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Latifa Ibn Ziaten . French-Moroccan Activist. President, Association for Youth and Peace (IMAD).
Zayed Award for Human Fraternity has empowered me to continue fighting: Latifa Ibn Ziaten.
Anti-extremist French-Moroccan activist Latifa Ibn Ziaten, President of the Association for Youth and Peace (IMAD), called on countries participating in Expo 2020 Dubai to support the efforts aimed at supporting peaceful coexistence and combatting extremism.
She also lauded the UAE’s efforts to encourage social peace and promote the principles of tolerance and human fraternity.
In an exclusive interview with the Emirates News Agency (WAM), Latifa Ibn Ziaten, winner of the award in 2021, expressed her appreciation for the award.
“I am proud to be here in the UAE, the country that gave me the opportunity to win the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity, which empowered and motivated me to continue my journey and fight to help marginalised youths,” she said.
“We need to help each other, most notably the youth who engage in terrorism. I will explore the reasons that led them to choose extremism, as people are not born terrorists, but factors, such as misery, ignorance, desperation and specific lifestyles, have led them to become prey for terrorism,” she added.
Ibn Ziaten said that she delivered several lectures in Abu Dhabi on terrorism and participated in seminars on how to save the youth from terrorism, in addition to delivering lectures in Morocco, the US, India and Mali. In France, she has worked with the Ministry of Education and conducts weekly lectures to raise the awareness of the youth.
After her son was killed in a terrorist attack in 2021, Latifa Ibn Ziaten has dedicated herself to promoting tolerance and countering terrorism.
Saudi Arabia has officially unveiled a special Riyadh Season stamp that set a new Guinness World Record.
Measuring an incredible 64 square feet 7 square inches, it broke the record for the biggest special stamp in the world on Feb. 14. The public finally got a glimpse of it when Saudi Post displayed it at Boulevard Riyadh City, one of the special Riyadh Season zones.
“By revealing this stamp, the world’s largest special stamp, we broke Walt Disney’s record, set in 2019,” Bandar Al-Toaimi, Saudi Post’s general manager of corporate communications, told Arab News.
“We are so delighted it has been achieved by Saudi capabilities; from concept to design and implementation, it was all done by Saudi talents devoted to Riyadh season.”
The special stamp celebrates Riyadh Season, which was introduced in 2019 and has become one of the biggest events in the Saudi entertainment calendar. The design includes a winter wonderland scene, the Riyadh Season logo, a hot air balloon, a fountain, a racing car and fireworks.
source/content: arabnews.com
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The special stamp is modeled around Riyadh Season, Saudi Arabia’s major event, and features winter wonderland, the Riyadh Season emblem, an airship, a fountain, a race vehicle, and fireworks. (Basheer Saleh)
Ahmed bin Saleh al Maskari. Athlete. Body Building.
Oman’s Ahmed bin Saleh al Maskari won silver medal in the 90kg weight category at the Arnold Classic Europe 2021 bodybuilding championship held in Spain from September 16 to 18.
Badr al Amri, head of the Technical Committee of the Oman Committee for Weightlifting and Bodybuilding, supervising the player’s training, said that Maskari was able to make his presence felt among the world’s most experienced bodybuilders.
“The Arnold Classic is one of the biggest bodybuilding tournaments in the world, and Maskari proved his mettle as he prepared well for it,” Amri said.
“Maskari is an important member of the national bodybuilding team. He has achieved great success and brought laurels for the sultanate in many international and local events.”
Their Majesties King Abdullah II and Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan on Saturday, February 26th, received the 2022 Zayed Award for Human Fraternity.
In the presence of H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Al Safadi, the award, presented during a ceremony hosted by the Higher Committee of Human Fraternity at the Founders Memorial in Abu Dhabi, was granted in appreciation of Their Majesties’ efforts to promote human fraternity, mutual respect, and peaceful coexistence. The award was also presented to Haitian humanitarian organisation FOKAL.
