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The news follows a memorandum of understanding signed in July 2022 between the Ministry of Health and Social Protection and the IAEA.
Morocco and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have signed an agreement for the Rabat-based Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah National Oncology Institute, which is affiliated with the Ibn Sina University Hospital, to become a collaborating center for the IAEA.
IAEA made the announcement was made on Friday. The Moroccan institution was elected as an IAEA collaborating center during the 67th regular session of the IAEA General Conference held in Vienna from September 25 to 29.
The news constitutes a recognition of Morocco’s commitment to advancing nuclear sciences in Africa, improving access to cancer treatments, and combating animal-transmitted diseases across the continent.
Khalid Ait Taleb, the Minister of Health and Social Protection, presided over the official announcement ceremony, emphasizing that the IAEA’s accreditation is an acknowledgment of the institute’s prolonged dedication to battling cancer.
He praised the institute’s exceptional staff and expertise having elevated its standards to a commendable level of quality.
Maintaining the prestigious accreditation in the upcoming years is now a primary challenge, Minister Ait Taleb stressed. He underscored the institute’s pivotal role in combating cancer and nurturing medical expertise in the field, both nationally and continentally.
For his part, Director-General Raouf Mohsine of the Ibn Sina University Hospital in Rabat emphasized the profound significance of this election within Morocco and across the continent.
This recognition is a source of immense pride for Morocco amid ongoing reforms in the national healthcare system, he said. The milestone follows a memorandum of understanding signed in July 2022 between the Ministry of Health and Social Protection and the IAEA, through which the two institutions committed to reinforcing collaboration in the fight against cancer and zoonotic diseases.
source/content: moroccoworldnews.com (edited)
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Morocco and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
NEOM’s water and electricity subsidiary ENOWA has developed a blueprint for the world’s first renewable, high-voltage smart grid, Peter Terium, the company’s CEO, told Arab News.
In an interview on the sidelines of the 2023 UN Climate Change Conference, Terium said that the “grid of microgrids” will allow ENOWA to supply the NEOM region with sizable, 100 percent renewable electricity that simultaneously provides a 50 percent reduction of the corridor footprint.
According to the CEO, the principle of smart grids is simple, as they are traditionally used on a small scale in buildings. However, the sheer size of the development and the scope of coverage needed for the nine to 10 million individuals who will be residing in NEOM adds to the difficulty of the undertaking.
“That’s a huge achievement given it’s the size that makes it complex. You know, one windmill, a refrigerator, and a television are all 100 percent renewable. But a NEOM within the Kingdom that eventually is going to have nine to 10 million inhabitants. That’s very sizable,” Terium said.
In order to ensure minimum disturbance to the natural terrain and minimize visual disruption, the CEO noted that this would require limiting the number of corridors and implementing part of the grid to operate underground.
To achieve 100 percent renewable electricity in NEOM, Terium emphasized the crucial role of an efficient grid, highlighting that individuals often underestimate that all solar and wind farms require connectivity to “bring the electrons to the customer.”
Another key element, the CEO underscored, is storage. In order to ensure the stabilization, backup, and security of its renewable supply, the giga-project is implementing a portfolio of storage solutions.
The development is investing “billions and billions of Saudi riyals” to ensure that its first customers have access to green electricity, sustainable water, and reliable quality electricity through its grid and storage.
“One example is already for sure and we are expanding into the market with that, which is the world’s largest closed-loop pump, hydro storage, and it combines the traditional form of water-based hydro storage, so a small upper lake and a lower lake,” Terium said.
“That has two effects. First of all, it reduces the evaporation of the water. So that’s an economic effect. But the second effect is that it is a great attractor for birds. Birds and wildlife. So we have a major positive solution for storage that is pretty sizable, the largest in the world,” he added.
Considering the challenges ahead, the CEO highlighted that the development isn’t exclusively centered on creating new technologies. Instead, their key focus is to ensure that the electricity supplied to the NEOM region is renewable, dependable, and affordable.
While not entirely cheap, mature large-scale solar and wind technologies remain affordable, underscored Terium, and will thus be primarily implemented into the framework of connectivity used by the futuristic city.
“The NEOM region has a combination of very intensive solar irradiation and very abundant wind profiling — the solar during the day and the wind mainly in the evening. That makes it a perfect combination to take these two cheapest renewable technologies and get as much as possible out of them,” he outlined.
While the existing infrastructure for electricity amounted to half a gigawatt to 1 GW, the company has “ramped that up” to 3 GW with the aim of 5-6 GW in the near future.
