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
Sara Sabry – Mechanical and Biomedical Engineer. The first female Egyptian Analog Astronaut
Engineer Sara Sabry has become the first Egyptian to travel on a suborbital flight, after New Shepard’s 22nd space flight (NS-22) – operated by the American private aerospace manufacturer Blue Origin – carried her and five others to the edge of space before returning to Earth.
Launched from Corn ranch, West Texas in the US, the New Shepard stayed for 11 minutes at 106 km above the ground.
The 29-year-old Sabry flew with entrepreneur Mário Ferreira, the first person from Portugal to fly to space; British-American mountaineer Vanessa O’Brien; American technology leader Clint Kelly III; telecommunications executive Steve Young; and Coby Cotton, cofounder of the YouTube channel Dude Perfect.
Sabry earned her bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering at the American University in Cairo and her master’s degree in biomedical engineering at Italy’s Polytechnic University of Milan.
She is also currently preparing for her PhD in aerospace sciences with a focus on space suit design, according to Blue Origin.
Sabry’s seat on NS-22 is sponsored by the Colorado-based nonprofit Space for Humanity (S4H), which is concerned with increasing access to space for all of humanity.
According to the official website of Space for Humanity, its “citizen astronauts” are chosen from among “change-makers who are currently serving a community leadership role.”
Sabry is S4H’s second “citizen astronaut” to fly on board the NS-22 after Katya Echazarreta in June.
Blue Origin has not announced how much it charges for seats on its space flights, and neither has S4H revealed how much it paid to book seats for its “citizen astronauts.”
According to some news reports, however, the price possibly ranges from zero to $28 million based on several factors including who the passenger’s social status.
This is the sixth trip by Blue Origin since its launch by US billionaire and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos in 2015.
In a remarkable feat, Saudi Arabia’s national team claimed a total of 19 medals at the recently concluded West Asian Table Tennis Championships in Jordan.
The wins were spread across the Saudi men’s and women’s teams and came in several different age categories.
The final tally was six gold, four silver and nine bronze.
Saudi Olympian Ali Khadrawi partnered Abdelaziz Bushulaibi to gold in the men’s doubles and there was also a first ever gold in the girl’s doubles under-11 category for Nihal Al-Qahtani and Fatima Al-Awami.
Three Saudi players — Khadrawi, Bushulaibi and Azzam Alem — qualified for the 2023 World Table Tennis Championships, to be held in South Africa, due to their performances in Jordan.
source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)
___________
Saudi’s Ali Khadrawi (left) and Abdelaziz Bushulaibi top the podium in Jordan. (@sttf_ksa)
Former hair-transplant specialist urges Iraqi women to ‘keep going until all your dreams are met’.
Balsam Hussein, a 26-year-old TV presenter and former hair-transplant specialist, has been crowned Miss Iraq 2022 at a beauty contest held in Erbil, capital of the northern Kurdish region.
Ms Hussein was among 19 contestants from across the country who were vying for the title and a chance to represent Iraq at the Miss World and Miss Universe events.
“I am highly motivated to participate in Miss World and Miss Universe pageants soon,” she said.
Ms Hussein’s win raises her public profile even higher, after starting work in April as host of a morning TV show for a private channel in Baghdad.
Speaking to The National, she said she had been hesitant to take part in the competition but decided to go ahead at the last minute after full support from her family and close friends, as well as from her followers on social media.
“My family have been happy and proud of me throughout my life, but they became happier and prouder when they watched me on TV being crowned Miss Iraq 2022,” she said. “I felt sorry that they were not able to come from Baghdad to Erbil as they were ill, but I never felt alone.”
Ms Hussein represented the Al Karakh district of Baghdad, the Iraqi capital where she was born and raised. She worked there as a hair-transplant specialist after training in Turkey before starting her TV job — something she said she had always dreamt of doing.
“I have a dream to improve the media and journalism field in Iraq, and of course, being a winner of Miss Iraq will help me to be closer to achieving that dream,” she said.
For Iraqis faced with uncertainty and instability as political groups squabble over forming a new government nearly 10 months after elections, the Miss Iraq pageant offered a window of hope for the future.
