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
Category: Inventions, Innovations (wef. Feb 01sy, 2022
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is now home to the world’s first 3-D-printed mosque, spanning an area of 5,600 sqm. Located within the Al-Jawhara suburb of Jeddah, the mosque stands as a tribute to the late equestrian Abdulaziz Abdullah Sharbatly. The project by Forsan Real Estate utilizes cutting-edge 3D printing technology from Guanli.
The mosque’s construction was completed within six months and spearheaded by Wajnat Abdulwahed, the spouse of the late Abdulaziz Abdullah Sharbatly. Aimed at fostering serenity amongst worshipers while integrating natural light, the mosque also features distinctive minarets, creating a landmark within the neighborhood.
The inauguration of the mosque positions Saudi Arabia as a technological hub, surpassing the United Arab Emirates’ projected timeline for a similar endeavor. Dubai announced an initiative to construct the world’s first 3D-printed mosque last May. As a new and complex technique, the successful completion of the world’s 3D-printed religious infrastructure holds potential for the future of architecture and design.
The project has garnered global attention, showcasing the limitless possibilities of 3D printing technology in construction. In an interview with Arab News, Abdulwahed stressed the importance of “not losing the essence that mosques must embody, while also adhering to general conditions such as emphasizing the values of the King Salman Urban charter, the architectural details in the cultural heritage of Hejazi architecture and presenting them in a contemporary format.”
Our research shows the impact Arab and Middle Eastern inventors have had on innovation in the U.S.
Although Donald Trump’s administration believes that “making America great again” involves limiting certain visitors and immigrants from entering the country, data shows that immigrants from the Middle East have consistently made innovative contributions to the United States. Examples range from GE inventor Hassan Kamel Al-Sabah, a Lebanese-born innovator in the 1920s and 30s to Farouk Al-Baz, the NASA and MIT scientist, originally from Egypt, who helped plan the Apollo landing, to Algerian-born Elias A. Zerhouni, director of the National Institutes of Health.
Immigrants from Muslim-majority countries have contributed to American ideals and icons. A Saudi and two Moroccans were part of the core team of scientists that recently discovered the seven planets around the star Trappist-1; Shahid Khan, a Pakistani-born entrepreneur, was on the cover of Forbes representing The American Dream in 2012; a Syrian immigrant is often credited with the invention of the ice cream cone, and famously, the child of another Syrian immigrant created the iPhone.
Despite these positive stories, there is little research on the extent of Arab inventors’ contributions to American innovation. So we set out to document it.
What’s in a name?
We started by matching Arabic first names with international patent applications filed under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) from people residing in the U.S. and around the world. This approach has been used before in the study of ethnic innovation in the U.S. as well as in the study of female inventors.
First names like Mohammad, Ali or Omar are not unique to Arabs and some Arabs may have non-Arabic names such as George or Anthony. We tried to mitigate this issue by excluding non-Arab variations of Arabic names that are common for non-Arab Muslims. Another shortcoming is that we are not able through names only to know whether someone is U.S.-born or foreign-born. This overlap between Muslim and Arab identity is not relevant because both are targeted in Trump’s immigration policy. For this piece, we’ll refer to both groups as Arab inventors.
We found that 8,786 U.S. PCT patent applications from 2009-2013 had at least one Arab or Muslim inventor. 3.4 percent of patent applications had at least one Arab or Muslim inventor from a population that represents only 0.3 percent of the total population of the U.S. As patents usually have multiple inventors and Arab inventors often co-patent with non-Arabs, 2961 patents or 1.2 percent can be contributed to only Arab inventors.
Where Arab inventors are found
In fact, the U.S. is the main home for Arab inventors globally, distantly followed by France (513 patent applications), Canada (361), Germany (342), Saudi Arabia (307), Japan (279) and the United Kingdom (273).
Not only is the U.S. the centre of Arab inventors, but since 2000, their share of patent applications has increased 137 percent. With 1134 in California alone, Arab or Muslim innovation is more than doubly represented in a single state than in France.
Arab inventors show some specialisation in the fields of information and communication technologies, as well as medical and veterinary sciences. They are statistically over-represented in electrical and communication technology, computing, calculating and counting.
