Category: TOP 10 in GCC

Mohamed Alabbar – Middle East Personality of the Year : Dubai, UAE

Mohamed Alabbar (aka) Mohamed Ali Rashid Alabbar – Emirati businessman –

Organisations:

  • Founder and Chairman – Emaar Properties ( incl. Burj Khalifa (world’s tallest building), Dubai Creek Tower, Dubai Opera (2000 seat), Dubai Marina, Emirates Hills
  • Noon – a USD 1 billion start-up working in the entire Middle East region
  • Chairman – Eagle Hills
  • Chairman – Americana Group (includes KFC, Pizza Hut )..
  • Chairman – Hamptons , MENA
  • Chairman – Armani Hotels and Resorts
  • etc…

Education:

  • Graduate Degree – The Albers School of Business & Economics, Seattle University
  • Ph.D – Honorary Doctorate (Humanities), Seattle University

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United Arab Emirates

Largest aluminum sculpture , Saudi Arabia : October 2017

Novartis Oncology , a medical company specializing in cancer patients, achieved the Guinness World Records of ” Largest Aluminium Sculpture ” on October 7, 2017. 

The statue – 7.71 m tall,  5.03 m long, 3.95 m wide – was made in the shape of a jackhammer to represent “the powerful tool breaking through cancer,” and was presented at the Novartis Oncology Breast Cancer Summit, Sofitel Event Hall, Jeddah in Saudi Arabia.

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Saudi Arabia

World’s 4th Longest Bridge : Sheikh Jaber Causeway, Kuwait : May 2019

The Shieikh Jaber Causeway is the 4th longest bridge in the world.

Named after Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah who ruled during the Gulf war.

About 80 percent of the sea-bridge is over water and connects Kuwait City to Subiya where a USD 100 billion dollar mega-city is being built.

The drive around the bay usually takes over an hour, but with bridge’s construction completed, it shortens to less than 20 minutes.

The USD 2.6 billion causeway was designed by Paris based engineering and consulting group ‘Systra’. Lead by a consortium of South Korea’s ‘Hyundai Engineering & Construciton Co.’ and Kuwait’s ‘Combined Group Contracting Company’.

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Kuwait

Siemens Gamesa – First Blade Manufacturing Plant In Africa & ME : November 2017

Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE) established its rotor blade manufacturing plant mid- october in Tangiers Automotive City, a free-trade zone.

The plant offers wind turbine blades and is the first such facility in Africa and the Middle East.

The project allows the development of a good ecosystem in the ‘renewable energy industry’.

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Morocco

World’s Largest Camel Replica – Saudi Arabia : September 2019

A towering illuminated sculpture of a camel in Saudi Arabia has snagged the Guinness World Record for being the largest ever made.

It was unveiled at the Kingdom’s second Crown Prince Camel Festival in Taif .

The 10-meter wide and 4.65-meter high replica stands on a steel base against corrosion, and it is lit up by 51,000 lights.

The camel replica, located at the Camel Village of the Crown Prince Camel Festival, was unveiled by the President of the Saudi Camel Federation, Prince Fahd bin Jalawi.

pix: english.alarabiya.net

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Saudi Arabia

Shamal Steel Arch Bridge, Ras Al Khaimah – World’s Longest Steel Bridge : March 2019

Shamal Steel Arch Bridge , Ras Al Khaimah, UAE is now the World’s longest steel bridge , certified by Guinness World Records.

It is planned to handle 2,000 vehicles per hour and includes a life expectancy of 104 years without any maintenance.

The bridge is a part of the second phase of Emirates Road as envisaged by the Ministry of Infrastructure, UAE

The former record was held by Poland’s 26m long bridge

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Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates (UAE)

Mohamed Bin Issa Al Jaber – Billionaire Businessman and Philanthropist

Mohamed Bin Issa Al Jaber – Businessman – Founder, Chairman and CEO – MBI Group

Companies include:

  • Jadawel International Construction & Development – residential compounds in Saudi Arabia
  • Continentoil – oilfield services and petroleum company
  • AJWA Group for Food Industries – shareholder
  • JJW Hotels & Resorts
  • Amarante , 4 star hotels in France, Portugal and Egypt
  • Median , 3 star hotels in France
  • Grand Hotel, Vienna, Austria
  • Palais Corso, Vienna’s shopping & office complex
  • The Elton Collection, London
  • list not complete