Attending the ceremony virtually, Grand Imam of Al Azhar Sheikh Ahmad Al Tayyib and His Holiness Pope Francis congratulated Their Majesties, describing them as role models for fraternity and coexistence.
Mohammed Abdulsalam, Secretary-General of the Higher Committee of Human Fraternity, also delivered a speech during the ceremony.
The award is organised by the Higher Committee of Human Fraternity, an independent international committee instituted to promote human fraternity values in communities around the world and to fulfil the aspirations of the Document on Human Fraternity, signed by Grand Imam of Al Azhar Sheikh Ahmad Al Tayyib and Pope Francis in Abu Dhabi in 2019.
The Industry convenes for Dubai Diamond Conference 2022.
DMCC – the world’s flagship Free Zone and Government of Dubai Authority on commodities trade and enterprise – today hosted its flagship Dubai Diamond Conference (DDC) held under the theme “The Future of Diamonds”.
In his opening remarks, Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, DMCC, announced that the UAE reached the top spot globally as a rough diamond hub, trading over USD 22.8 billion worth of rough diamonds in 2021. The country’s polished segment continues to grow at pace, closing in on the current market leader.
Since 2015, the UAE has increased its rough diamonds trade by 76%, overtaking Belgium as the world’s leading rough trade hub. The total diamond trade in the UAE grew by 83% between 2020 and 2021, demonstrating both the industry’s resilience and Dubai’s critical role in the global sector. Dubai boasts direct flights to other diamond hubs across the world, including mining countries in Africa and manufacturing centres in India, resulting in a connected supply chain with Dubai at its centre. Additionally, Dubai is home to the two Kimberly Process (KP) offices in the UAE, making the emirate the only entry point for rough diamonds in the country.
Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, DMCC, and Chairman, Dubai Diamond Exchange, said: “I am humbled to share that in 2021, Dubai, UAE, became the number one rough diamond trading hub in the world. With USD 22.8 billion in rough trade last year, we are continuing to grow thanks to the trust and support received from so many of our guests here today – we accomplished this together. This major milestone clearly demonstrates the determination of both Dubai and DMCC in advancing the global industry.
DMCC’s Dubai Diamond Exchange is the largest diamond tender facility in the world and home to over 1,100 diamond companies, providing members and industry professionals with state-of-the-art infrastructure, facilities and services to trade with confidence.
source/content: mediaoffice.ae
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(L to R) Bruce Cleaver-CEO, De Beers, Iris Van Der Veken – Exec Director, Responsible Jewellery Council, Amit Dhamani – CEO & MD, Dhamani Jewels Group and Ahmed Bin Sulayem – CEO & Exec Chairman, DMCC
In 1851, the Great Exhibition set out to bring culture, history and innovations together in one place — London — for the world to see. Since this inaugural world expo, however, more than 85 percent of the global events have been hosted by either European or North American cities.
Some notable exceptions are the expos held in Asia, including Osaka in 1970, Aichi in 2005 and Shanghai in 2010, almost all of which set attendance records. But to date, these major events have been predominantly northern and western hemisphere affairs.
That is why Expo 2020 Dubai has been such a big deal, not just for world expos but also for the Middle East and North Africa region as a whole, with the Arab world occupying center stage for the first time.
As host, the UAE has offered the very essence of Arab hospitality, first by dedicating a pavilion to every participating nation, and, second, by giving every nation its own “national day” throughout the event. Saudi Arabia’s day fell on Jan. 7.
Expo 2020 Dubai has also had a distinctly Arab feel. The site is peppered with traditional Arabic design features, on its sunshades, water fountains and even public seating.
It is a well-known expo fact that pavilion positioning is everything, often indicating a nation’s global significance and its relationship with the host. With masterful design planning, the UAE was able to place participating Arab countries at the heart of the action, giving them greater visibility and prominence.
Naturally, the UAE pavilion is the largest, occupying the prime position. Its immediate neighbor is the impressive, world record-setting Saudi Arabian pavilion, and close by are Morocco, Palestine, Egypt, Kuwait and other Arab countries.