America’s tech scenes in Silicon Valley, Boston and elsewhere show Arab inventors contributing significantly to America’s global innovation prowess. Tech entrepreneurs, such Amr Awadallah, co-founder of Cloudera, Rana El Kalioubi of Affectiva, and Mo Gawdat of Google, are a few examples of Arab inventors making major contributions.
Who comes to America
Looking at visa patterns, the bulk of Arab inventors settle in the U.S. through immigration channels such as family reunion and as refugees. This has an implication for the current immigration debate. In 2013, there were approximately 1.02 million immigrants from Arab countries residing in the U.S., representing 2.5 percent of the nation’s 41.3 million immigrants. About 43 percent of Arab immigrants (ages 25 and over) had a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared to 28 percent of all immigrants and 30 percent of native-born adults. Skilled Arab immigrants thus are arriving to the U.S. on non-skilled visas as people from MENA generally do not benefit from the H1-B visa, receiving collectively less than 10 percent of total visas granted to foreign-born skilled workers. While there were around 108,000 students from MENA in the U.S. in 2016, not many were PhD candidates at U.S. universities.
The recent visa ban of citizens from six countries from the Middle East and Africa has negative implications for the American innovation system. Not only do immigrants from these countries tend to be in possession of higher education levels than average population or other immigrant groups, research also points to positive impact on trade between sending and receiving countries. In fact, research suggests that highly skilled individuals in business development roles generate over ten times the value of trade than average migrants. Highly educated immigrants in general are also most conducive to trade flows. President Trump should examine the evidence about how “great” innovation in the U.S. can be, thanks to inventors from all over the world, before banning visitors from the Middle East and North Africa.
Al Azhar Zahir al Jabri, a 22-year-old Chemical Engineering student from the University of Technology and Applied Sciences in Muscat, has developed a ‘Smart Medical Glove’ to assist patients suffering from hemiplegia – a condition that causes paralysis on one side of the body.
Inspired by the memory of his late mother, who suffered from hemiplegia, Jabri embarked on this project in early 2021.
“After my mother’s passing, I wanted to do something for those people affected by hemiplegia, and so I started working on this project. It has now reached an advanced stage, and I hope to complete it early next year and introduce the glove for permanent use,” he said.
The Smart Medical Glove has been developed for individuals with hemiplegia, muscular dystrophy, the elderly, and children.
“The glove aids in rehabilitating the affected hand through pre-programmed specialised movements stored in the device. It also connects to a mobile application that allows patients to communicate with doctors worldwide and displays health sensor readings,” Jabri explained.
The glove includes simple daily movements that help patients perform certain activities independently.
“I faced several challenges, primarily because I’m not an expert in rehabilitation science. However, through consultations with specialists, I was able to identify the essential movements and ensure their accuracy,” he added.
In 2022, Jabri secured a patent for his invention from the Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Investment Promotion. He believes the project represents a valuable economic resource for Oman.
“Projects like these are vital for keeping up with Oman’s ongoing development and vision.”
Jabri recently represented Oman at the TEXPO exhibition in Malaysia, where he reached the final stages. He also collaborated with Khoula Hospital, which provided specialised consultations for the project and will continue to support its success.
“My family has been my primary supporter, and Khoula Hospital’s expertise has been invaluable. I hope my project will soon see the light of day and become available in the market for the benefit of those who need it,” he concluded.
Al-Qasimi Hall at the Council of the Arabic Language in Mauritania hosted a scientific symposium entitled “Feature of verbal harmony in the construction of the Qur’anic surah: an authentic pause,” in which Dr. Muhammad Safi Al-Mustaghanemi, Secretary-General of the Arabic Language Academy in Sharjah, spoke via video communication technology, in the presence of Dr. Allah Al-Washmi, President of the King Salman International Academy for the Arabic Language, and an elite group of scholars, researchers and linguists, and it was moderated by Dr. Al-Bakai Abdel Malik, Secretary-General of the Council of the Arabic Language in Mauritania.
Dr. Khalil Al-Nahwi, Chairman of the Arabic Language Council, said that the Council recently launched the “Hadith Al-Tayef” program as part of its research and scientific initiatives with the aim of hosting an elite group of scholars and researchers through audio-visual communication technology from various parts of the world, and Dr. Ahmed Safi Al-Mustaghanemi was chosen, who represents the Arabic Language Academy in Sharjah – the Knowledge Edifice. The main partner of the Arab Linguistics Council, he will be the first guest to lecture in this pioneering scientific program.