According to Terium, the first tenders of solar and wind power plants have already been established, and the large green hydrogen plant being built will amount to 5-6 GW of installed capacity for power generation by the year 2026.
Due to the size of the NEOM development, the executive underscored that ENOWA is currently at about 5 percent completion of its infrastructure, with the goal of accelerating to 10 percent in the coming 12 to 18 months.
He said: “NEOM is going to be a large undertaking. And what we do is build the infrastructure in line with the growth of NEOM. So that’s why the percentage of 5 or 10 percent sounds low, but it is connected to the size, eventually, of NEOM. And then again, five or 10 eventually of a massive undertaking is already a huge project.”
The company is working with the Kingdom’s Ministry of Energy and collaborating with entities like the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in its energy-centric ventures. Alongside KAUST, ENOWA will be installing the first carbon capture capacity into a gas-fired plant in the Kingdom. The executive said: “That is one example, but there are many other ones and all the institutions that are there in the Kingdom we work with, but also outside of the Kingdom.”
Through collaboration, it hopes to bring some of its ideas on how to scale renewable energy to the region through its renewable energy approaches and Saudi Arabia’s green hydrogen strategy, a part of which is the NEOM green hydrogen plant.
Terium said: “The Kingdom has now embarked upon a hydrogen strategy and a renewable energy strategy, but it may take advantage of some of the lessons learned that we had in the early stage. And we can bring in some of our ideas of how you can do that bigger and at a larger scale.”
What is important, according to the CEO, is that hydrogen needs to reach its customers, and there are more cost-effective solutions than shipping it in the form of ammonia.
Thus the decision to build a pipeline corridor infrastructure to Europe is something “that only a country like Saudi Arabia can do because that’s a job and a size which is even way too big for even NEOM.”
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has inaugurated the largest concentrated solar power (CSP) project in the world, within the fourth phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park in Dubai.
The 950-megawatt (MW) fourth phase is the largest investment project that uses three hybrid technologies: 600MW from a parabolic basin complex, 100MW from the CSP tower, and 250MW from photovoltaic solar panels. Built at an investment of AED15.78 billion, using the independent power producer (IPP) model, the project features the tallest solar tower in the world, at 263.126 metres, and the largest thermal energy storage capacity with a capacity of 5,907 megawatt hours (MWh), according to the Guinness World Records.
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai said, “The UAE has a clear vision to transform itself into one of the world’s most sustainable nations. Our journey towards sustainability is comprehensive, encompassing advanced clean energy projects across diverse renewable sources, and innovative solutions integrated into various spheres of the economy and society. The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park is at the heart of Dubai and the UAE’s commitment to create a world-class infrastructure for sustainability and a robust foundation for building an environmentally friendly future. Coming at the culmination of the UAE’s Year of Sustainability, the launch of the fourth phase of the Solar Park is an important milestone in our sustainability journey. Our success in creating the world’s largest concentrated solar project underscores our determination to advance climate action and aligns with the goals of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP28), which the UAE is currently hosting. Driven by the objectives of the UAE’s Net Zero by 2050 Strategy, we continue to expand our sustainable energy mix and embrace renewable and alternative energies, shaping not only our nation’s future but also contributing significantly to the global effort to combat climate change. Our dedication to sustainability is a testament to our resolve to contribute to fostering a resilient and prosperous future for all of humanity.”
H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum was accompanied by H.H. Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, First Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance; H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy; H.H. Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Ports and Borders Security Council and a number of ministers, director generals of Dubai government departments and senior officials.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum was welcomed by Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD and CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA).
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum was briefed about the project by Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD and CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA). The fourth phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, which covers an area of 44 square kilometres, uses three hybrid technologies: 600MW from a parabolic basin complex, 100MW from the CSP tower, and 250MW from photovoltaic solar panels. The project features 70,000 heliostats that track the sun’s movement. The Molten Salt Receiver (MSR) on top of the solar power tower is the core and the most important part of the CSP plant. It receives solar radiation and turns it into thermal energy. The MSR contains over 1,000 thin tubes that enable the absorption of sun rays and their transfer to the molten salt within these tubes. This project will provide approximately 320,000 residences with clean and sustainable energy. It will reduce carbon emissions by about 1.6 million tonnes annually, enhancing Dubai’s position as a leading global hub in clean, renewable energy and climate action.
Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer said, “President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has emphasised that the UAE’s commitment to protecting the environment and supporting global action to achieve sustainability is firm, continuous, and effective for the benefit of its people and the service of humanity. Furthermore, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has constantly reiterated the UAE’s determination to be at the forefront of global efforts to create a more sustainable future for all of humanity by taking concrete action to transition to renewable energies. At the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, we follow the vision and directives of the leadership to increase the share of clean and renewable energy sources to achieve the goals of the UAE Net Zero by 2050 Strategic Initiative and the Dubai Net Zero Carbon Emissions Strategy 2050. We have already achieved the interim goals of this strategy in record time.”
Al Tayer explained in his speech at the inauguration that the fourth phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park was based on the directives of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to implement this project to be a global landmark that sets higher standards of excellence than similar projects worldwide. He emphasised that this project would not have been possible without His Highness’s support to implement the project according to world-leading benchmarks of efficiency and performance. The project features the tallest CSP tower and the largest single-site thermal energy storage in the world, as well as the lowest cost to produce renewable energy round the clock.
“The vision and directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to enhance the share of clean and renewable energy, have contributed to making Dubai a global hub for the green economy and a global role model in the sustainable transition to clean energy. This has been achieved through pioneering strategies and projects driven by advanced research and development, Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies, digital transformation, and the latest renewable and clean energy technologies. Through the IPP model, DEWA has achieved the lowest global prices, making Dubai a benchmark for solar energy project prices worldwide,” said Al Tayer.
“The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park supports the efforts of the UAE, which has one of the world’s largest investments in clean energy projects, and is currently hosting the UN Climate Change conference, COP28, in Expo City Dubai. This underlines the UAE’s firm commitment to sustainable development and protecting the environment and natural resources for us and for generations to come. The solar park whose current capacity has reached 2,627MW, is the cornerstone to achieve the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 and the Dubai Net Zero Carbon Emissions Strategy 2050 to provide 100 percent of the energy production capacity from clean energy sources by 2050,” added Al Tayer.
Al Tayer commended the efforts of DEWA’s partners in implementing this pioneering project according to the highest international standards and using the most advanced technologies. A consortium led by DEWA and Saudi Arabi’s ACWA Power established Noor Energy 1 as a project company to design, build, and operate the fourth phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park. DEWA holds a 51 percent stake in the company, ACWA Power holds 25 percent, and the Chinese Silk Road Fund owns 24 percent
“Guided by the leadership and vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai is paving the way for a sustainable future. It is transforming into a global centre for green economy by continuing its efforts to achieve the goals of the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050. Inaugurating the world’s largest single-site CSP plant during COP28 demonstrates our commitment to our strategy to increase the use of clean and renewable energy sources. The project is also a significant milestone in DEWA’s success, and we are proud to be a part of it. This is part of our long-term partnership that we began in the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, leading to the opening of the fourth phase we are witnessing today in Noor Energy 1 project,” said Mohammad Abunayyan, Chairman of ACWA Power.
“We are proud of our contribution to achieving the ambitious vision of the leadership in cooperation with our partners in DEWA. Our key role, through the qualitative projects that we operate and manage in UAE, confirms the extent of the efforts, expertise and financial capabilities of our partners in DEWA and the Silk Road Fund. Together, we have been able to set new standards for CSP generation using the latest technological innovations in this project, such as the solar tower technology and parabolic panels that use CSP to produce energy 24 hours a day. Additionally, the plant’s capacity is enhanced with photovoltaic solar panels to produce 950 megawatts. This is the only single-site project in the world that includes all these technologies. It also features the largest solar energy storage capacity in the world,” added Abunayyan.
“Through collaboration and innovation, we pave the way for sustainable energy solutions that push boundaries and drive progress. As we celebrate the opening of Noor Energy 1, we affirm our commitment to a brighter and cleaner future for future generations,” said Zhu Jun, Chairwoman of Silk Road Fund.
“We are honoured to be part of this huge cooperation between DEWA and ACWA Power. Together, we are setting a new standard for innovation and sustainability. This achievement is a milestone in the development of sustainable energy in the region and confirms the commitment to promoting energy solutions. The successful completion of this project is a testament to the dedication and expertise of all partners and sets a commendable precedent for future renewable energy initiatives,” added Zhu Jun.
