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Rawan Amir, 28, along with twin brothers Amaar and Baraa, 23, as well as Muaaz, 17, are siblings in a wider family of seven doctors.
Four siblings who are all doctors, or training to become doctors, from Saudi Arabia have broken the Guinness World Records title for the most awareness ribbons on a car with 5,637 ribbons, it was announced this week.
The ribbons featured 16 different colors, representing major types of cancers as the initiative is aimed at encouraging people to take up early screening.
Rawan Amir, 28, along with twin brothers Amaar and Baraa, 23, as well as Muaaz, 17, are siblings in a wider family of seven doctors.
The parents along with another sister are also doctors in different fields. The family lost their grandfather to colon cancer, and their grandmother to ovarian cancer.
Speaking to Guinness World Records Amaar Amir said: “If we managed to educate at least one person, then there is a possibility that we save a life, which is the greatest deal for us as doctors and medical students.”
He continued: “Medical students see a lot suffering in this area. Cancer affects lots of people’s lives, and different type of cancers are possible in different ages. The earlier someone know about it the better. This makes a big difference for survivals.”
The four siblings grew up in a well-educated environment. The parents used to buy books, especially biology ones, and allow their children to read them from an early age.
According to Amaar, the medical curriculum is very strong in Saudi Arabia, so most of the family studied in the Kingdom, with some continuing their majors in the US.
Amaar and Baraa are senior medical students, while Rawan is a Cardiology Fellow. Their brother Muaaz is high school graduate who has applied to medical school. Their elder sister is also an Endocrinology Fellow, while their mother is Chief of Pathology, and finally their father is Consultant Nephrologist.
Living in Dhahran in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, the team used their family car, Toyota Rav 4, for the attempt. They have also used 56,370 centimeters of ribbons, and 21,385 cm of double-sided tape, all cut individually by hand to create 10cm ribbons, and placed on the car.
The family’s work and study schedules are usually busy, so they decided to do something special and bring benefit to the community. In ribbons and tape, they have used six times the height of The Great Pyramid of Giza, all placed on a single SUV family vehicle.
“We wanted to apply to break a Guinness World Records title because it is the gold standard in providing a platform for talented people and unique achievements. We know that our Nobel cause will reach thousands and potentially millions around the world by obtaining this prestigious certificate,” Amaar added.
source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)
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The ribbons featured 16 different colors, representing major types of cancers as the initiative is aimed at encouraging people to take up early screening. (GWR)
Saudi Arabia’s King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center has performed the world’s first fully robotic heart transplant, Saudi Press Agency reported.
The two-and-a-half-hour operation was carried out on a 16-year-old patient suffering from end-stage heart failure.
A medical team led by Dr. Feras Khaliel, head of Cardiac Surgery and director of the Robotics and Minimally Invasive Surgery Program at KFSHRC, performed the operation after weeks of preparation.
The pioneering achievement, overcoming significant medical challenges associated with such procedures, reinforces Saudi Arabia’s leadership in healthcare, and highlights KFSHRC’s ability to innovate medical practices, SPA said.
The process began with detailed theoretical planning to ensure precision and minimize potential risks.
The team devised a surgical approach to access the heart and perform the transplant without opening the chest of the patient.
To ensure the effectiveness of this approach, the team practiced the procedure virtually seven times over three days before carrying out the operation.
The successful operation has been hailed as a significant development in heart transplant surgery, moving away from traditional chest-opening procedures that require long recovery periods, often lasting months.
Robotic technology allows for minimally invasive surgery, reducing pain, shortening recovery time, and minimizing the risk of complications. This significantly improves patients’ quality of life and accelerates recovery.
KFSHRC CEO Dr. Majid Al-Fayyad said that the successful operation marked another major advance in heart transplant surgery, first performed in the 1960s.
“The success of the world’s first robotic heart transplant marks a transformative leap, not only for our institution but also for Saudi Arabia’s journey toward global leadership in specialized medicine, in line with Saudi Vision 2030, which places innovation at the core of its efforts to improve quality of life,” he said.
