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 Abu Dhabi Aquabike Team has recorded a new success for Emirati sports, with Rashid Al Mulla winning the title in the “Freestyle” category in the final round of the World Aquabike Championship, which was held in Kuwait.
The championship, witnessed the participation of 52 bikers from 26 countries from throughout the world.
Al Mulla won the gold medal and the overall title, reaching 100 points in the overall standings of the competition.
The Emirati’s latest triumph came after Abu Dhabi team-mate Emma-Nellie had won the ladies title in the Parallel Slalom World Championship staged under floodlights on Friday evening.
Al Mulla’s title is one of the new achievements for the Emirati team this summer, especially after the Abu Dhabi Team won gold and the title in the Formula 2 World Championship, as well as gold and silver in the 12-hour Formula 2 World Championship, in addition to leading the current world championship standings.
he 25 prophets and messengers mentioned in the Qur’an will be introduced in five different languages.
The Muslim World League has launched an exhibition on the lives of the prophets at its Expo 2020 Dubai pavilion.
“The Prophets As If You See Them” uses the latest technology to present the biographies of Islam’s prophets and messengers.
It sheds light on the messages of peace, love, affection, tolerance, coexistence, and humanity that they brought to the world.
Visitors can learn about the prophets’ titles, nicknames, characteristics, morals, childhoods, relatives, the books that were revealed to them, the miracles they performed, and the languages they spoke.
source/content: arabnews.com
__________
The Muslim World League has launched an exhibition on the lives of the prophets at its Expo 2020 Dubai pavilion. (Muslim World League)v/ pix: arabnews.com
The ninth Ajyal Film Festival presented by the Doha Film Institute announced the winners of the Ajyal Jury Competition and the Made in Qatar Awards in a festive closing ceremony at Katara Cultural Village.
Winners of the Made in Qatar Awards:
Best Narrative Award: Olayan (Qatar, 2021) by Khalifa Al Marri
Best Documentary Award: And Then They Burn The Sea (Qatar, 2021) by Majid Al Remaihi
Abdulaziz Jassim Award for Performance Award: Saleh Salem Al Marri for Olayan
Special Jury Mention: Virtual Voice (Sudan, Qatar, 2021) by Suzannah Mirghani
Winners of the Ajyal Jury Competition Awards are:
Mohaq:
Best Short Film Award: Umbrellas by José Prats, Álvaro Robles
Best Feature Film Award: Poupelle of Chimney Town by Yusuke Hirota
Hilal:
Best Short Film Award: Olayan by Khalifa Al Marri
Best Feature Film Award: Captains of Zaatari by Ali El Arabi
Bader:
Best Short Film Award: When Beirut Was Beirut by Alessandra El Chanti
Best Feature Film Award: Little Palestine, Diary of a Siege by Abdallah El Khattib
Audience Award: ORCAby Sahar Mossayebi
This year’s esteemed international Made in Qatar Awards Jury included actress Sheila Vand; Executive Board Member and CEO of Katara Studios Ahmed Al Baker, and Farah Nabulsi, Oscar-nominated and BAFTA award-winning filmmaker. Jurors were divided into three age categories: Mohaq (8–12-year-olds), Hilal (13–17-year-olds), and Bader (18–25-year-olds).
The week-long festival, held under the theme, ‘Press Play!’ signifying the aspirations of the community to return to normalcy, featured 85 films from 44 countries, including Qatar. The programme included 31 feature films and 54 shorts from accomplished directors as well as first-time and emerging talent. 22 of the films are by Arab filmmakers, with 32 helmed by women filmmakers – nearly a third, highlighting the significant role of female talent.
Ajyal featured 13 films supported by the Doha Film Institute, including recipients of the Spring/ Fall Grants, co-financing, Qatari Film Fund and mentorship through the year-long labs and development workshops. The 2021 Made in Qatar programme presented by Ooredoo, had 10 films representing promising homegrown talent and storytellers.