Mosteghanemi highlighted the unique characteristics that distinguish the surahs of the Holy Qur’an, pointing to the wonderful harmony and precise linguistic organization that reflects unparalleled precision and miracle. He explained that each surah in the Holy Qur’an follows its own axis while adopting studied linguistic choices that are in harmony with this axis.
Al-Mustaghanemi provided illustrative examples from the Holy Qur’an, such as Surat Al-Naba’ and Surat Al-Nazi’at, to highlight these features, noting that linguistic harmony is not limited to the vocabulary of each surah and its focus, but extends to include the relationship between the conclusion of the surah and the opening of the surah that follows it, which is what the scholars of interpretation have confirmed in their previous studies, in addition to the connection between the surahs. Different types that share similar vocabulary, structures, or stories.
Microsoft has hired British-Syrian Mustafa Suleyman to head its AI business, cementing his role in the industry.
Mustafa Suleyman , a highly respected British-Syrian AI expert, has been named as Microsoft’s artificial intelligence business head, as the company cements its position in this booming field.
Suleyman co-founded DeepMind , which Google purchased in 2014, before starting up Inflection.ai in 2022 with LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, to guide AI away from racist, sexist or violent behaviour. It has also been named a rival to Microsoft in the field of AI.
He also co-wrote ‘The Coming Wave’, a highly influential book in the tech industry that examines the potential and pitfalls of AI.
Microsoft said in a post on LinkedIn on Monday named Sulyaman as CEO of Microsoft AI, leading all of its consumer products and research, including its generative AI service Copilot as well as its Bing search engine and Edge browser.
He will report directly to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella , who welcomed his appointment in a blog post.
“This infusion of new talent will enable us to accelerate our pace yet again,” Nadella wrote.
The hiring is likely to bolster Microsoft’s lead position in the booming AI industry, as big tech companies battle for positions to capitalise on the demand for AI services.
Microsoft has teamed up with ChatGPT maker OpenAI, investing billions of dollars into the San Francisco company, and recently partnered with France’s Mistral , a hot AI startup.
Suleyman is the son of a Syrian taxi driver and English nurse and grew up in North London. He dropped out of Oxford University aged 19, before founding the Muslim Youth Hotline, which became one of the biggest counseling services for Muslims in the UK.
His appointment to the top Microsoft position has been welcomed by British Arabs and Syrians worldwide, who have commended him for his journey from relatively humble beginnings to one of the leading positions in the IT industry.
He was named in The New Arab‘s ‘The notable British Arabs making a difference’ list in 2021 .
source/content: newarab.com (headline edited)
____________
Sulayman is one of the most influential people in the field of AI [Getty]
Sharjah Ruler collected 8,000 rare titles documenting French cultural history.
His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the UAE Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, is a leading Arab scholar and historian who has made contributions to documenting France’s cultural history from an Arab perspective.
The historian has been recently conferred the title of The Legion of Honour, with the rank of Commander – one of the highest national honours in the Republic of France in recognition of his efforts to strengthen cooperation relations between the French Republic and Sharjah in a variety of fields, particularly culture. The honour was granted to the Sharjah Ruler by His Excellency Emmanuel Macron, the French President, and presented by Nicolas Niemtchinow, Ambassador of the French Republic to the UAE.
His Highness is currently developing the chapters of a comprehensive work, the first of which is titled ‘The Century of Lights.’ Set in the 18th century – the chapter focuses on the era that established the foundations of Western society and examines the pivotal role played by Denis Diderot, the founder of the Encyclopédie, in collaboration with D’Alembert, as well as the contributions of liberal philosophers of that century such as Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Voltaire.
The Arab historian navigates the remainder of the 18th and 19th centuries in the following two chapters, before penning the fourth chapter titled, ‘Controversial Issues on Globalisation and Cultural Exception’ detailing everything that had happened in relation to globalisation and France’s role in it.
“France, at the helm of the European Union, began vigorously defending the idea of cultural exception; it has prevailed. From my end, I will publish this book in Arabic to introduce all Arabs to French culture,” His Highness said.