Ayman Hussein, 26, a resident of the southern province of Basra, said Ms Hussein’s triumph was “a win for Iraq and Iraqis”.
“It is a clear message that, in spite of political chaos, Iraq is able to hold such events,” he said. “Whenever there is war, there is life — this is our interpretation of life.”
Mr Hussein said he hoped to see Iraqi women take their rightful place in society. “Iraqi women experience hardship their entire life; it is the time to say ‘I am here’.”
Launched in 1947, the Miss Iraq contest was suspended for more than four decades in 1973 because of political upheaval and wars, and resumed only in 2015.
“From today, I represent all of Iraq,” Ms Hussein said. “I would like to send a message to all Iraqi women: do not give up, fight to get your goals, be patient. You have faced wars and difficulties; do not make the harsh conditions a rock in your path — destroy it and keep going until all your dreams are met.”
The judges declared Sarah Saad, from Baghdad’s Al Rusafa district, as the first runner-up, and Jihan Majid, representing Wasit, as second runner-up. Hind Akram, representing the Baghdad Belt, was the third runner-up, followed by Sarah Khaled from Mosul.
Kareem Rasheed, executive director of the Miss Iraq organisation, said: “Iraq is thirsty for such events like Miss Iraq. Year after year, we will do our best to develop it and make it reach people around the Arab world.
“The contestants represent about 90 per cent of Iraq — we covered the regions of south, middle Euphrates, west and north.
“This year, we decided to rate beauty at 50 per cent and inner essence, such as culture, education and so on, also at 50 per cent, while in years past we were focusing on beauty over essence.
“All women are beautiful and each one has a unique trait that makes her different from others.”
source/content: thenationalnews.com
__________
Balsam Hussein smiles after being crowned Miss Iraq 2022 in a pageant held in Erbil. Azhar Al-Rubaie for The National
The Welsh-Iraqi artist will represent the country’s diverse cultures and languages.
Wales has named Hanan Issa as its fifth national poet, making her the first Muslim to hold the title.
The Welsh-Iraqi poet, filmmaker and artist will serve a three-year term, representing the country’s diverse cultures and languages and acting as an ambassador for the people of Wales.
Her recent works include her poetry collection My Body Can House Two Hearts, published in 2019, and her contributions to Welsh (Plural): Essays on the Future of Wales and The Mab.
Issa grew up in Cardiff surrounded by different languages, including Arabic, which was spoken by her Iraqi parents. She described the role as an “incredibly positive step” and said it was “exciting to think that Wales is taking the lead on this aspect of representation”.
“Poetry exists in the bones of this country. I want people to recognise Wales as a country bursting with creativity; a land of poets and singers with so much to offer the arts,” she said.
“I’d like to continue the great work of my predecessors in promoting Wales, Welshness, and the Welsh language outside of its borders.
“More than anything, I want to capture the interest and inspiration of the public to see themselves in Welsh poetry and encourage a much more open sense of what Welshness is.”
Ashok Ahir, who led the selection panel for the National Poet of Wales, said: “This is a hugely exciting appointment. Hanan’s is a cross-community voice that speaks to every part of the country. She will be a great ambassador for a culturally diverse and outward-looking nation.”
Issa said she hopes that her appointment will allow women from all walks of life, but especially Muslim women, to see her success and think “that’s a thing that’s achievable for me”.
The Forum de Beyrouth played host to a glittering showcase of Lebanese talent on Sunday night as model, journalism student and show host Yasmina Zaytoun was crowned Miss Lebanon 2022, almost four years after the last edition of the pageant.
The host of the educational online platform the @WITHYASMINASHOW beat out fellow contestants Maya Abou El-Hassan, who finished as first runner-up, Jacintha Rashed, who was named second runner up, and Lara Hraoui and Dalal Hoballah who were voted in fourth and fifth place, respectively.
Zaytoun is from the village of Kfarchouba in southern Lebanon and is currently studying at Notre Dame University — Louaize. She hosts an Instagram show titled the “With Yasmina Show,” where she interviews media and sports personalities, including politician Paula Yacoubian and actress Enjy Kiwan.