The seven-day festival featured a diverse mix of virtual and in-person events including film screenings, interactive discussions, multi-media art exhibit, Qatar’s largest pop-culture event Geekdom, and a drive-in cinema as part of a multisensory experience for all ages.
source/content: www.iloveqatar.net
__________
On the cover image: Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Fatma Hassan Alremaihi, Abdulla Al Mosallam with the team of Captains of Zaatari. / Source and image credit: Ajyal Film Festival
The UAE national Jiu-Jitsu team came through an intense final day on the mats to retain their Ju-Jitsu World Championship title at the Jiu-Jitsu Arena in Abu Dhabi’s Zayed Sports City.
Setting a new National Record of 53 medals.
Leading the medal table heading into final day, the country’s elite adult athletes grabbed another four medals, two silvers and two bronze, to take their medal tally to 53 across five days of intense competition in the men and women Under-16, Under-18, Under-21 and Adult divisions.
It was a fine return for the strong team, who did the host nation proud and set a new national record, beating the 52 medals in the previous edition, in front of a vociferous crowd at the home of jiu-jitsu. The 53 medal tally put the UAE Falcons on top of the world ahead of RJF in second and Kazakhstan in third place.
The first two medals of the day came from Wadima Al Yafei, 45 kg and Saif Al Hemani, 85 kg, clinching the bronze. Cheered on by a knowledgeable crowd, Hamdah Al Shkeili produced a fine performance to win silver in the women’s Adult 45kg event. The UAE’s 53rd and final medal of the championship came when jiu-jitsu legend Faisal Al Ketbi took silver in the men’s 85kg final, narrowly losing out on gold to Australia’s William Diaz.
The record-breaking performance enhanced the UAE’s reputation as a jiu-jitsu nation and provided the country’s leading athletes with the perfect preparation heading into the 13th Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship, the largest and most prestigious championship on the global jiu-jitsu calendar, which runs from 14-19 November, at the Jiu-Jitsu Arena.
“As the defending champions the pressure was on our athletes to perform this week and match the performance of previous years. They showed great heart, desire and commitment to not only match previous editions but set a record for the number of medals,” said Fahad Ali Al Shamsi, General Secretary of UAEJJF.”
Al Shkeili, who added a silver in the Adult 45kg to the gold medal she won in the Under-21 45kg category, the only UAE athlete to win two medals this week, said: “I couldn’t have wished for this. It was great experience just representing the UAE on this stage. To win a gold and a silver really is a dream come true.
The UAE national team ended the championship with 18 gold, 16 silver and 19 bronze medals. RJF in second, collected 15 gold, 15 silver and 14 bronze, with third-placed Kazakhstan taking 8 gold, 6 silver and 23 bronze.
The UAE will host the 27th Ju-Jitsu World Championship in 2022.
Muhammad bin Lahej transported troops in his dhow during Operation Countenance.
Under the cover of darkness, with only the stars for guidance, Muhammad bin Lahej sailed through the inky black waters.
The young captain guided his dhow up the coast of Oman from Muscat, through the Strait of Hormuz and into the Arabian Gulf, dodging enemy submarines as he went.
It was a journey he had made countless times before. But instead of spices and goods in the cargo hold that August 24 night, were troops of the British army.
Dubai, United Arab Emirates: Old photo of Muhammad Matar bin Lahej today at an event to celebrate the contribution of the UAE citizen Muhammad Matar bin Lahej (95 years old and one of the last survivors of WW2) to the military efforts during the war (particularly during Operation Countenance). He helped the British/Allies take Bandar Abbas at the British Embassy, Dubai Creek. Ruel Pableo for The National for John Dennehy’s story / pix: thenationalnews.com
Eighty years on, Britain honoured Emirati Mr Lahej, 95, for his daring exploits during the Second World War.
Because Mr Lahej was too frail to attend in person, the event at the office of the British Embassy in Dubai on Monday was attended by his sons, who recounted their father’s role in secretly moving troops as part of Operation Countenance – the 1941 Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran.