“This remarkable achievement would not have been possible without the unwavering support of the Saudi leadership, who have prioritized the development of the healthcare sector, paving the way for a transformative leap in health care services, unlocking new possibilities to elevate the quality of life for patients both locally and globally,” he added.
The breakthrough aligns with KFSHRC’s commitment to medical innovation. As a leading training center in robotic organ transplant surgery, KFSHRC contributes to advancing the global understanding of minimally invasive organ transplants by collaborating with medical institutions worldwide to train their medical teams and achieve better outcomes, further elevating global medical practices.
source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)
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Saudi hospital conducts world’s first fully robotic heart transplant. (SPA)
Palestinian AFP photojournalist Mahmud Hams was awarded the Visa d’Or News prize on Saturday for his coverage of the conflict in Gaza. The prize, one of the most prestigious in the field of photojournalism, is supported by the Visa pour l’Image Association – Perpignan.
Amidst the bombings, with death ever-present and the constant fear of being targeted, Mahmud Hams, who has worked for AFP for over two decades in the Palestinian territories, has relentlessly continued to document the war ignited by Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
“I spent my childhood in Gaza, and in 23 years of photojournalism, I have witnessed every war, every conflict there. But this war is unlike any other, without precedent from the very first day,” says Hams. “My colleagues and I have had to face incredibly difficult conditions, with no red lines and no protections for anyone. There were even attacks targeting journalists’ offices, which are supposed to be off-limits in times of war.”
“Many journalists have been killed; others wounded. I’ve also lost friends and loved ones. We struggled to keep our families safe,” he explains. “Yet, despite the ever-present danger, I continued to cover the conflict because it is my duty, the one I chose when I embraced the profession of journalism.”
“I stayed calm, for my family, and to carry out my mission until the very last moment,” says Hams, who left Gaza with his family in February. “I hope the photos we take show the world that this war, and the suffering, must end,” he adds.
“Mahmud and his colleagues, photographers and journalists from AFP in the Gaza Strip, have carried out extraordinary work in every respect, considering the conditions in which they lived with their families and loved ones,” remarks Éric Baradat, AFP’s Deputy News Director for Photo, Graphics, Data and Archives. “It is staggering and often unimaginable. Their testimony will be recorded in history.”
Having remained in Gaza for several months with no way to leave, all AFP staff and their families have since been evacuated. The Agency continues to report on the war through other Palestinian journalists, working closely with its Jerusalem office, which has been leading the coverage since the beginning of the conflict.
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Photojournalist Mahmud Hams, aged 44, holds a degree in Journalism and Information from the Islamic University of Gaza. He joined AFP in 2003 and has since covered daily news in the Gaza Strip. He has also reported from Libya and Egypt. Mahmud Hams left Rafah in February 2024 with his family and has since been working for AFP in Qatar.
First Prize in the “News Story” category for his coverage of Gaza at the 10th edition of the Istanbul Photo Awards (organised by Anadolu Agency) in April 2024;
First Prize in Photography at the 25th Bayeux Calvados-Normandy War Correspondents Award for his photograph of Palestinian protester Saber al-Ashkar, aged 29, throwing stones during clashes with Israeli forces (“Great March of Return”) along the Gaza Strip’s border east of Gaza City on 11th May 2018.This photo also received the Varenne International Photo Award in December 2018.
The Port of Salalah retained its position as the second most efficient container port in the world, according to the 2023 Container Port Performance Index (CPPI). Additionally, Salalah Port claimed the top spot in the West Central and South Asia region.
The CPPI, developed by the World Bank and S&P Global Market Intelligence, is based on an extensive dataset from 405 ports worldwide, the largest to date. This dataset comprises over 182,000 vessel calls, 238.2mn moves, and approximately 381mn twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) for the full calendar year of 2023.
Port performance is measured by the efficiency of vessel turnaround time, known as ‘Total Port Hours’ – the total duration from when a ship reaches the port limits, pilot station, or anchorage zone until it departs the berth after completing its cargo exchange.
According to the report, the Port of Salalah, with 1,146 vessel calls, achieved 164.72 index points, ranking second only to Yangshan in China, which had 3,509 vessel calls and an index score of 177.9.