The Saudi pavilion achieved three Guinness World Records for the largest interactive light floor, the longest interactive water curtain and the largest interactive digital screen mirror. But it is not alone in showcasing avant-garde architecture ideas.
While the expo lives up to its theme of “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future,” it also offers a visible celebration of Arab cultures and nations on a global stage.
Themes celebrating the past are normally divided between the ancient past, such as the Bronze Age settlements of Failaka Island in Kuwait, and the more recent past, before the rapid urbanization of the last half-century.
Indeed, the Arab pavilions go to great lengths to pay homage to the feats and wisdom of past generations. For example, the first exhibit in the UAE pavilion features a stylized desert, with the soft, fine sand of Emirati dunes used as a projection surface for old film reels paying tribute to Sheikh Zayed Al-Nahyan, the UAE’s founding father.
In the nearby Vision Pavilion, dedicated to Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, a guided video tour begins with the story of his stay with a Bedouin leader in the desert as a child, and the lasting impact that connection with the land made on him as a leader.
In the Saudi pavilion, ancient cultural sites, such as the tombs in Al-Hijr, At-Turaif District and the AlUla valley, are featured in a striking visual tour of the rich cultural history and natural beauty of the Kingdom.
In the Oman pavilion, meanwhile, a focus on frankincense highlights the sultanate’s eye-catching landscape and long trading history.
Far from focusing exclusively on their glorious past, Arab pavilions look to the future. Many have a concrete vision that highlights targets set in order to achieve desired development outcomes.
Saudi Arabia has put sustainability at the heart of its vision for the future, Vision 2030, which seeks to diversify its economy, alongside a pledge to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2060.
Egypt has its own Vision 2030 plan, announced in 2016, which sets out eight national targets aligned with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, focusing on an inclusive economy, education and the environment.
In this vein, Kuwait’s pavilion addresses the resilience of its earliest settlements, while a stylized water tower at the pavilion’s center highlights the ways in which humans have carefully managed its natural resources in order to flourish there.
Although Lebanon’s pavilion is much more austere compared with other Arab offerings, its message is a strong reminder of the resilience of its people.
Taken together, Arab participants in Expo 2020 Dubai have made good use of this global stage to highlight their achievements, heritage, ambitions and fortitude. In this sense, the expo can be considered an Arab triumph.
source/content: arabnews.com
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Expo 2020 Dubai has been such a big deal, not just for world expos but also for the Middle East and North Africa region as a whole, with the Arab world occupying center stage for the first time. (AFP/AN Photo)
After the COVID-19 pandemic sparked a near-two-year closure, the Arab American National Museum in Dearborn, Michigan, has finally reopened its doors to visitors.
Founded in 2005, AANM bills itself as America’s first and only museum devoted to telling the stories of Arab-American history and culture. Its location is apt; Dearborn is home to the largest Arab community in the US — around 40 percent of the city’s population is of Lebanese, Syrian, Yemeni, Iraqi, or Palestinian origin.
eaturing a courtyard, a fountain, and thematic spaces, the interior of AANM pays homage to Middle Eastern and North African design and architectural aesthetics. Through its galleries, the museum details Arabs’ varied contributions to humanity, and the phases of Arab immigration: the challenges of coming to America, the challenges of establishing a life there, and the impact of Arab-Americans in the public and private spheres.
It tells the stories of peddlers, entrepreneurs, scholars, military men and women, artists, and entertainers. There are some important but relatively unknown names highlighted. Take Ruth Joyce Essad, a fashion designer born in 1908, for example. She became one of Detroit’s first couturiers — dressing socialists and singers, including big-band vocalist Dinah Shore. Another interesting personality is the Syrian business owner Leon B. Holwey, who claimed to have co-invented the ice-cream cone in the early 1900s.
On a national level, the profile of Arab-Americans was raised last year by President Joe Biden, who made history by establishing National Arab American Heritage Month, which will take place in April every year.
source/content: arabnews.com
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The Arab American National Museum is in Dearborn. (Supplied) / arabnews.com
Qatar’s Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah won Qatar International Rally to record a 16th victory at his home event and achieve a stunning milestone of 80 wins in the FIA Middle East Rally Championship (MERC) since 2003.