“Since the end of the Second World War, the story has been forgotten,” said Hamed bin Lahej. “My father is one of the last heroes alive who volunteered.”
source/content: thenationalnews.com
_______
Simon Penney, British Consul General to Dubai and the Northern Emirates, presents a plaque of appreciation to the sons of Muhammad bin Lahej for his role during the Second World War. Ruel Pableo for The National / pix: thenationalnews.com
The British Embassy and British Council announced the recipients of the Study UK Alumni Awards 2020-2021 in Saudi Arabia at an awards ceremony hosted by British Ambassador in Riyadh, Neil Crompton.
UK alumni from Jeddah, Riyadh, Dhahran, Qassim and Thuwal were recognized for their outstanding achievements as business professionals, entrepreneurs and community leaders, and for their important contributions in strengthening collaborative ties between the UK and Saudi Arabia.
7th Study UK Alumni Award Ceremony:
“This prestigious international award celebrates UK higher education and the achievements of outstanding Saudis who studied in the UK and are using their education to make a positive impact.
The award received around 1,300 applications from international UK alumni in more than 100 countries, representing more than 120 UK higher education institutions across the UK. Following interviews with a judging panel, recipients were selected for the three award categories: Professional achievement, entrepreneurial, and social impact.
The professional achievement award, which recognizes alumni who have displayed exemplary leadership in their professional field, was presented to Dr. Roua Alsubki , alumna of University College London.
Roua is vice dean of skills and development deanship at King Saud University, the first woman to hold this position.
The social impact award, which acknowledges alumni who have made an exceptional contribution to creating positive social change, was presented to Dr. Bandar Alosaimi for establishing COVIDAT, a website that provides scientific information on COVID-19 in Arabic.
He saw a need to translate developments in medical research to the everyday Arabic reader to avoid misinformation and misconceptions about the coronavirus.
A graduate of University of Manchester and University of Salford, where he earned his master’s and Ph.D degrees, Alosaimi is assistant professor of virology at the faculty of medicine, the head of the virology research team and chairperson of Research Laboratories at King Fahad Medical City.
The entrepreneurial award was presented to Dr. Wail Mousa, graduate of the University of Leeds.
The University of Birmingham on Tuesday signed an agreement with King Saud University, he added.
2022 :
The Study UK Alumni Awards 2022 call for applications is open until Oct. 29, 2021.
source/content: arabnews.com
___________
Sir Steve Smith, British Ambassador Neil Crompton (from left) with Winners Dr. Bandar Alosaimi, Dr Roua Alsubki and Dr. Wail Mousa. (Supplied) / pix: arabnews.com
It is commemorated every year on the anniversary, which is, however, not a public holiday.
The day is marked by schools, government offices, businesses, and individuals hanging the national flag outside their homes and workplaces.
The veteran Emirati diplomat, Abdullah Mohammed Al Maainah, had designed the symbol of the country’s unity, pride and dignity when he was only a teenager 19 years old.
Al Maainah’s design was chosen among more than 1,030 entries submitted as part of a nationwide contest.
Later, the winning flag was raised on December 2, 1971 — the Foundation Day of the UAE.
On December 2, it will be exactly 50 years since the UAE flag was first hoisted to mark the country’s union.
Curiously, he did not know his design had been selected until he saw the flag fluttering at Mushrif Palace in Abu Dhabi with his own eyes.
“It was an overwhelming feeling. All of us were happy because we had unified as one country. However, I was overjoyed the most,” said the veteran diplomat, as he recalled how he found out about the contest and prepared for it with barely any time or resources.
“One of the arrangements related to declaring the establishment of the UAE at that time was to design a flag for it. A committee was formed to look into the matter and an advertisement was put out in the Al Ittihad newspaper inviting submissions from various artists,” he reminisced.
Al Maainah said he stumbled upon the advertisement just three days before the deadline was to expire.