Amidst the changes in global rankings caused by regional disruptions, China’s Yangshan Port retained its first-place position, while the Port of Salalah secured its second-place ranking. The Port of Cartagena in Colombia moved up to third place, Tanger-Mediterranean in Morocco held fourth, and Malaysia’s Tanjung Pelepas Port rounded out the top five.
Salalah Port’s strategic location, expanding connectivity, and world-class operations provide its customers with a significant competitive edge in the region. As a vital transshipment hub, Salalah also plays a crucial role in boosting the local economy in Dhofar by offering exceptional connectivity for importers and exporters to trade globally.
The port’s high efficiency enhances local business confidence and attracts investment, including foreign direct investment (FDI).
The Port of Salalah is currently carrying out a $300mn container terminal upgrade and expansion project. Next week, the port will receive the final four out of ten new ZPMC ship-to-shore cranes. The first cranes, with a 75-meter/26-container outreach, arrived at the start of 2024 and are currently being commissioned and tested to start operations.
Once the project is completed in the first quarter of 2025, annual capacity at the terminal will increase from 5mn to 6mn TEUs. The extra capacity will allow it to efficiently serve as a key hub for the Gemini Cooperation – a long-term operational collaboration between Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd, which will start in February 2025, with additional capacity available for other shipping lines.
“Retaining this title for the third consecutive year reaffirms our strong commitment to continuous performance improvement, even during challenging times,” said Keld Christensen, CEO of the Port of Salalah.
Scott Selman, Chief Operating Officer of Salalah Port, said, “I am pleased to see the Port of Salalah retaining our position despite the challenges to global container trade that have negatively impacted vessel schedules. The year 2023 has been particularly challenging operationally due to the ongoing Container Terminal upgrade construction.”
The first activities of the International Artificial Intelligence Olympiad (IAIO) began yesterday, Sunday, which is organized by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, represented by the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA), for the first time in the world, in cooperation with the International Center for Research and Ethics in Artificial Intelligence (ICAIRE) and the International Research Center for Artificial Intelligence in Slovenia, and under the auspices of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), with the participation of more than 25 countries.
The Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported that the Olympiad, which will continue until September 12, 2024, contributes to strengthening friendly international relations between technology and software experts and artificial intelligence teachers in various countries, drawing the attention of young people to these modern technologies, and encouraging other countries to organize similar competitions in the future.
The Olympiad aims to motivate participants to engage in active discussions to explore the various applications of artificial intelligence, and encourage exceptionally talented young people in this field, which is of increasing global interest.
It also contributes to enhancing the organization of artificial intelligence competitions for secondary school students, and motivating them to find smart solutions by designing algorithms based on learning, data structuring, and programming.
The Olympiad enables male and female students, artificial intelligence specialists, and influencers in the world to delve into the future landscape of artificial intelligence, keep pace with the rapid changes the world is witnessing in this field, and provide young cadres with modern technical skills
Saudi Arabia’s Majid Binsuaiger and Khalid Al-Harbi achieved a remarkable feat on Sunday by winning the silver medal in table tennis doubles at the ITTF World Masters Championships Rome 2024.
Competing in the 45-49 years age category, the Saudi duo showcased their skills and defeated teams from Sweden, Germany, and France on their way to the podium, SPA reported. Their exceptional performance earned them a well-deserved spot in the finals, where they secured the silver medal.
They narrowly finished behind the duo of Giovanni Maria from Italy and Cédric Merchez from Belgium, highlighting their strong performance throughout the championship.
Saudi Arabia’s Majid Binsuaiger and Khalid Al-Harbi win the silver medal in table tennis doubles at the ITTF World Masters Championships Rome 2024. SPA
Thirteen Egyptian businesswomen made it to the Forbes Middle East 100 Most powerful businesswomen 2023 list this year.
The list was prepared by the famous financial magazine’s Middle East edition according to the size of the business, the individual’s impact and achievements, performance over the last year, and the scope of CSR and other initiatives led by the person.
The 100-entry list included 104 women from 27 different sectors and 27 nationalities.