Delayed by years of crises in Lebanon, the much anticipated the show featured 17 candidates from various cities and regions who wowed a judging panel consisting of music composer Michel Fadel, influencer Karen Wazen, General Manager of IP Studios Mohamad Yehya, Miss World 2022 Karolina Bielawska, General Manager of Al-Nahar and Al-Nahar Al-Arabi Nayla Tueni, Caracala dance theatre director Ivan Caracala, TV host Hilda Khalife, and Miss Lebanon 1993 Samaya Chedrawi, who was on hand to represent the Ministry of Tourism.
“Tonight, we’re celebrating Lebanon, not just Miss Lebanon,” Tueni said, explaining the importance of the event.
“Celebrating Lebanon that we miss, the beautiful country, the life in Lebanon. This is the most beautiful image of the real people, the real Lebanese that are suffering and trying to survive. This is a very important message, and I hope that Lebanon will rise again with a very positive message. We will stay strong because we love Lebanon,” she added, noting that the new beauty queen has to “be the voice of the Lebanese people.”
Hosted by Lebanese actress and TV host Aimee Sayah, the event also featured a performance by Lebanese singing icon Nancy Ajram, who started with a rendition of “Ila Beirut Al Ontha” in a tribute to the city, before surprising her fans with “Salmat Salamat” and a performance of her new song “Sah Sah,” which was produced by US DJ Marshmello.
Ajram invited her audience to support Lebanon in the “good and the bad,” adding: “I never thought about how to love Lebanon. There’s no rule as to how you can love your country. I love Lebanon till the end.”
Sayah was dressed by famed Lebanese designer Georges Hobeika, fresh off his runway presentation at Paris Haute Couture Week in July while contestants showed off a number of glamorous looks, including evening gowns and bathing suits, and also demonstrated their ability to keep a cool head under pressure by addressing a range of social issues on stage.
Those issues included divorce, fragmented families, women abuse and violence — both verbal and physical — access to healthcare and education, and women’s empowerment, among others.
The lucky few hit the stage after being prepped and primped by the best in the business, including celebrity makeup artist Bassam Fattouh and hairstylist Wassim Morkos.
Previous Miss Lebanon Maya Reaidy, who was crowned in September 2018, passed the title and the tiara on to her successor, bringing her almost four-year-reign to an end after a series of crises forced the event to be postponed.
In the run up to the event, billboards dotted roads in Beirut and beyond with the slogan “We missed celebrating Lebanon’s beauty,” which played into the wider #WeMissLebanon campaign touted by the event organizers, The Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation International (LBCI) and The Ministry of Tourism.
Organizers also released a glamorous advert featuring a number of the contestants posing in daring outfits, with stunning aerial views of Lebanese tourist hotspots interspersed throughout the 48-second video.
The ceremony reflected the same celebration of the country through the music, which was chosen by Fadel, the setup and decoration with take home flowers.
Chairman and CEO of the Miss World organization Julia Morley, Miss World 2021 Karolina Bielawska from Poland, the first runner-up Miss USA Shree Saini, and Miss World 2019 Toni-Ann Singh from Jamaica and Miss World Events Director Stephen Douglas Morley were also in attendance.
“I have travelled quite a lot and I find that the people are the heart of every country. I can honestly say that Lebanese people are so beautiful and so warm, and even though I’m miles away from my own country Jamaica I feel at home,” Singh said.
The winner was selected from a pool of candidates chosen for their beauty and brains at auditions held between December 2021 and February 2022, with Lebanese young women aged between the ages of 18 and 27 invited to participate.
source/content: arabnews.com
__________
Journalism student and host of @WITHYASMINASHOW Yasmina Zaytoun with her Miss Lebanon 2022 crown. (Arab News/ Alex Spoerndli)
Forbes Middle East has announced its annual list of the 100 Most Powerful CEOs in the Middle East for 2022.
The American magazine confirmed the status of businessman Hisham Talaat Moustafa, CEO and Managing Director of Talaat Moustafa Holding Group, who ranked 61st, up 6 places from last year’s ranking.
Forbes Middle East magazine said that Hisham Talaat Moustafa is the youngest son of the founder of the Talaat Moustafa Group, which is currently the largest listed real estate company in Egypt.
The magazine stated that the assets of Talaat Moustafa Company amounted to 7.5 billion dollars in 2021, while the group owns a portfolio of land with an area of 74 million square meters.