“It was a race against time, as I didn’t have any drawing tools or colouring pencils. I rushed out to get them and worked all night to come up with the design. It was a happy feeling staying awake for the sake of designing the flag for my beloved country,” he added.
Only two flags were raised on December 2, 1971, to mark the formation of the nation – one in Abu Dhabi, the other at Union House in Dubai.
Al Maainah said the colours of the UAE flag were not chosen randomly.
“Every colour has an innate meaning. White symbolises peace, goodness and purity, black represents solidarity, green stands for hope, prosperity and development while red denotes bravery and courage,” he added.
Later, he was awarded 4,000 riyals as prize money, as the UAE dirham was yet to be introduced as the legal tender.
Al Maainah, who has travelled around the world as the UAE’s ambassador to several foreign missions, cherishes the honour bestowed on him by the country’s wise and visionary leadership for his design of the flag.
Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Military Industries announced the signing of a contract with the Saudi Arabian Military Industries for the development and manufacturing of the “SkyGuard” unmanned aerial vehicle.
SAMI also signed an agreement with Prince Sultan Defense Studies and Science Research Center with the aim of further developing the UAV.
“SkyGuard” is “the outcome of numerous research and development efforts, undertaken by the center and geared towards developing a truly local product,” it said, as the Kingdom plans to supply half of its military needs with products made at home.
GAMI has identified 74 investment opportunities, across six domains of the military industries sector.
The authority has launched a digital platform called the Military Industry Marketplace that links local industry projects with investors that are authorized and licensed by the authority.
Ohood bint Khalfan Al Roumi and Huda AlHashimi named in 2021 Agile 50 List.
Two UAE government’s top officials have been listed among the world’s most influential people navigating disruption.
The World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Agile Governance has named Ohood bint Khalfan Al Roumi, Minister of State for Government Development and the Future, and Huda AlHashimi, Deputy Minister of Cabinet Affairs for Strategic Affairs, in the 2021 Agile 50 List.
Al Roumi was recognised in the Public Figures category, together with five global government leaders, including Ana Brnabić, Prime Minister of Serbia, and Mikhailo Fedorov, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine.
While AlHashimi was also selected in the Agile Enablers category, which included government officials from several countries around the world, including Brazil, Sweden and Shanghai.
Al Roumi was chosen among the world’s leading public figures for spearheading a transformative vision to accelerate government development in the UAE, enhance government performance, and embed future foresight and readiness in government.
She further supported building agility to adapt to emerging trends, enhancing competitiveness, and supporting effective government coordination. The recognition also highlighted Her Excellency’s continuous efforts to spur innovation, create a new generation of anticipatory government services, and support future-readiness.
Huda AlHashimi was selected in recognition of the significant role she undertakes in various government fields, including driving innovation and agility in the government through initiatives and projects launched by the Mohammed bin Rashid Center for Government Innovation.
AlHashimi achievements include supporting the initiatives that accelerate delivery and finding solutions for the pressing challenges through leading the world’s first Government Accelerators.
The Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center (TIEC), an affiliate of Egypt’s Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA), announced Thursday the winning teams of the first hackathon for women in Egypt “She Hackathon”, organized in collaboration with Intel, and Digital Egypt Innovation Hubs (Creativa).
“She Hackathon” is the first hackathon for women entrepreneurs in Egypt that aims to empower women by addressing the challenges they face in establishing their companies and businesses.
The first prize was awarded to a team of three young women from Aswan governorate, for a mobile application developed to aid in combating harassment and violence against women, through features of voice distress calls and messages, sharing location, classification of places, according to the degree of safety, in addition to providing psychological support.
The second prize was awarded to “Trisomy” from Ismailia governorate, for a free mobile application to achieve effective communication between parents of children with Down syndrome and help them connect with doctors, nurses, and psychologists in their vicinity.
The third prize was awarded to “Fem Scan” from Mansoura governorate, for presenting an idea and a prototype of an application and a system that helps reduce misdiagnosis and the time it takes to perform X-rays, especially in women’s breast cancer screening cases.