The UAE and Egypt scored the most entries at 15 and 12, respectively, followed by Saudi Arabia (11) , Kuwait (eight), and six from each of Lebanon, Qatar and Oman.
Egyptian businesswomen are no strangers to the list, having topped the list in previous years in terms of the number of entries.
Below Ahram Online sheds light on the Egyptian businesswomen who made it to the list:
Dalia El-Baz (13th on the list)
An American University in Cairo alumna, El-Baz is the executive deputy chairman of the National Bank of Egypt (NBE).
El-Baz, who has been on the list before, posseses 28 years of experience in the banking sector.
She joined Egypt’s largest bank in terms of assets in 2008 as head of the operational risk management group, becoming Chief Operating officer (COO) in December 2015.
In 2016, she was appointed on the bank’s executive committee.
In September 2017, she became the first woman to become the executive deputy chairman of the NBE.
Pakinam Kafafi (21st on the list)
A Cairo University graduate, Pakinam Kafafi started her career in finance and banking at EFG-Hermes in the mid-1990s, rising to the position of vice president in 2000.
She then moved to the oil and energy sector.
In 2003, Kafafi was appoointed the strategy and investment general manager of Gas & Energy Group (GENCO).
When Citadel Group acquired GENCO and merged it with TAQA Arabia, Kafafi maintained her role.
In April 2013, Pakinam Kafafi was selected as the company’s CEO.
Rawya Mansour (27th on the list)
A Cairo university graduate, Rawya Mansour proved herself one of Egypt’s leading businesswomen.
Mansour is a descendant from one of Egypt’s oldest families in the field of business.
In 1999, she founded RAMSCO for Refined Architecture and Interior Design.
In 2007, she started RAMSCO for Trade and Distribution.
She also established the Organic Agriculture for Social International Solidarity (OASIS) in Monaco in 2012.
Reem Asaad (39th on the list)
An Egyptian American, Reem Asaad is a Harvard business school graduate who continued her career in Egypt when she served as the CEO of Raya Data Center from January 2012 till December 2016.
From January 2017 to February 2020, Asaad served as Raya Contact Center CEO befor
In 2020, she was appointed Cisco Middle East and Africa Vice President.
Cisco employs 3,000 people and contractors in 74 countries across the Middle East and Africa.
In March 2021, she was appointed by Egypt’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology to serve on the board of directors for the country’s Information Technology Industry Development Agency.
Hend El-Sherbini (42nd on the list)
A graduate of Cairo University, Dr Hend El-Sherbini is a professor of clinical pathology at the University’s Faculty of Medicine.
El-Sherbini served as the CEO of Al-Mokhtabar between 2004 and 2012.
She has been seving as IDH Group’s CEO since 2012.
IDH has a network of 546 branch labs as of September 2022 in Egypt, Nigeria, Sudan and Pakistan.
The group recorded revenues of $281 million in 2021 and $143 million in the first nine months of 2022.
In August 2022, El-Sherbini increased her holdings in the group with 7.3 million additional shares through Hena Holdings.
Now, she owns 26.71 percent of the group.
Farida and Yasmine Khamis (43rd on the list)
The daughters of the famous Egyptian carpets tycoon, Farida and Yasmine Khamis are considered veterans of the Forbes list.
American University of Cairo alumni, Yasmine Khamis is currently the Chairwoman of Oriental Weavers Group, while her sister Farida is her vice-chair.
Both sisters made headlines last December when they transferred their combined 24.61percent stake in Oriental Weavers Carpet to London-based FYK limited, which is fully owned by them.
They are also board members of the British University in Cairo .
Mona Zulficar (48th on the list)
The famous renowned lawyer and human rights activist is the Forbes Middle East 100 women list veteran who has appeared constantly on the list since it started.
A Cairo University graduate, Zulficar is a veteran corporate, banking, and project finance attorney and human rights activist.
She cofounded Zulficar & Partners in 2009. Mona Zulficar chaired EFG Hermes Holding since 2008 and the Egyptian Microfinance Federation since 2015.
Mona Zulficar is currently a member of Egypt’s National Council of Human Rights.
Elham Mahfouz (56th on the list)
An AUC alumna, Elham Mahfouz has over 30 years of banking experience mostly in Kuwait.
