do what I want to do in my life. And the idea of flying in the sky and you just fly, there is no rules, nothing except the safety rules. And you can do everything in the sky. This is what I like in the skydiving, I just go out from the plane and being in the sky, flying, move my body and do whatever I want to do,” she said.
Al-Ajmmi said she had to go through several levels of training to get an A-license, which requires a minimum of 25 jumps. The top level is a D-license, which is achieved after getting A and B accreditations.
All skydivers must complete an Accelerated Freefall course, a kind of bootcamp. This is for beginners to learn freefall techniques, canopy control, and emergency procedures, which would lead to solo jumps, she explained.
She recognizes the risks associated with skydiving and stressed that split-second decisions are often needed to prevent major errors and accidents. She said safety measures include the automatic opening of a second parachute.
The adrenaline enthusiast has advice for those wanting to try the sport. “Always try before (making) decisions. If you have a chance … just use them, take them, try and work hard. Life is not easy. Nothing is easy. You cannot take your things like by (an) easy way. What comes easy, goes easy.”
Ras Al Khaimah welcomed the New Year with yet another record-breaking eight-minute-long firework and drone display setting two new Guinness World Records titles in a stunning spectacle that lit up the skies along 4.5 km stretch of Ras Al Khaimah’s waterfront.
Already holding several Guinness World Records titles for its legendary fireworks New Year’s Eve shows, the Emirate has made history once again with a jaw-dropping show that broke the Guinness World Records titles for the ‘Longest chain of aquatic floating fireworks’ for a grand total of 5.8 km and the ‘Longest straight-line drones display’ for a total length of 2 km.
The mesmerising show featured groundbreaking techniques that have never been attempted before using a combination of 1,050 LED drones, a ‘carpet’ of aquatic floating fireworks and acrobatic pyro planes display inspired by Ras Al Khaimah’s natural wonders – the desert, the sea and the mountains – all choreographed to music specially composed for the celebration.
Raki Phillips, Chief Executive Officer of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, commented, “Breaking two more Guinness World Records titles has set the stage for an unforgettable night of celebration bringing together thousands of visitors and residents.”
“As we kick off the new year, 2023 has been an exceptional year for tourism in Ras Al Khaimah with numerous achievements and the highest ever annual number of visitors recorded, propelling the Nature Emirate further in attracting over 3 million annual visitors by 2030.”
The Sheikh Zayed Festival in Abu Dhabi’s Al Wathba area celebrated New Year 2024 with exceptional shows and features, breaking 4 Guinness World Records. This included a spectacular fireworks display and a 60-minute drone show, along with international performances and programmes, creating a joyful and cultural atmosphere for visitors.
The Festival attracted a large international crowd to celebrate the New Year with events, activities, and performances. A 40-minute fireworks display broke 3 Guinness World Records, while over 5,000 drones created dazzling formations in the sky, setting another record for the largest aerial logo.
A unique laser show, a first in the region for these celebrations, captivated Festival visitors with vibrant colours and tranquil evening rhythms to mark the beginning of the New Year. Special shows took place at the Emirates Fountain, Glowing Towers Garden, and various pavilions, along with folklore performances from around the world.
The entire Festival grounds were bustling with visitors who came to experience the international celebrations, especially the Heritage Village which celebrated the New Year with Razfa and Ayalah dances, in addition to special entertainment events presented at the various pavilions. Children’s City joined the fun festivities with special activities for children, including plays and competitions at the children’s theatre, fun rides in Fun Fair City, the thrilling House of Horror, Al Forsan Sports Resort, and many other special features set to enrich visitors’ experience with a festive spirit in the early hours of the New Year.
Thousands of visitors gathered around the Emirates Fountain to enjoy the special performances, including Sparkling and Confetti shows, presented by authentic American, Mexican, and Ukrainian bands, in celebration of the New Year 2024.
The international pavilions featuring the countries participating this year welcomed a massive crowd from all over the world to enjoy the carnival shows and folklore performances. The International Civilisations Parade roamed through Festival grounds, infusing a unique spirit into the celebrations scattered across every corner of the Festival, giving thousands of bystanders the opportunity to witness the multicultural festivities in one place that brings together the civilisations of the world.
The Sheikh Zayed Festival offers new dining experiences from local and international restaurants, along with discounts and bonus surprises for shopping. The festival runs until March 9, 2024, with daily hours from 4 p.m. to midnight on weekdays and until 1 a.m. on weekends and public holidays, providing various events, activities, and competitions for all age groups.