Philanthropy :

  • MBI Al Jaber Foundation, UK registered charity – focus in the fields of education, cultural dialogue and good governance

Other/s :

  • Founding Patron and Donor of the ‘London Middle East Institute’ at SOAS
  • Endowed Chair – MBI Al Jaber Chair in Middle East Studies, at SOAS, University of London
  • MBI Al Jaber Building, Corpus Christi College, University of Oxford
  • The MBI Al Jaber Grand Hall, University of Westminister

Board/s:

  • Advisor Board, Middle East Centre, London School of Economics (LSE)
  • Nominated as UNESCO’s Special Envoy – Personal Representative for ‘education, human rights, tolerance and culture to build peace and democracy

Book:

Sheikh Mohamed Bin Issa Al Jaber. Yes, Arabs can too

Honours & Awards :

2002.  Awarded Honorary Fellowship at the School of Oriental and African Studies

2004.  Awarded Doctorate of Letters from University of Westminster

2004.  Awarded Honorary Degree, Doctor of Science, from City University, London

2005.  Appointed UNESCO Special Envoy for Education, Tolerance and Cultures

2005.  Awarded UNESCO Medal on the occasion of the organisation’s 60th anniversary

2005.  Awarded a Gold Medal by the French Government for services to Tourism and Culture.

2007.  Awarded Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organisation Gold Medal

2007.  Appointed UN Spokesperson for Global Forums on Reinventing Government

2008.  Nominated as Trialog Institut “Person of the Year”

2008.  Appointed Chairman of Mediterranean Peace Forum

2010.  Awarded Honorary Fellowship at University College London

2012.  Awarded ISESCO (Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) Gold Medal

2013.  Awarded a Senatorship by MODUL University

2017.  Received Dialogue of Cultures Award

Others:

  • Listed in Bloomberg Billionaire Index – n.194 – 2018
  • Listed in Sunday Times Rich List – n. 18 – May 13th, 2018

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Saudi Arabia

IM’Hungry : World’s Largest Burger Restaurant – Saudi Arabia : December 2019

IM’ Hungry, Jeddah , Saudi Arabia is the world’s largest burger restaurant.

It has an area of 2,860 sq.m (30,784 feet) almost the size of 11 tennis courts.

Burgers are served with only fresh, non-frozen meat daily. The menu ranges a variety of dishes.

The record attempt took place in Jeddah on December 12th, 2019 and was certified by Guinness World Records.

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Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

First & Only Player from Oman to Win a FA Cup Medal. Ali Al Habsi

Ali Al Habsi . Professional Footballer. Omani International Goal Keeper. Captain of Oman International Football Team.

First and only Player from Oman to Win a FA Cup Medal. Only player from the Gulf to have a successful career in Europe.

Played for Oman. Clubs overseas in Norway, United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia.

Awards/ Recognitions: A few

-Norway’s Best Goal Keeper (2003-2004) / – Best Goal Keeper Award at Gulf Cup, 5 consecutive years – 2003, 2004, 2007, 2009 and 2011 / -Oman won their 1st ever Gulf Cup (2009) with his leadership as Captain / Winners – Saudi Professional League (2017) / Winners – Saudi Super Cup (2018)

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pix : twitter @AliAlhabsi

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OMAN

Ahdeya Ahmed First Female President of Bahrain Journalist Association (BJA) : November 2019

Ahdeya Ahmed Al-Sayed , Bahrain – TV personality and Journalist, has many firsts to her credit.

Deputy Editor-in-Chief , for the english language ‘Daily Tribune’

First/s :

  • First female President of Bahrain Journalist Association (BJA)
  • First Arabian Gulf Woman to be elected member of ‘The International Federation of Journalist (IFJ) Gender Council’.

Other/s :

  • Winner – Arab Woman of the Year Award for the category ‘Achievement in Journalism’ 5th edition – by The London Arabia organisation
  • Member – Bahrain’s International Federation of Journalists Gender Council

Assignments :

  • Spokesperson of the Government of Bahrain
  • Spokesperson- Bahrain Human Rights Watch
  • Official Spokesperson for the ‘ Bahrain Parliamentary Election’ (2006)

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Bahrain