Mahfouz has been the CEO of the Commercial Bank of Kuwait (Al-Tijari) since 2014.
Al-Tijari recorded $179 million in net profit and $14.1 billion worth of total assets in 2021.
Mahfouz is a member of the supervisory board of the American University of Kuwait.
Hilda Louca (62nd on the list)
A graduate of the Arab Academy for Science, Technology, Transport and Maritime Transport, Hilda Louca is a newcomer to the list.
Louca started her career in Lufthansa’s customer service before moving to become a sales marking manager at Al-Ahram Beverage Company-Heineken Egypt for three years.
In 2018, she founded MITCHA – platform to support Egyptian designers.
Today, the platform features 200 designers and brands.
Omnia Kelig (84th on the list)
An AUC alumna, Omnia Kelig is a banking and cooperate financing veteran who started her career in the CIB in 1999.
Kelig is currently Deputy CEO, Chairwoman and Managing Director of NAEEM Holding, a dual-listed company on the Egyptian Stock Exchange and the Dubai Financial Market.
In the first nine months of 2022, NAEEM reported $8.2 million in total revenues and $273 million in assets.
Before joining NAEEM, Kelig was a founder and managing director of Viveris Mashrek, a subsidiary of France’s Viveris Management.
She was also a partner and director for Haykala Investment Management and a co-head of investment banking at Barclays Bank in Egypt.
Abir Leheta (87th on the list)
An AUC alumna, Abir Leheta is another veteran on the Forbes list.
Leheta joined the Egyptian Transport and Commercial Services Company “EgyTrans” in 1997.
She has been EgyTrans CEO since 2017.
She is also the chairman of Barwil Egytrans and ScanArabia.
Abeer Helmy Saleh ( 99th on the list)
An AUC alumna, Abeer Helmy Saleh previously held a number of managerial positions, including managing director and board member at Wafa Life Insurance Company and managing director of Bupa Egypt Insurance.
In March 2022, Saleh was appointed as a Board Member & Managing Director of Misr Life Insurance, Takaful, which was established as a joint venture between Misr Insurance Holding Company, the National Bank of Egypt, and Banque Misr, with a capital of over $5 million.
Al-Kaabi also announced that QatarEnergy will more than double the local solar energy production by adding new power plants in Dukhan, to become “one of the largest” of their kind in the world.
QatarEnergy is set to become the world’s largest exporter of urea by building a new production complex, a move that is set to ramp up production from a current six MTPA (million tonnes per annum) to 12.4 MTPA by 2030, marking a 106 percent spike.
QatarEnergy’s President and CEO Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi announced the mega project in a press conference on Sunday at the Qatari company’s headquarters in Doha.
In response to the press, Al-Kaabi said the new facility will more than double Qatar’s urea, or fertilizer, production while supporting global food production and security. He noted that the production from the project’s first urea train is expected before the end of this decade.
“When we look at the future market of urea with the growth of humanity[…]the urea requirement for food production will be exponentially increased,” Al-Kaabi told the press.
The expansion process will take place by building three ammonia production lines that will in turn provide feedstock to four new mega urea production trains in Mesaieed Industrial City.
The announcement also came against the backdrop of Qatar’s growing ammonia and urea production over the past 50 years.
In 2022, QatarEnergy Renewable Solutions and the Qatar Fertilizer Company (QAFCO), inked a major agreement over the development of the Blue Ammonia project, the largest of its kind in the world, in Mesaieed Industrial City.
Production is expected to commence in the first quarter of 2026.
Qatar to more than double solar power production
Al-Kaabi also announced that QatarEnergy will more than double the local solar energy production by adding new power plants in Dukhan, which will become “one of the largest” of their kind in the world.
The new plant will have a production capacity of 2,000 megawatts, doubling Qatar’s solar power production capacity from existing projects and those still under construction. Some of the projects include the Al-Kharsaah solar power plant, inaugurated in 2022 with the capacity of 800 megawatts.
Others include two solar power plants under construction in Ras Laffan and Mesaieed with a total production capacity of 875 megawatts. According to Al-Kaabi, the production will commence before the end of this year.