The group’s revenues amounted to 825 million dollars last year, while the company developed more than 33 million square meters of land, and sold more than 90 thousand housing units.
Forbes reported that the Talaat Moustafa Group recently launched giant projects, including: Privado – Madinaty, Celia and Noor City.
The magazine said that the group has extensive investments in the hospitality sector, including: Four Seasons Resort Sharm El Sheikh, Four Seasons Nile Plaza, Four Seasons San Stefano Alexandria, and Kempinski Nile Cairo.
About the methodology used in the classification, Forbes indicated that its methodology in preparing the list was based on collecting information from financial market disclosures, industry reports, annual reports of companies, financial statements, and other primary sources.
As for the classification of CEOs, it is based on several factors: the influence of the CEO and the company on society and the country, the markets they supervise, the CEO’s experience in his current position, as well as his general experience.
Forbes indicated that the factors affecting the evaluation include: the size of the company in terms of revenues, assets, market value, the CEO’s achievements and performance in the past year, the innovations and initiatives he implemented.
This year, Forbes magazine’s list of the most powerful CEOs in the Middle East includes 100 business leaders from 26 different nationalities, led by the Emiratis with 19 CEOs, followed by the Egyptians with 16 leaders, and the Saudis with 15 business leaders.
The CEOs in the banking and financial services sector topped the list with 27 CEOs, followed by the leaders of the communications sector with 8 heads, and then 7 leaders in each of the energy and logistics sector.
The companies on the list run by CEOs are worth more than 5 trillion dollars, while revenue was more than 1 trillion dollar last year.
source/content: egypttoday.com (headline edited)
_________
Among the most powerful CEOs of 2022 Forbes highlights the CEO of Talaat Moustafa Group
Qatari dominated his rivals to retain his title with a winning jump of 2.37 metres.
Qatar’s Mutaz Barshim turned on the style to win his third straight world high jump gold medal on Monday after clearing a world-leading 2.37 metres with ease.
Barshim, who famously shared Olympic gold with Italy’s Gianmarco Tamberi last year, jumped beautifully all night at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon to go well beyond his own season’s best of 2.30m.
The title was just about secure after he cleared 2.35m but he then eased over 2.37m looking almost in slow motion. With the gold medal then in the bag he had one attempt at a championship record 2.42m but failed.
“The target for me for today was gold medal, if even the world record is the only thing I still miss,” said Barshim, whose best of 2.43m is second only to Javier Sotomayor’s 2.45m set in 1993.
“Three worlds golds in a row is something that has never have been done before. I feel like I have a name in our sport, but I have been never felt like the greatest one in the field,” added the modest Qatari, who also has two Olympic silvers and a world silver to his name.
World indoor champion Woo Sang-hyeok of South Korea needed three attempts to get over 2.33m but then also cleared 2.35m at the second attempt to take silver. Ukraine’s Andriy Protsenko collected bronze on the back of his 2.33m clearance.
Tamberi had a nervous path into the final, twice failing at 2.25m and then twice again at 2.28m in Friday’s heats. In the final he failed twice at 2.30m but then cleared 2.33m at the second attempt before bowing out at 2.35m to finish fourth.
source/content: thenationalnews.com (edited)
___________
Mutaz Barshim celebrates after winning the men’s high jump final at the World Athletics Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, USA, on July 18 2022. EPA
NYU Abu Dhabi research scientist Dr. Dimitra Atri has produced the world’s first ever Mars atlas in Arabic, Emirates News Agency reported.
The atlas uses data from the UAE’s Emirates Mars Mission (EMM) — also known as Hope or Al-Amal — in order to make the findings of the probe more accessible to both the UAE’s Arabic-speaking population and the rest of the world.
The Mars Atlas Project combines various images from the Hope probe to map the planet’s surface.
The end result is a comprehensive view of Mars and stunning images of a planet that once had similar atmospheric conditions to Earth.
Dimitra Atri used data from UAE’s Hope probe to map the red planet.
Atri and his team compiled the atlas by processing observational data from EMM’s Emirates eXploration Imager, one of three instruments onboard the orbiter. The device will also assist the team in showing how the planet changes over the course of one Mars year, which is roughly equivalent to two Earth years.
