Zeena Zaki – Haute couture Fashion Designer

Zeena Zaki. Haute couture Fashion Designer. Entrepreneur. Own label ‘Julea Domani’.

Launched her first fashion atelier in Dubai, UAE in 2003. Zaki launched her first collection at the Dubai World Trade Center in 2006.

Zeena Zaki’s fashion house operates under the label “Julea Domani”

Born in Copenhagen, Denmark to Iraqi parents. Currently Dubai, UAE based.

Awards:

  • 2009 Best Female Designer for Pret a Porter Award at Dubai Fashion Week

www.zeenazaki.com

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pix: zeenazaki.com

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DANISH / IRAQI-DANISH

World’s Largest Composite Production Superyacht ‘Majesty 175’ Launched at World Premiere, Dubai Harbour , UAE : May 2021

H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Sports Council, today unveiled the Majesty 175, the world’s largest composite production superyacht, at its world premiere at Dubai Harbour.

Pushing the boundaries in superyacht production through its lightweight material that enables effortless cruising in low-draft waters, the Majesty 175, fully manufactured in the UAE, is the flagship superyacht by Gulf Craft, one of the world’s premier shipbuilders

Manufactured at Gulf Craft’s integrated in-house production facility in the UAE, the Majesty 175 successfully completed a series of sea trials before its global premiere. The yacht will soon venture on voyages across the world, taking the UAE flag to global yacht events, marinas and exotic destinations, placing the country prominently on the world yachting map.

Built to the specifications outlined by the UK’s Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) for yachts over 500 gross tonnage (GT), the 55-metre long superyacht with a beam of 9.6 metres has a gross tonnage of 780. It has the ability to effortlessly cruise low-draft areas, drawing just 2.05 metres of water, as it was built using advanced composite materials such as carbon fibre and vinyl ester. This enables close beach access, a key consideration for many marine lifestyle enthusiasts.

content/source: wam.ae

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pix: wam.ae

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

Dr Hajar Mousannif Winner of ‘Artificial Intelligence Award’

Hajar Mousannif Ph.D , Award winning Scientist. Educationist. Researcher

WomenTech Global Awards 2020 (Silicon Valley, California) awarded Artificial Intelligence (AI) researcher Hajar Mousannif as the golden winner of the WomenTech Global AI Inclusion Award.

A researcher and lecturer in AI, professor of machine learning and big data analysis at Cadi Ayyad University in Marrakech, the Moroccan expert conducted her latest research on wireless sensor networks and vehicle networks.

Other Awards/ Honours:

  • 2019 – First Prize in ‘Sustainability’ in Solar Decathalon Africa
  • Entrepreneurial Education Award at 13th National Business Day for Morocco’s Center for Young Leaders (CJD)
  • 2014 – Winner L’Oreal-UNESCO for Women in Science International Award
  • 2012 – Winner ‘Literati Network Award for Excellence
  • etc…

www.mousannifhajar.com

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pix: mousannifhajar.com / Aljazeera.com

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MOROCCO

Asil Attar – First Female CEO of MENA Fashion Industry Leaders

Asil Attar. Global Fashion and Retail Industry Leader.

First Female CEO of Damas Jewellery (estb. 1907). Damas has a portfolio of over 40 international luxury brands and in-house brands. With 230 stores spread across GCC, it has secured a global trademark.

Asil Attar has worked with some of the world’s leading Department stores and most coveted Brands and Retail groups such as Harrods, Giorgio Armani Group, Coach, Karen Millen, Jigsaw and Majid Al Futtaim etc..

Asil was the CEO of Majid Al Futtaim Fashion, the licensee for Juicy Couture in the Middle East.

This has won her a number of accolades and recognition for her outstanding achievements.

Honours:

  • Forbes ME has placed her as one of the top 100 most Influential Arab Women, 2018 and Top 200 most powerful Arab Women, 2014.
  • Arabian Business awarded her Top Female CEO Kuwait, 2018 and top 100 powerful women, 2012.

www.asilattar.com

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pix: asilattar.com

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UNITED KINGDOM / IRAQI-BRITISH / EUROPEAN ARAB

Waleed Al-Ibrahim, Awarded King Abdulaziz Order of Merit Medal : May 2021

Waleed Al-Ibrahim. Businessman. Media.

Founder and Chairman of MBC (Middle East Broadcasting Center).

He received the King Abdulaziz Order of Merit for his success in the media and broadcasting world.

The King Abdulaziz Order of Merit is a medal awarded to citizens of Saudi Arabia and foreigners for meritorious service to Saudi Arabia. It is considered the highest civilian honor in the Kingdom.

MBC is one of the biggest media broadcasting stations in the Arab world. It includes several movie, TV show, and children channels such as MBC 2, MBC 3, MBC 4 and MBC Action. Al Ibrahim launched Al Arabiya in 2003, a free-to-air television news channel based in Dubai.