Three combined technologies
The fourth phase of the Solar Park uses three hybrid technologies to produce clean energy: 600MW from a parabolic basin complex (three units of 200MW each), 100MW from the world’s tallest solar power tower (based on Molten Salt technology), and 250MW from photovoltaic solar panels. The Molten Salt Receiver (MSR) on top of the solar power tower is the core and most important part of the CSP plant. It receives solar radiation and turns it into thermal energy. The MSR contains over 1,000 thin tubes that enable the absorption of sun rays and their transfer to the molten salt within these tubes.
The ship is the first of its kind to be built entirely by the Alexandria Shipyard in Egypt.
Egypt’s Alexandria shipyard made history, as it launched the fourth and final MEKO A200 frigate, named ‘Sajm Al-Jabbar’ for the Egyptian Navy. This frigate holds significant importance as it is not only the largest locally produced combat vessel but also the first of its kind to be constructed in Egypt under the Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) license.
The ship was unveiled in a ceremony held during the EDEX 2023 defense exhibition at Egypt International Exhibition Center in Cairo, with President Abdel Fattah El Sisi in attendance as the chief guest alongside other high-ranking officials.
Egypt had placed an order for four identical frigates, with the first three units being built in Germany, while the final ship was constructed at the Alexandria shipyard in Egypt. The construction contract was signed back in September 2018.
Photographers from all over the world compete to capture the most beautiful images of the oldest holy place on earth, hardly anyone in the world has not seen the image of the Kaaba.
Egyptian Mohammed Sadiq Bey, was the first photographer to take pictures of the Kaaba through the lens of a camera; about 138 years ago in 1880 when he went to Mecca.
Sadiq Bey took the earliest pictures on records and wrote four books about his visits to the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque during that period.
Nowadays photographers take pictures of the Kaaba to capture its beautiful gold threaded black silk cover and the Koranic verses that adorn it.
We explore the Moroccan community in Belgium, their origins and contributions to various industries as well as politics, arts, food and literature.
Bachir M’rabet was a newborn when his father, a weaver from Tangier, received an offer to work in the textile sector in Belgium.
Despite his wife’s reservations, M’rabet’s father left Morocco in 1966 with the goal of earning as much as possible and returning to his home country after a few years. However, things did not go as planned.
A year later, an infant M’rabet and his mother and siblings joined the family patriarch in the Belgian capital Brussels.
His parents were part of a generation of Moroccan workers recruited by Belgium in the 1960s to make up for labour shortages in industries such as mining, steel, manufacturing and construction.
“I don’t believe any Moroccan migrated to Belgium with the notion that it would be a permanent move,” the younger M’rabet tells Middle East Eye.
Today, there are around 600,000 people with Moroccan heritage in Belgium, with the community accounting for almost one in every five people in Brussels alone, according to figures from the Migration Museum.
Initially, the community was made up of male workers, but in time, like the M’rabet family’s example, women and children joined them, leading to the growth of the Moroccan community which is today the largest minority in the country.
Despite the dramatic change in environment, initially at least, they were “warmly welcomed” by the local Belgian population, M’rabet says.
“It was cold and the winters were harsh. We left behind the Mediterranean blue sky and arrived in the darkness.
“We were kind of an attraction, an exotic sight in the neighbourhood. Locals used to invite my father for coffee, they would touch his hair,” M’rabet recalls.
Overcoming challenges
Many other Moroccans arrived in the 60s and despite the friendliness of some locals, it was not always smooth sailing.
The 1980s witnessed a rise in unemployment and increased anti-foreign sentiment.
“In those years, there was a noticeable presence of racism,” M’rabet recalls. “An extreme right discourse that we had forgotten since WWII resurged.”
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‘While being Belgian, I don’t forget my Moroccan roots. I won’t forget that my parents gave up everything to give us a chance for a better life’
– Bachir M’rabet, Moroccan living in Belgium
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Discrimination became more prevalent, with landlords refusing to rent to non-Belgians and establishments denying entry to foreigners, particularly Arabs and Blacks. “The most common reproach was that foreigners came to steal our jobs and our women,” M’rabet continues.
The situation worsened following 9/11 and the 2016 Brussels attacks in the metro and the airport that killed 32 people.
In the early days of their move to Belgium, the M’rabet family lived in financially austere conditions.
“There was no bath or shower. We did the laundry by hand or washed in public baths,” M’rabet recalls.
In school, his limited French language skills also made things difficult, but he was determined to help others.
Eventually, he started working for Foyer, an organisation created in 1969 to offer activities for the children of migrant workers.
According to M’rabet, the Belgian population does not consider people of Maghrebi origin as Belgians, nor are they fully accepted as such. “It is something that can be felt in the way they look at us, in daily life.”