As more data from the Hope probe becomes available, the atlas will be gradually updated.
The data will help scientists gain a better understanding of the planet’s atmospheric thinning, which has caused it to cool and dry over the last 4 billion years.
Atri predicts that the collected data will be used to answer unsolved scientific questions about the erosion of Mars’ atmosphere.
The findings could help the international scientific community to better understand Earth’s atmospheric processes, he said.
Time Out magazine ranks Marrakech 7th among top 53 cities. List also includes Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha
Marrakech has been ranked seventh in a new list of the world’s 53 best cities, compiled by British events magazine Time Out.
Dubai (40), Abu Dhabi (45) and Doha (53) were the other Arab cities receiving plaudits for their offerings in nightlife, liveability, and practical issues such as walkability and sustainability.
The magazine’s annual ranking this year was the first since 2019 to not revolve around resilience to the COVID-19 pandemic, instead focusing on the fun and practical frills that each city has to offer.
Time Out said it had “added extra weight to the things that make cities great places to visit as well as to live.”
It added: “Our top cities this year are the ones with thriving nightlife, amazing food and drink, and art, culture and museums galore.
“We’ve highlighted places that aren’t boring or overly expensive or overrated, and we’ve ensured that our top picks also score well for practical stuff like walkability, good public transport and safety, as well as sustainability.”
The editors were charmed by the “community, creativity and faith in the future” that made Marrakech “come roaring out of the pandemic with a new lease of life.”
Time Out spoke to local guides and experts to get a feel for what is particularly excellent about each urban hub.
Highlighting the new international storytelling festival in February, it said post-pandemic Marrakech has attracted “big players like La Mamounia” that were “sporting sassy new looks.”
The Moroccan cultural capital was described as “thriving,” with the magazine pointing to a range of exhibitions.
It added that El-Fenn had launched “the hottest Sunday music nights in town,” with visitors desperate to return.
Time Out said Dubai “has all the stuff you’d want from a travel destination — from incredible restaurants and buzzing nightlife to some of the world’s best shopping and simply stunning beaches.”
It also pointed to its modernity and cleanliness, highlighting that 97 percent of the locals say the city is clean.
Dubbed “a city of superlatives,” Time Out pointed to the emirate boasting the world’s highest infinity pool, tallest building and largest manmade island. Dubai heard the phrase “go big or go home” and truly took it to heart.
But while those “world’s largest” structures are static, the city is anything but. A vibrant events scene has introduced the newly opened Museum of the Future, with Time Out recommending that you follow your visit “with a beach club crawl along the rapidly expanding Palm West strip and a DJ set at Electric Pawn Shop.”
Time Out noted that Emirati capital Abu Dhabi is also the “unofficial arts and culture capital” of the UAE.
Pointing out that the city’s safety and cleanliness made it popular with expats, the magazine referenced the constant stream of exciting things to do, “from cutting-edge restaurant openings to major new museums including the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi and the National History Museum Abu Dhabi,” both of which are on the horizon.
Local expert Heather Cichowski, from Time Out Abu Dhabi, said the city “ranks among the least dirty, stressful and rude. In short, it’s an all-round comfortable and pleasant place to live and work.”
Like Dubai and Abu Dhabi, Doha was similarly praised for its cleanliness, but locals and expats have also lapped up the Qatari capital’s stream of events and activities.
As Doha gears up to host this year’s FIFA World Cup, the pinnacle of the world’s most popular sport, the city has been promoting its local events for every taste and persuasion.
Time Out said: “There’s loads of great stuff to see and do here, whether you fancy heading out to one of the city’s many cafés for breakfast (and we mean many, Doha’s coffee-and-cake culture is absolutely thriving), touring public art spots from Al Sadd Metro Station to Katara Cultural Village, or visiting a bar after hours.”
Boasting a slower and less stressful pace of life, the city is pouring attention into its arts scene.