“By adding the Dukhan solar power plant to these three plants, we will achieve our Sustainability Strategy objective of about 4,000 megawatts of electricity from solar power by 2030, which makes up 30 percent of Qatar’s total electric power production,” he explained.
Al-Kaabi described the latest announcement as a “continuation” of Qatar’s efforts to provide the world with energy products and meet global needs.
“QatarEnergy’s specialised technical teams will immediately begin the necessary detailed engineering studies to implement these mega projects in accordance with the highest safety, health and environmental standards,” Al-Kaabi said.
The films tell stories of hopes, dreams, and challenges from the Arab world.
Arab cinema is about to make waves as the 81st Venice Film Festival rolls out the red carpet.
Running from August 28 to September 7, this year’s Venice International Film Festival will feature 12 Arab films backed by the Doha Film Institute.
These movies will light up key sections of the festival, including Orrizonti and Orrizonti Shorts, and make waves at Critics Week, Giornate degli Autori, Final Cut, and the Venice Gap-Financing Market.
These selections showcase the rich diversity of the region, bringing unique stories from Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Tunisia, and Yemen into the spotlight.
Highlights include “My Father’s Scent” by Mohamed Siam, featuring Egyptian star Ahmed Malek, “Aïcha” by Mehdi Barsaoui, and “Sudan, Remember Us” by Hind Meddeb, which offers a powerful portrayal of a generation’s fight for freedom through words, poems, and chants.
“We are proud to continue a successful festival season with a strong showcase of films by Arab talent at Venice,” stated Fatma Hassan Alremaihi, chief executive officer of the Doha Film Institute.
“Our mission is to support independent creators in cinema, and the compelling selection at Venice is a testament to our commitment to shed light on stories that transcend borders and present unique perspectives. We hope these films receive the acclaim and attention they deserve,” she added.
The 2024 Venice International Film Festival is set to showcase a diverse array of Arab cinema.
In the Orizzonti category, the festival will present “Aïcha” directed by Mehdi Barsaoui and “Happy Holidays” by Scandar Copti. The Orizzonti Shorts category will meanwhile include “Shadows” by Rand Beiruty.
“Sudan, Remember Us,” directed by Hind Meddeb, will be showcased in the Giornate degli Autori section. Critics’ Week will highlight “Perfumed with Mint” by Muhammed Hamdy.
The Final Cut section will present several notable films, including “Aisha Can’t Fly Away” by Morad Mostafa, “In This Darkness I See You” by Nadim Tabet, “My Father’s Scent” by Mohamed Siam, and “Those Who Watch Over” by Karima Saidi.
Finally, the Venice Gap-Financing Market will feature “Marie & Jolie” by Erige Sehiri, “The Station” by Sara Ishaq, and “Theft Of Fire” by Amer Shomali.
With a lineup that promises to dazzle and surprise, these films are set to turn heads and set new standards.
The League of Arab States has hailed the achievements and contributions of Emirati women at the national level, calling them a role model in the Arab world.
Ambassador Dr. Haifa Abu Ghazaleh, Assistant Secretary-General and Head of Social Affairs sector at League of Arab state, congratulated the UAE leadership, government and people on Emirati Women’s Day, which is a source of pride for Arabs due to the prominent position achieved by the UAE women at the Arab, regional and international levels.
In her statements to the Emirates News Agency (WAM), Dr. Abu Ghazaleh praised the efforts of HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak (The Mother of the Nation), Chairwoman of the General Women’s Union (GWU), President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood (SCMC), and Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation (FDF), to enhance the status of Emirati women in all fields for more than 5 decades and commended the great achievements of the General Women’s Union under her leadership, making Emirati women an honorable model for Arab women.
She added that the assumption of important and influential positions by Emirati women reflects their pioneering role in society and makes them a bright sign in the Arab world, noting that the achievements of Emirati women represent a strong push towards further progress and excellence at all levels.
Dr. Abu Ghazaleh wished Emirati women further success and prosperity and expressed her aspiration for women in the UAE and the Arab world to witness more progress and active participation in building societies.
