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
Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has won the prestigious Football Writers’ Association (FWA) Footballer of the Year award for a second time, it was announced on Friday.
The 29-year-old enjoyed a vote share of 48% ahead of Manchester City midfielder Kevin de Bruyne and West Ham United’s Declan Rice to scoop the prize.
Elsewhere, Chelsea striker Sam Kerr also won the women’s Footballer of the Year award after another stellar campaign. The 28-year-old claimed the prize with 40% of the vote, beating Arsenal striker Vivianne Miedema and Manchester City’s Lauren Hemp.
FWA chair Carrie Brown said: “Both Mo and Sam have been outstanding this season, breaking records for both club and country. As well as their performances on the pitch, they are leaders and standard bearers of excellence at their clubs and respective leagues.
“The fact they have won by such convincing margins underlines just how impressive they have been this season which has been recognised by our members.”
The UAE racked up five more medals on the final day to take their final tally to 17 at the Dubai 2022 World Para Athletics Grand Prix – 13th Fazza International Para Athletics Championships.
Noura Al Ketbi, winner of the host nation’s only gold in the women’s wheelchair F34 shot put, wrapped up with silver in an Asian record throw of 19.46m in the women’s club F32 final.
Algeria’s Mounia Gasmi (21.74m) won the gold and Al Ketbi’s teammate Thekra Al Kaabi (18.67m) took bronze at the Dubai Club for People of Determination.
“For us to win 17 medals and for me to be able to chip in with a gold and silver in that tally was a real good performance that we can be proud as a team,” Al Ketbi, silver medallist at the 2016 Rio Paralympics, said.
“As the host of this championship, we were able to field as many as 50 entries, obviously with the objective of providing them the opportunity to compete at this level.
“Personally, it was a very good competition for me. I can take a lot of positives forward and continue with my preparation for the Asian Para Games in Hangzhou later this year.”
Colombia topped the list with 25 medals, made up of 12 golds, eight silvers and five bronze. Algeria, with 11 golds, four silvers, and one bronze, finished second. The UAE was placed 19th with one gold, 10 silvers and six bronze.
Sara Al Jneibi grabbed her second silver medal of the championships in the women’s javelin wheelchair F33/34/54 with a throw of 8.51m.
Algeria’s Asmahane Boudjadar (11.99m) took gold and Emirati Aishah Salem Al Khaaldi (8.49m) clinched the bronze.
Abbad Ali added another silver to UAE’s medals tally in the men’s discus F11/37 with an effort of 37.04m. Kuwait’s Hamed Ali (41.54) took the gold.
Marcel Hug broke the world record when winning the men’s T54 wheelchair 5,000m final.
The Swiss Paralympic star clocked 9 minutes 32.32 seconds to set his second world record in as many weeks after his effort at the Sharjah International Meeting.
“It’s amazing and I’m really happy with my form right now,” Hug said. “It was my goal to come here and break the world record.
“The conditions are always perfect here. Besides it’s a very fast track so I had a great chance to get a good time here. First, I did it in Sharjah and then here.
“The Fazza Championships has always been an important competition for me and I have been coming here for many years. It’s a good opportunity to see where I stand and where I have to improve in my training besides trying different tactics.”
source/content: thenationalnews.com
_________________
Noura Alketbi (left) and Thekra Al Kaabi with Theban Salem Al Muhairi, general secretary of UAE Paralympic Committee, after the presentation ceremony. Gaber Abdeen
A Saudi team won three medals at an international physics Olympiad on Sunday.
Sadiq Al-Abbad from Riyadh won a silver medal, Jawad Al-Saif from the Eastern Province won a bronze medal, and Lama Al-Ahdal from Jeddah earned a bronze at the Nordic-Baltic Physics Olympiad held at Estonia’s Tallinn University of Technology.
The Olympiad was launched in 1992 with the participation of Estonia and Finland and was called the Estonia and Finland Physics Olympiad.
With Latvia joining in 2014 and Sweden joining in 2016, the name of the competition changed to the Nordic-Baltic Physics Olympiad.
Each main country participates with 20 competitors, while each guest country participates with a specified number.
This year’s Nordic-Baltic Physics Olympiad had four main and four guest countries participating.
The head of the Saudi delegation to the Nordic-Baltic Physics Olympiad, Talal Al-Rashidi, said the physics team had won three gold and silver medals in the GCC Olympiad that was held in March.
The team was participating in the European Physics Olympiad in May with five students and the Asian Physics Olympiad immediately afterward.
“Since 2010, we have achieved 472 medals in many international competitions in mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, informatics, and sciences. Saudi Arabia is the first in the Arab world and the first third globally in various scientific disciplines.
source/content: arabnews.com (edited)
___________
This success is ‘an extension of the series of achievements in international competitions in which KSA participates.’ (Supplied)
The Saudi Ministry of Education joined the international community in celebrating World Creativity and Innovation Day, which takes place on April 21 every year and was established by the United Nations “to raise awareness of the role of creativity and innovation in all aspects of human development.”