The magazine said from now until the turn of 2023, some 17 new exhibitions are set to open, including an “immersive light installation from Pipiliotti Rist at the National Museum of Qatar,” which it described as “particularly stunning.”
source/content: arabnews.com
_____________
Marrakech. (Shutterstock)A view of the downtown skyline is seen from the Museum of the Future in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, February 23, 2022. (REUTERS)Buildings are seen on a coast line in Doha, Qatar. (REUTERS)
Analysts expect up to 157,000 to take up citizenship in next two years as 2015 cohort becomes eligible.
Seven years after arriving in Germany at the height of a refugee crisis, tens of thousands of Syrians are on the verge of receiving German passports in what experts regard as a success for their integration.
The number of Syrians taking up German citizenship trebled to more than 19,000 last year, the government said, after some refugees who excelled in integration and language courses managed to beat the usual eight-year waiting period.
Analysts believe as many as 157,000 more could follow in the next two years as the rest of the 2015 group becomes eligible.
“Overall, we can see that the integration of large numbers of refugees has made rapid progress,” said Jan Schneider of the government-backed Expert Council on Integration and Migration.
“We have observed an above-average level of interest in naturalisation among Syrian refugees. At the same time, many of them are starting to fulfil the necessary criteria.”
The intake of hundreds of thousands of Syrians in 2015 was a politically divisive decision by former chancellor Angela Merkel that was bitterly opposed by some Germans.
In the chaos of that summer’s refugee crisis, many Syrians fleeing war arrived at German railway stations and were initially put up in camp beds and gyms as humanitarian workers struggled to cope with the numbers.
Many refugees also arrived from Afghanistan, Iraq and other countries, but Syrians made up the largest number and helped to change the face of a Muslim community in Germany historically dominated by Turkish groups.
The backlash to the 2015 intake fuelled the rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, and debates over crime, integration and national identity dominated German politics in the subsequent years.
Nonetheless, Mrs Merkel said shortly before leaving office that her much-derided statement in 2015 that “we will manage it” had proved correct, praising the work of local authorities and volunteers in integrating people.
Alongside reports, often seized upon by the right, of violent crimes by refugees, have been more positive stories including of Syrians in Germany helping Ukrainians who fled the war with Russia.
A 34-page report by the expert council said their integration into the labour market was progressing well and the number of social security claimants was down.
However, it said women were less likely to have had jobs or learnt German and that employment had suffered a setback during the coronavirus pandemic when refugees in casual jobs were more likely to be laid off.
Mr Schneider said language courses had paid off especially well because many Syrians were able to complete the naturalisation process in six years.
People can take the six-year shortcut if they can show exceptionally good language skills, perform notably well in their work or education, or have a strong record of volunteer work.
The report said the most conservative estimate was that about 20,000 Syrians a year would take up German citizenship from this year onwards, but that this could rise to many more than 50,000 if they apply at a high rate.
Syrians made up more than one in seven of all naturalised German citizens last year, with 19,100 of them joined by 4,420 Iraqis, 4,020 Iranians and 3,175 Afghans as well as many Turks, Poles and Romanians.
As well as the residency and language requirements, people must pass a citizenship test, be able to support themselves financially, swear loyalty to the democratic order and generally have to give up their old passport.
Mr Schneider said there could be delays if high demand from Syrians continues to exert pressure on short-staffed immigration authorities.
Afghan refugees described frustration at Germany’s famously meticulous bureaucracy as they sought protection for their relatives after the fall of Kabul last year.
“Waiting times are already very long in some places and the authorities are often short of staff,” Mr Schneider said. “They are facing significant challenges.”
Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s government has promised to cut the waiting time for prospective German citizens to five years of residency with a possible three-year shortcut, instead of eight and six.
It has also committed to relaxing rules on dual citizenship, which is currently permitted only for European Union citizens, people born with two nationalities and in limited cases where special permission is given.
source/content: thenationalnews.com
____________
Former chancellor Angela Merkel made the divisive decision to open Germany’s borders to Syrian refugees in 2015. Getty / thenationalnews.comPedestrians pass a food store on Sonnenallee in Berlin, Germany, on Monday, Sept. 13, 2021. Refugees from Syria have changed the cultural makeup of Germany’s capital in a way not seen since the 1960s and Sonnenallee, known locally as “Arab Street,” may be the closest thing to home for many Syrians. Photographer: Jacobia Dahm/Bloomberg / thenationalnews.com