Today, M’rabet is a coordinator at the community centre in Molenbeek, one of the poorest Belgian municipalites.
In his role, he encourages youngsters with foreign roots to embrace their Belgian identity, as Belgium is their country.
“While being Belgian, I don’t forget my Moroccan roots. I won’t forget that my parents gave up everything to give us a chance for a better life.”
Moroccan coal miners in Belgium
Following World War II, Belgium faced the need for reconstruction but suffered from a shortage of workers.
The government resorted to recruiting workers from abroad for the job as coal mining was the primary source of energy, and required strenuous labour.
The Men for Coal agreement signed in 1946 with Italy attracted men to work in the mines, but miners faced harsh conditions and discrimination leading to a halt in emigration ten years later after the death of 136 Italians in Marcinelle, Belgiums’s worst-ever mining disaster.
To fill the labour shortage, Belgium signed agreements with Spain and Greece in 1957 and with Morocco and Turkey seven years later.
Poverty and unemployment in Morocco drove people, particularly those from rural backgrounds, to leave, and in 1964, hundreds of Moroccan men between the ages of 20 and 35 arrived in Belgium.
Due to Moroccans’ “fairly good” understanding of French, they were seen positively by employers, who also regarded them as neutral, religious and submissive.
When their families joined them, it anchored them in Belgium further, eventually helping rejuvenate the country through economic expansion.
Building up Belgium
The 1960s witnessed growth in Belgian cities with new roads, tunnels, tram tracks, offices, and bridges being built.
“My father helped build many of the emblematic buildings in Brussels,” Zakia Khattabi, Belgium’s minister for climate and environment, tells MEE.
“Brussels was built with the help of the labour force of this first generation of Moroccans. The value of Moroccan immigration lies in my father’s hands,” she adds.
In the 1970s, Moroccans constituted a significant portion of the city’s public transportation system employees, with the percentage rising to 80 percent in certain depots.
The Migration Museum collected testimonies from workers, including Mohammed, who stated that “Belgians were reluctant to work for the trams due to the challenging schedules”.
When economic growth came to a halt in the late 1960s, unemployment began to rise.
Immigrants chose to stay in Belgium, having already settled their families and established a life there.
Official immigration agreements ended in 1974, but migration from Morocco continues to this day, with people seeking economic opportunities that their compatriots had benefitted from, as well as for family reunification.
Nowadays negative incidents involving individuals of Moroccan heritage often receive disproportionate attention, overshadowing their achievements.
“A falling tree makes more noise than a growing forest. We never talk about the many successful careers of Moroccan immigrants, whether in key positions of responsibility or in positions at any other level,” Khattabi continues.
“Although I’m very attached to my Moroccan ancestry, I consider myself part of the Belgian community as I was born here,” she adds.
Moroccan achievements
Today, the Moroccan community in Belgium has excelled in numerous fields, from politics to arts, academia, medicine, business and sports.
During the 2019 elections, six nationals of Moroccan origin were elected to the Chamber of Representatives, while 21 Belgian-Moroccan deputies secured seats in regional parliaments.
Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah are internationally recognised film directors, celebrated for movies such as Black and Bad Boys for Life and the series Ms Marvel, while Lubna Azabal has performed in critically acclaimed films like Paradise Now and Incendies.
Moroccan food has also had a strong impact on Belgian cuisine.
It is common to find dishes like tagine and especially couscous on the menus of some restaurants and in households across the country.
“People have embraced couscous as an ingredient, incorporating it into innovative and contemporary culinary creations,” chef Faty Khalis tells Middle East Eye.
Based in the Flemish city of Hasselt, Khalis adds that couscous has become a versatile base for various dishes, from salads to stews.
According to Khattabi, the young descendants of the Moroccan diaspora are asserting their right to belong to the community in Belgium today.
“In the past, the parents used to apologise for being there, while today’s youth confidently assume that they are home and claim their rights. They are also aware of their obligations and acknowledge them.”
Feeling at home in Belgium
Writer Taha Adnan left Marrakesh in 1996 to study at a university in Brussels.
In his work Reflections on Writing and Exile, he explains that he is “neither an exile nor an immigrant but rather someone who had to find a new way of life after facing two years of unemployment” in Morocco.
Today, Adnan advocates for Belgian literature in Arabic, during a time when many authors of Arab origin in Belgium choose to write in Dutch or French.
For him, Arabic contributes to a diverse Belgian identity.