According to a report by the SPA, Saudi Arabia registered 1,871 patents between 2015 and 2021 — more than any other country in the Arab world. Eighty-one percent of those patents were registered in the US.
This, according to the SPA, “highlights the creativity and innovation of students, faculty members and researchers in Saudi universities.”
There are 47 centers for innovation and entrepreneurship in Saudi Arabia, and more than 135 centers of excellence and research, all of which have contributed to the country’s drive for innovation.
The Ministry of Education has announced that it is working on a set of initiatives to transform these patents into “investable projects to enhance society and bring about tangible developments for the benefit of the Kingdom,” the SPA reported.
Gharbi is one of a number of Moroccans who have won similar prizes.
Youness Gharbi is the latest in a list of other Moroccans to have claimed a prize for his Quran recitation skills, this time in Saudi Arabia.
Visually impaired Gharbi won the “Otr Elkalam” competition on Wednesday, with a prize of SAR 5 million ($1.3 million).
He received his prize during a ceremony celebrating the completion of the international Quran reciting competition whose name is Arabic for the fragrance of speech.
The Chairman of the board of directors of Saudi’s general entertainment authority , Turki Al-Seikh, delivered the prize to Youness Gharbi and another British contestant Mohamed Ayoub who came in second place.
Mohamed Ayoub received an award of a little over half a million dollars.
In the call to prayer category, a Turkish contestant came in first place, Muhsin Kara, receiving SAR 2 million ($533,200), while another Turkish contestant Albijan Celik came in second place, winning a prize of SAR1 million ($266,600).
Saudi contestant Anas Al-Rahili came in fourth place with a SAR250,000 ($66,650) award.
During the ceremony, the event organizers announced that the “Otr Elkalam” competition will open its doors for international Quran reciters during Ramadan next year.
The “Otr Elkalam” competition was organized by the Saudi government’s General Entertainment Authority this month, to coincide with Ramadan.
Moroccans are no strangers to winning Quran reciting awards. In 2020, Five Moroccans won a Quran reciting competition award in Abu Dhabi during a virtual ceremony.
Nearly all prizewinners of the Abu Dhabi competition were Moroccans.
Moroccan Fatima-Zahrae Mrabet claimed the first place in the women’s “All Nationalities” category, and Moroccan Kaoutar Zribi and Chaimae Lchab trailed behind respectively in second and third place.
Moroccan men equally distinguished themselves at the ceremony, with Anas Mhamdi ranking first in the men’s “All Nationalities” category and Abdellah Bela ranking third within a different category.
Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) continued its journey of excellence and global leadership during 2021 and strengthened its position as one of the most distinguished utilities in the world in all fields.
It has won 59 prestigious local, regional, and international awards, and set two world records in the Guinness World Records. In light of its new achievements, DEWA has accrued 383 awards (67 local, 67 regional, 249 global) since 2015 to the end of 2021.
One of DEWA’s most notable successes was achieving the Sheikh Khalifa Excellence Award (SKEA) in the Elite Category in 2021. DEWA scored 850 in the evaluation, the highest score in the Award’s history since its launch in 1999, with 200 local and regional organisations taking part in this round.
HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, honoured DEWA with five awards at the Dubai Government Excellence Program (DGEP) Awards in 2021. The most prominent award is the Elite Award, which is awarded to government entities that score 600 points or more.
Other awards include the Best Entity in the Emiratisation Field, Dubai Medal for Specialised Employee, Dubai Medal for Young Employee, and special recognition for the Unknown Soldier.
DEWA won the 2020 Hamdan Bin Mohammed Program for Government Services Flag for its Smart Living initiative.
During 2021, Guinness World Records recorded two world records by DEWA. Guinness World Records confirmed DEWA’s Jebel Ali Power Generation & Water Production Complex is the largest single-site natural gas power generation facility in the world. The Complex has an electricity generation capacity of 9,547 MW. The second record was for the first 3D-printed laboratory in the world. The record was awarded for DEWA’s Robotics & Drone laboratory, housed within the Research & Development (R&D) Centre at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park.
DEWA seeks to set two new records for the tallest solar tower in the world at 262.44 metres and the largest 700-megawatt Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) plant in the fourth phase of the Solar Park.
Lowest electricity and water network losses Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA, expressed his proud of DEWA’s achievements.
Al Tayer noted that the DEWA’s record of prestigious awards is a translation of its relentless efforts that aspire to reach the top rank in all fields, and support Dubai’s efforts to become the city of the future.
Yousef Al Refaie sets the record for reaching the top of the highest volcanoes on each of the seven continents.
A Kuwaiti mountaineer has become the youngest person to climb the world’s Seven Volcanic Summits.
Yousef Al Refaie has set a Guinness World Record for reaching the top of the highest volcanoes on each of the seven continents at 24 years and 119 days.