“In 2003, the French Republic conferred the ‘Order of the French Republic for Arts and Letters,’ with the rank of ‘Knight Commander’ upon me. I saw this honour as a mandate to continue cultural giving, and I discussed the Republic of France’s pioneering role in intellectual enlightenment and civilised communication, as well as its contributions to the cultural field, translation, and literature, and the spread of the concepts of freedom and justice,” His Highness added.
From that day forward, the Ruler of Sharjah initiated the acquisition of available written records that document the cultural history of the French Republic, using the titles of books in the Egyptian Scientific Institute in Cairo. “I collected nearly 8,000 rare titles in French and decided to establish a scientific institute for those books in Sharjah, similar to the French and Egyptian Institute,” His Highness added, saying he donated his entire collection to the institute in Egypt after it was turned to ashes by a violent fire in December 2011.
In a touching tribute to her late husband, Saudi businesswoman Wajanat Muhammad Abdel Wahed has built the world’s first 3D Printed Mosque that was thrown open to worshippers ahead of the Holy Month of Ramadan likely to begin Monday March 11, 2024.
In a touching tribute to her late husband, Saudi businesswoman Wajanat Muhammad Abdel Wahed has built the world’s first 3D Printed Mosque that was thrown open to worshippers ahead of the Holy Month of Ramadan likely to begin Monday March 11, 2024.
The mosque is named after the late Saudi businessman Abdulaziz Abdullah Sharbatly.
“I dedicate the reward of building the first mosque in the world using 3D printing technology to my husband, Abdulaziz Abdullah Sharbatly. I ask God to grant him benefit to the Kingdom and enable him to become a leader in line with #Saudi_Vision_2030 (sic)” Wajanat wrote on social media platform X Thursday, March 7, 2024.
“The idea materialized into constructing a mosque dedicated to the memory of my late husband, subsequently becoming the world’s first mosque built with 3D printing technology”, Wajanat said.
3D Printing Technology
The 3D Printed Mosque, built at a cost of 20 million Saudi Riyals on an area of 5,600 square meters as part of the Jeddah Governorate’s Al-Jawhara Suburb Project, is located in Saudi port city.
The 3D Printing Technology creates tangible objects from 3D Digital Models obtained through scanners and computer programs, using successive layers to form the final shape.
The construction of the mosque was completed in just six months. As many as four giant printers manufacture by the Chinese company Guanli 3D printers, the world’s leading manufacturer of 3D printers, were deployed for the purpose.
The construction of the world’s first 3D Printed Mosque in the Kingdom demonstrates future construction and architectural innovation, promoting local content and diversification, aligning with Vision 2030’s ambitious goals of non-oil production.
Wajanat pointed out that the mosque’s construction received private sector stimulus support, promoting modern construction through advanced technologies and industrial development.
“As a Saudi businesswoman, I wanted to contribute to introducing this modern technology to the Kingdom, positioning it among the first countries to utilize it”, she said in a statement.
“The construction of the mosque using 3D printing technology marks a significant milestone in technology and contemporary construction, signalling a move towards architectural innovation and global sustainable building practices”, she added.
Sheikh Mohammed felicitates Lebanese professor Fadel Adib for his research and innovations in wireless communication.
Professor Fadel Adib had his studies in a tumultuous period, while assassinations and car bombings were daily news in Beirut. Undeterred, he pursued his studies. And on Monday, he became the youngest winner of the first ever Great Arab Minds (GAM) award, earning a sum of Dh1 million to continue his work.
Felicitated by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, at a glamorous event held at the Museum of The Future, Fadel said he was humbled by the recognition.
“I feel honoured to be chosen among giants and big names in the field and to sit next to them,” he said. “I feel doubly honoured because this happened in the Arab world.” He also expressed his commitment to giving back to the Arab world and hoped to inspire and encourage more innovation within the region.
Currently an associate professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), it was Fadel’s research and innovations in wireless communication, particularly in identifying objects and vibrations hidden behind walls and under rubble, that earned him the recognition. According to the judging committee, his discoveries have opened up new possibilities for various industries.
Alongside Fadel, other winners included Algerian novelist Prof Waciny Laredj, Egyptian economist Dr Mohamed El-Erian and Lebanese scientist Prof Niveen Khashab. Each award winner will receive Dh1 million to fund their research and development.