He has published poetry, plays and has amplified the voices of Arab writers residing in Belgium through literary festivals and collective books.
Adnan curated two anthologies: Brussels, the Moroccan, which gathers works by Moroccan writers portraying the capital of Europe, and This is not a Suitcase featuring texts by Arab authors sharing their experiences in the northern European country.
Strolling along the canal in Molenbeek, Adnan tells MEE that he “feels at home in Belgium”.
Many people with Moroccan roots feel the same way and have taken their place in all spheres of life.
As Khattabi says: “Perhaps we need to make their presence more visible. It’s the pathways to success that need to be standardised.”
Minister Zakia Khattabi is photographed in Brussels and says that her father was part of the generation of Moroccans that helped build Belgium (MEE/Hatim Kaghati)
Doha-based experienced gymnast Ayoub Touabe smashed the Guinness World Records title for the Most single leg backwards somersaults in 30 seconds with 12, breaking a new, never-previously-attempted world record.
A somersault is a movement in gymnastics in which a person flips in a complete revolution along the ground or in the air bringing the feet over the head.
Ayoub is said to be among a few people globally who are able to do this movement on a consecutive basis on one leg. In fact, the movement puts a lot of pressure on a single leg plus the lower back, making it very challenging even for experienced gymnasts. Based in Doha, Qatar, Ayoub developed this skill during his 23-year career and managed to set a world record at the age of 32.
Ayoub started his journey by mimicking his father’s gymnastic moves at the age of almost 8 years young in 1998. He started professional training at a later age, but also got his degree at a medical institute. He suffered from multiple injuries during his training career. He said:
“I don’t think I spared any part of my body without some sort of an injury”.
“I managed to do my first somersault in 2009, but it took me another 18 months to do another one consecutively. By 2011, I uploaded a video on YouTube doing 10 consecutively. After thorough research, I realised there is no one globally who can do as many.”
Ayoub is currently training people to do gymnastics. His most experienced student has managed to do the first somersault. He adds:
“The moment you realise how to balance and work out your back flexibility and leg stability is when you know how to do it” he added “I am 5 ft 8 in tall and weigh 89kg, which makes somersaults physically very challenging.”
Ayoub’s goal now is to teach more people the value of doing sports, and stand against society’s resistance to sports:
“Throughout the years, I have been told multiple times to give up my sports career, and focus on my university degree, but I refused and today with a Guinness World Records title, I am glad I didn’t give up.”
First held in 2004 to mark Guinness World Records becoming the best-selling copyright book of all time, GWR Day has inspired some now iconic record-breaking achievements. Guinness World Records today celebrates the eighteenth annual GWR Day. Celebrating the theme of Super Skills, record-breaking hopefuls from across the globe have put on a jaw-dropping display of dedication, persistence and elite-level talent. This year over 1000 applications were received from aspiring record-breakers across the world, hoping to attempt records on GWR Day to secure their place in the next edition of the book.
Source and cover image credit: Guinness World Records Press Release
The Khartoum-based photographer’s work has become ‘a nostalgic collection’ of what his city looked like before the current outbreak of violence .
When the Khartoum-based Sudanese photographer Ala Kheir was approached to feature in “Reframing Neglect,” a group show in New York presenting works by African photographers, he had no idea that the exhibition would be staged as his country was plunged into another violent conflict.
Sudan has been in the throes of political turmoil since authoritarian leader Omar Al-Bashir was overthrown in 2019, but the explosion of violence on April 15 between Sudan’s two warring generals Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan of the Sudanese Armed Forces and Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo’s Rapid Support Forces took the world by surprise, including Kheir.
“Reframing Neglect,” curated by contemporary artist and activist Aïda Muluneh, is focused not on warfare, but on the need to end what are termed “neglected tropical diseases,” which included leprosy, sleeping sickness and river blindness. It showcases works by Kheir and photographers from six other countries in Africa — Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali, Nigeria, Sudan and Ethiopia.
Kheir’s works in the exhibition were shot in the Stables Industrial Area, a neighborhood on the outskirts of Khartoum where families fleeing unstable regions have made makeshift homes. It’s also where the majority of the people in Sudan living with NTDs reside. But now, with the violence that has transformed Khartoum into a constant battleground, even they have been forced to find refuge elsewhere.
Kheir’s work subtly addresses Khartoum’s complexity, as well as the socio-economic issues that shape it, or at least shaped it before the current violence.