The success was a 28th for co-driver Mathieu Baumel in the MERC and his fifth in Qatar, while Al Attiyahs 80th success as a driver equaled the number of wins achieved last month by French legend Sébastien Loeb in the FIA World Rally Championship.
Oman’s Abdullah Al Rawahi was patient and stayed clear of trouble as chaos ensued around him. He and Jordanian co-driver Ata Al Hmoud were rewarded with a stunning second place in their Oman Rally Team-run Skoda Fabia R2 evo and a useful haul of championship points.
Andorra-based Ulsterman Kris Meeke and co-driver Chris Patterson led after two stages on Friday before rolling out of contention for the win in stage four. Meeke climbed from fifth to third during the final day and then overcame a damper issue on the final loop of three stages to regain third overall and the final place on the podium.
Merryhan Al-Baz’ has been taking apart cars and indulging her curiosity in the world of vehicles since she was 13 years old.
This passion for motors and engines, inherited from her father, lead the now 30-year-old to participate in the Diriyah E-Prix 2022 as a recovery marshal last month, becoming the world’s first female crane driver in race competitions.
“No one ever thought a woman could enter this field — the world of mechanics is a male dominated career. Fortunately, in my household, my mother and father always support any talents, ideas, or anything you desire to do,” Al-Baz told Arab News.
Al-Baz explained that there are four types of marshals at the E-Prix; fire, recovery, flag, and trackside. On the ground, authorities saw her capabilities and assigned her to join the recovery marshal team.
Recovery marshals must clean up the circuit immediately after an accident happens in order for a race to continue its course.
Al-Baz is a self-taught mechanic, with her educational background completely different from her career path. “I actually studied psychology and media in Lebanon, but I see myself in the world of cars,” she said. Al-Baz registered at an institute in Jeddah to receive a certificate to pursue her career in a more official manner. Her autodidactic reputation earned her a position as an instructor too, and she hopes that she will be able to open her own automobile repair shop in the near future.
source/content: arabnews.com
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Merryhan Al-Baz, 30-year-old Saudi woman with passion for motors and engines, becomes the world’s first female crane driver in race competitions. (Supplied)
Saudi Arabia has declared Feb. 10 as “Arabian Leopard Day” in a bid to raise awareness of the endangered big cat.
The move, which was announced by the Council of Ministers last month, is part of the Kingdom’s efforts to protect the species, which is now classed as critically endangered, from extinction.
The Arabian leopard is the chief predator in Saudi Arabia and plays a major role in the Kingdom’s culture. But overhunting and a lack of natural prey means there are now fewer than 200 left in the wild.
In December 2020, Prince Badr Bin Farhan, the minister of culture and governor of the Royal Commission for AlUla, established the Global Fund to Protect the Arabian Leopard from Extinction in the Sharaan Nature Reserve. Its aim is to sustain the leopard population and its prey, and protect its natural habitat.
Images of the Arabian Leopard were projected onto buildings and monuments across Saudi Arabia and the UAE on Feb.10.
In recent years, the commission and the National Center for Wildlife have been working on a number of initiatives to protect the big cat. Among these is expanding a breeding program within the Sharaan reserve.
Also, last year, Princess Reema bint Bandar Al-Saud, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the US, launched the nonprofit foundation Catmosphere to raise awareness of the many endangered cat species around the world, including the Arabian leopard.
The Kingdom also works closely with Panthera, which is devoted to the conservation of the world’s wild cat species.
The Arabian leopard lives in high mountains and is native to Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman and the UAE. Anyone found hunting the animal in the Kingdom faces a fine of SAR400,000 ($106,000) — rising to SAR30 million for repeat offenders — and up to 10 years in prison.
source/content: arabnews.com
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The Arabian leopard is the chief predator in Saudi Arabia and plays a major role in the Kingdom’s culture. (SPA)