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pix: arabnews.com

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SAUDI ARABIA

Nourie Flayan – Lebanese Artist-Illustrator. Global Brand Collaborator

Nourie Flayan. Artist. Illustrator. Story teller. Influencer.

First Middle Eastern Artist to collaborate with Gucci – Gucci Beauty

  • Collaborated with Italian Luxury Label Gucci -, Gucci Beauty for artworks (2020)
  • Collaborted with US Luxury Fashion House Carolina Herrera on a set of Eid Al-Fitr illustrations (2021)
  • Collaborated with LA based fashion label ‘House of Aama’ on a tote bag that honours women
  • Collaborated with Native Threads Collective to celebrate International Women’s Day 2021
  • Collaborated with Emirati Jewellery brand MKS Jewellery for their Here To Listen series

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pix: abouther.com /

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LEBANON

Dr. Farouk El Baz – Egyptian American Space Scientist and Geologist

Farouk El Baz Ph.D., Space Scientist. Geologist

  • Formerly – President Sadat’s Scientific Advisor (1978-1981)
  • Founder – Center for Earth and Planetary Studies, National Museum of Atmospheric and Space, at the Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC
  • Dr. El Baz played a pivotal role for the Apollo mission where he served as the secretary for the Apollo landing board on the moon, and was responsible for leading the astronaut training team in general science, particularly in moon imaging

So pivotal was he to Apollo that in Tom Hanks’ HBO TV-series, From the Earth to the Moon , El-Baz’s role as an Apollo scientist and astronaut trainer was featured in a segment entitled, “The Brain of Farouk El-Baz,” and a shuttle craft named El-Baz soared through the popular TV-series Star Trek : The Next Generation

Awards:

  •  He has won over 31 awards, including achievements in science, in NASA, incl:
  •  Golden Door Award of the International Institute of Boston
  • Nevada Medal of the Desert Research Institute
  • The Pioneer Award of the Arab Thought Foundation.
  • The Apollo Achievement Award

Honour:

  • Asteroid 7371 El-Baz, discovered by American astronomers Eleanor Helin and Schelte Bus at Palomar Observatory in 1978, was named in his honor.   The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 27 August 2019 ( M.P.C. 115893).

Book:

  • Deserts and Arid Lands , Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, ISBN 90-247-2850-9

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pix: scoopempire.com /egypttoday.com

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AMERICAN / EGYPTIAN-AMERICAN / ARAB AMERICAN

Tunisia Launches First Satellite – ‘Challenge One’ – March 2021

Tunisia launches its first 100% Tunisian satellite.

The Tunisian telecommunication company Telnet Holding and the Russian space agency Roscosmos succeeded, on Monday, March 22, 2021 at 7:07 am, the launch of Challenger One, the first satellite of the country entirely manufactured locally.

Carried by a Russian Soyuz-2 launcher from the base of Baikonur (Kazakhstan).

According to the agreement, Challenge ONE is going to be a precursor for a constellation of 30 satellites to be launched by 2023. 

Part of the agreement also involved SPUTNIX, a Russian private company, manufacturing high-tech microsatellite components and technologies. SPUTNIX’s involvement was to facilitate the development of the satellites and the establishment of R & D services for satellite components.

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pix: carthagemagazine.com

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TUNISIA

Arab Designer, Libyan Ibrahim Shebani

Ibrahim Shebani (Alshebani) . Fashion Designer

Founder of the ready-to-wear fashion label : ‘Born In Exile’ .

Ibrahim Shebani has set up an atelier near Bologna (Italy) and set up in Tunisia for manufacturing.

Awarded Designer of the Year ‘DOTM’ – by MAFT magazine.

Born in German, grew up mostly between Cairo and Libya. Lived in Paris for a year.

www.born-in-exile.com

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pix: twitter.com/ibrahimshebani

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LIBYA

GB’s – Top 5 Most Powerful Arabs in Kuwait : April 2021

The highest ranked Arabs originating from Kuwait in Gulf Business’ annual Arab power list.

Kuwaiti nationals ranked as the fourth largest group in the Gulf Business’ annual Arab Power list for 2021, with six entries.

1Mohammed Alshaya
Executive chairman, Alshaya Group

Sector: Retail / Overall rank: 36 / 2020 rank: 30

2. Kutayba Yusuf Alghanim
Executive chairman, Alghanim Industries

Sector: Diversified / Overall rank: 41

3. Mohammad Saud Al-Osaimi
CEO, Boursa Kuwait

Sector: Finance / Overall rank: 42 / 2020 rank: 42

4. Bader Nasser Al-Kharafi
Vice chairman and CEO, Zain Group

Sector: Telecoms / Overall rank: 43 / 2020 rank: 41

5. Tarek Sultan
CEO and vice chairman, Agility

Sector: Logistics / Overall rank: 71 / 2020 rank: 71

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pix: gulfbusiness.com

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KUWAIT