“I work in a way that feels more like seeing,” Kheir explains from his home in Khartoum. “This city has been my playground for so long. Even though I am from Darfur, Khartoum is where most of my work is. Through my photography I try to document and engage with the city and understand it better.
“With my camera I’ve been to all parts of the city, all parts of the community,” he adds. “I’ve been photographing projects in the outskirts — in the poor, relatively new neighborhoods — and in the center of the city, where the action is.”
Through photography, Kheir strives to raise awareness of the community of artists whose lives are now at risk in Khartoum.
“I try to use photography with the aim of self-reflection, while also enjoying the process and the difficulty of making a simple photograph that delivers a message,” he says.
Kheir runs The Other Vision, a platform that focuses on photography education and training in Sudan, through which he assists young photographers and connects Sudanese artists to the rest of Africa, as well as engaging with the public to address social issues to bring about change in Sudan.
“When I look at my photography now and think about the war that is currently taking place in Khartoum, my work has become very important to me,” he tells Arab News. “I keep looking at the photographs I took of the city; they have become a nostalgic collection of what it used to look like.
“Since I cannot photograph the city now like I did before, I am reviewing the work I have done over the past 10 years and I want to publish a book with these images,” he continues. “Khartoum and Sudan will not be the same after this war.”
source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)
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‘Home is Here,’ one of Sudanese photographer Ala Kheir’s images from the New York group exhibition ‘Reframing Neglected.’ (Supplied)
Dr. Najm: Award is ‘culmination of a long journey and diligent work in the field of heart surgery’
Doctor attributes success to ‘great education’ he received in Saudi Arabia
Saudi surgeon Dr. Hani Najm has been named the first winner of the Great Arab Minds award in medicine, which was launched by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, vice president and prime minister of the UAE, and ruler of Dubai, in January 2023.
The award, which celebrates the most brilliant minds in the Arab world and their positive impacts on society, acknowledges accomplishments across six categories: engineering and technology, medicine, economics, architecture and design, natural sciences, and literature and arts.
It was presented to the Saudi surgeon in recognition of his outstanding contributions to pediatric and adult cardiac surgery, as well as his innovations in surgery to treat congenital heart diseases.
The doctor is credited with the design and development of a flexible, growth-compatible heart valve to be used inside a child’s body. It can be implanted in the heart and adjusts according to a child’s growth over the years, sparing infants and children the risks of multiple surgical procedures.
Najm participated in over 10,000 surgical operations in newborns, children, and adults with heart diseases, managing complex and critical cases.
Born in Riyadh, Najm graduated from the College of Medicine, King Saud University in 1985. He was trained in general surgery, cardiothoracic surgery, and pediatric congenital heart surgery in Canada.
For 17 years, he headed the Children’s Heart Center at the King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh and was a pioneer in performing critical heart surgeries for patients in the Kingdom, sparing them the need to travel abroad for treatment. He was also one of the first surgeons to perform an artificial heart transplant in Saudi Arabia.
He headed the Saudi Heart Association, served as editor in chief of the Journal of Saudi Heart Association, and was an associate professor at King Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh. He is also an international lecturer in the field of congenital heart surgery.
He joined Cleveland Clinic in 2016 as the chair of pediatric and congenital heart surgery and is currently a member of many national and international professional organizations, including the Gulf Heart Association, the Board of Trustees of the American College of Cardiology, and the European Society of Cardiothoracic Surgery.
Speaking to Arab News, Najm said: “This award is the culmination of a long journey and diligent work in the field of heart surgery. I did not expect this much success in the beginning.
“This award will reflect greatly on my work and on the work of eminent Arab scholars, who in turn will aspire and work hard to obtain the award … a source of pride for all Arabs.
“When I came to the US, one of my most important goals was to be an ambassador for my country. I was striving to gain the trust of the team, the hospital, and the community. Everyone knew that I was coming from a different society, so I worked hard to prove myself and (show) that my recruitment was the right move,” he said.
Najm dedicated this award to his homeland, which he said opened the doors for him to the best centers in the world for training.
He underlined that the excellence he has achieved is the result of the great education he received in Saudi Arabia.
He also thanked his wife and children for supporting him during this journey and the many long hours he spent in the hospital for surgeries.