Honouring of Arab minds
In her winning speech, Prof Niveen recalled how she was asked by her colleagues if she was “crazy” for wanting to move back to the Arab World. “In 2008, when I was at Northwestern University in Chicago, I received a call from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) and was offered to be part of the founding academic staff of the university,” she said. “All the colleagues and professors told me: ‘Are you crazy, you cannot launch a scientific career in an Arab country.’ But I accepted this challenge and began my academic career at KAUST. Now, after fifteen years, I am pleased to share with you that the Chemistry Department at my university is not ranked 40th in the world.”
The GAM — the largest scientific movement in the Arab world with a budget of Dh100 million — was designed to seek and identify great minds in the region and reward them for their achievements. The initiative seeks to halt the brain drain trend in Arab nations by incentivising talented individuals to remain in their home countries and utilise available resources. Recognising individuals in six categories — namely natural sciences, architecture and design, engineering and technology, economics, literature and arts and medicine — the award was first announced in 2022.
After a year-long rigorous process, the winners were selected and announced by Sheikh Mohammed on social media platform X in late 2023.
Other winners recognised for their exceptional contributions were:
Dr Hani Najm from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, head of the department of adult and paediatric cardiac surgery at Cleveland Clinic Hospital in the United States. Dr Najm was acknowledged in the field of medicine for his groundbreaking work in cardiac surgery.
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, president of Queen’s College, University of Cambridge, received the award in the Economics category. His remarkable insights and contributions have reshaped the understanding of global economic trends.
Professor Niveen Khashab, whose groundbreaking research in the natural sciences earned her the Arab Geniuses Award. Her work has pushed the boundaries of scientific knowledge, particularly in her field of expertise.
Prof Lina Ghotmeh was recognised for her exceptional achievements in the Architecture and Design category. Her innovative designs have reimagined urban landscapes and inspired future generations of architects.
Prof Waciny Laredj was celebrated for his remarkable contributions to the Literature and Arts category. His literary prowess and artistic vision have captivated audiences and enriched cultural heritage.
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.
Saudi scientists’ use of a special DNA sequencing process to identify a new bacterial species could help in global efforts to combat resistance to antibiotics.
The discovery by experts at Riyadh’s King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center was expected to throw new light on bacterial-drug interactions, fostering innovative therapeutic approaches.
A technique known as whole-genome sequencing was used to spot the new species, stenotrophomonas riyadhensis.
According to the center, the findings will contribute significantly to global antibiotic resistance efforts, while throwing a spotlight on the center’s growing reputation for scientific research and patient care.
In a statement, the center said WGS underscored the “potential of genomic tests in diagnosing and treating bacterial infections, particularly in critical environments like intensive care units and among immunocompromised patients.”
It added that the discovery represented “substantial progress” in the fight to combat antibiotic resistance, the development of pharmaceuticals, and the prevention of disease spread.
The new species, discovered during a 2019 investigation into an outbreak at the center’s intensive care unit, was initially presumed to be a variant of pseudomonas aeruginosa, known for its antibiotic resistance.
However, further WGS analysis revealed that riyadhensis deviated from the pseudomonas genus, belonging instead to the stenotrophomonas family. It exhibited distinct genetic and morphological traits, setting it apart from any other scientifically recognized members.
Head of the center’s infectious disease and immunity department, Dr. Ahmad Al-Qahtani, said: “Traditional bacterial identification methods may lead to misidentification; in contrast, WGS analysis offers a precise and targeted approach that ensures accurate identification and provides detailed insights into resistance mechanisms, proving its significance in disease outbreak investigations and patient care improvements.”
Dr. Reem Almaghrabi, head of transplant infectious diseases at the center’s Organ Transplant Center of Excellence, highlighted the importance of the discovery in the use of advanced technologies, such as WGS, to develop faster and more accurate diagnostic methods.
She said the approach had established the groundwork for scientific collaboration at all levels, enhancing global efforts to combat antibiotic resistance.
Almaghrabi noted that understanding the nuances of new bacterial species, particularly their antibiotic resistance, was crucial in modern healthcare and was the primary means of combating bacterial infections.
“As these bacteria continuously evolve their resistance, they pose a significant and ongoing threat to human health,” she added.
source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)
__________
A technique known as whole-genome sequencing was used to spot the new species, stenotrophomonas riyadhensis. (Supplied)