In a message to Saudi doctors, Najm said: “You have a high level of professionalism, just like all the doctors in the world. The root of my distinction is the education I got from King Saud University, on which I built my scientific and practical experiences. You are the seeds of success, and you can get global recognition, especially in light of the great support provided by our country.”
source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)
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Saudi surgeon Dr. Hani Najm joined Cleveland Clinic in 2016 as the chair of pediatric and congenital heart surgery. (acc.org)
Huawei has announced the 57 winners of the XMAGE Awards 2023. The competition, which spotlights photos taken with Huawei devices, named three grand prize winners, 17 best-in-category winners, 34 runner-up winners, and three honorable mentions.
This year’s winners were selected from more than 600,000 entries received between April 7 and Aug. 15 from participants from nearly 100 countries. After China, the five countries with the highest number of entries were Malaysia, Türkiye, Poland, the Philippines, and the UAE. The most popular phone models used were the P60 Pro, P40 Pro, and Mate 40 Pro.
Out of the 17 best-in-category winners, one hails from Egypt. Sadek Khafagy won the award in the outdoor category for his work titled “Reflection.” His image captures the striking beauty of the unique rock formations of The Wave in Arizona. After a rainy day, water pools in this area reflect the oranges and yellows of the layered rock walls and bright blue sky. Khafagy’s photograph masterfully depicts this vista in perfect symmetry.
Regional talents honored
A number of photographers from the Middle East and Africa region have won special awards from the Huawei community. The UAE, being one of the countries with the most submissions, bagged 10 out of the 15 MEA XMAGE Awards dolled out in 2023. Their images told rich visual stories from breathtaking landscapes, glistening architecture, and the diverse culture of the UAE. Talented photographers from Saudi Arabia and South Africa also earned special awards. The special awards had gold, silver and bronze winners in several categories ranging from portraits and art and fashion to “Hello Life” and outdoor.
Gold winners: In the art and fashion category, the image “Art-Chitecture” captures a unique architectural design with excellent composition that almost makes it look like a flower. The portrait “Drying Up” is a monochrome shot of a man drying hotel towels, full of a sense of story. And “Water Drop” in the Hello Life category was a creatively inverted macro shot of a water droplet against a surreally colorful background.
Silver winners: In Hello Life, “Golden Summertime” encapsulated the radiance of summer in a vivid splash of golden sunset colors. The portrait “Behind the Mask” shows an Emirati girl with her eyes conveying deep emotion behind her traditional face mask, a poetic image that celebrates cultural heritage. The joyful “Best Buddies” image depicts the silhouette of children at the beach against the colorful hues of the evening sky, representing the innocence and sincerity of childhood friendship. The expressive portrait “Innocent Beauty” masterfully uses chiaroscuro lighting to accentuate the doe-eyed gaze of a young girl. In the outdoor category, “Skyscrapers” features tiny window cleaners rappelling down the gleaming facade of a soaring skyscraper. This photo contrasts immense architecture with small human figures.
Bronze winners: The serene “The Kite Runner” captures a solitary young boy silhouetted against a misty dawn sky as he tries to fly his kite. The cinematic “Life Sun” depicts the blazing sun casting dramatic rays through the immense desert landscape of AlUla. Another spectacular shot titled “Kyrgyzstan Postcard View” documents the culmination of a rewarding nine-hour mountain trek, showcasing the cascading valleys and jagged peaks revealing themselves in a breathtaking panorama.
“The Last Light” is an atmospheric landscape taken at dusk, the fading sun casting the mountainous terrain in an ethereal glow. The “Night Under the Galaxy’s Lights” places an SUV in the middle, framed by the dazzling sweep of the Milky Way and some light-painting trickery. The image titled “There is No Love Like Snail Love” playfully highlights nature’s wonder through two spiraled gastropods tenderly exploring each other’s shells. And the portrait of a farmer carrying a woven basket on his head demonstrates excellent cultural storytelling.
Through unique perspectives, artistry, and storytelling, these 15 photographers from the Middle East and Africa have proven themselves at the forefront of their field.
The three grand prize-winning photographs that captured the judges’ hearts include: “Dragon Clouds” by Domcar Calinawan Lagto from the Philippines, “Airshow” by Piotr Cebula from Poland, and “Fearless Eagle” by Dou Chuanli from China. Each grand prize winner will receive $10,000 from the XMAGE creation fund, to support their photography and to encourage them to continue using Huawei devices in the future.
The 17 best-in-category winners and the 34 runner-up winners will each receive $1,500 and $1000, respectively.
source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)
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Sadek Khafagy from Egypt won the award in the outdoor category for his work titled ‘Reflection.’ His image captures the beauty of the rock formations of The Wave in Arizona.