“[If] you came from the desert, I wouldn’t think you [would] be able to climb the highest mountains,” he said of his feat.
Mr Al Refaie, the 24th person to climb the peaks, began his journey as a tourist on December 30 2015 when he climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.
He then climbed Russia’s Mount Elbrus on July 18 2017, Mount Giluwe Mountain in Papua New Guinea on July 21 2018, Pico de Orizaba in Mexico on January 6 2019, Iran’s Mount Damavand on August 11 2019, Ojos Del Salado in the Andes on January 15 2020 and Mount Sidley in the Antarctic on December 22 2021.
He said the toughest was the 4,285m dormant Mount Sidley in Antarctica’s Marie Byrd Land, one of the largest uninhabited areas in the world. It took the team seven hours to push from their camp at 3,000m to the crest of the caldera.
He said he had previously attempted to break the record for the fastest climb of the Arabian Peninsula’s highest peaks, but, as with other challengers, he was not allowed to enter Yemen.
Mr Al Refaie now wants to cross the largest deserts in the world, starting with the Empty Quarter in November.
“When I first asked my mum for the Guinness World Records Book as a kid, she told me she would only buy it if I had something amazing to make my way into it,” he said.
“I really don’t know if she meant it that time, but here we are living the dream.
source/content: thenationalnews.com (edited)
___________
Kuwaiti mountaineer Yousef Al Refaie has become the youngest person to climb the Seven Volcanic Summits, the highest volcano on each continent. Pictures: Guinness World Records
Egypt’s Nouran Gohar has ended compatriot Nour El Sherbini’s 17-month reign as the World No.1 after the PSA Women’s World Rankings for April were released today (April 1).
Gohar has been in sensational form throughout the 2021-22 season and has won the last four PSA World Tour Platinum events in a row, including the Windy City Open presented by the Walter Family and the CIB Black Ball Open last month.
Those wins have seen her leapfrog El Sherbini to claim the World No.1 spot for the second time in her career and for the first time since October 2020.
Hania El Hammamy and Amanda Sobhy stay at No.3 and No.4, respectively, while New Zealand’s Joelle King returns to the top five for the first time since May 2019 after reaching the semifinals of both the Windy City Open and Black Ball Open in March.
England’s Sarah-Jane Perry moves down to No.6 ahead of Salma Hany at No.7, while Rowan Elaraby reaches a career-high ranking of No.8 after reaching her first Platinum semi at the Black Ball Open.
Women’s Top 10 – April 2022 / pix: pic: psaworldtour.com
Meanwhile, Georgina Kennedy rises to her career-high ranking of No.9 after achieving back-to-back quarter finals at the Windy City Open and Black Ball Open, the former seeing her reach the last eight of a Platinum event for the first time. France’s Camille Serme – who has been sidelined since September, 2021 due to a leg injury – completes the top 10.
USA’s Olivia Fiechter drops out of the top 10, while Belgium’s Nele Gilis rises a spot to a joint career-best No.12 ranking. India’s Joshna Chinappa is also on the move as she moves up to No.13, ahead of Tesni Evans at No.14 and Nadine Shahin who remains at No.15.
Nada Abbas rises five places to reach No.16, while Hollie Naughton drops down a spot to joint No.17 with Olivia Clyne. Emily Whitlock stays at No.19, while England’s Lucy Turmel moves up six spots to break into the top 20 for the first time. It’s the first time in over two years that there have been three Englishwoman have been ranked inside the top 20 at the same time.
Egypt’s Nour El-Sharkawy is the biggest mover on the women’s tour this month. The 18-year-old appeared at the Black Ball Open in March and enjoys a 186-place rise to a career-high No.147 ranking.
source/content: psaworldtour.com (edited)
_____________
Nouran Gohar in action at the Allam British Open / pic: psaworldtour.com
Bahrain women created a world record as they smashed the highest total in a T20I inning – 318 – against Saudi Arabia in match seven of GCC Women’s T20I Championship, played at Al Amerat Cricket Ground, Oman.
Saudi Arabia won the toss and opted to field first. Bahrain women smacked the SA bowlers right from the beginning, especially Tharanga Gajanayake. While Rasika Rodrigo only scored 13 off 11 balls, Tharanga continued smack the bowlers from the other end.
Deepika Rasangika joined Tharanga and the duo added 255 runs in 16.4 overs – the highest partnership for the second wicket and second-highest partnership in a women’s T20I match. Tharanga remained unbeaten at 94 off 56 with the help of 17 fours. Deepika, on the other end, scored 161 from 66 balls with the help of 31 fours – becomes first women cricketer to score 150+ in a T20I game.
Bahrain scored 318 runs in the 20 overs, but interestingly they didn’t hit any six through the innings; a record 50 boundaries were hit in the inning. Saudi Arabia conceded 50 runs in extra runs – 34 wides, 13 no-balls, 2 byes, and 1 leg bye.
Before this, the highest total scored in a T20I inning was by Uganda Women – 314 vs Mali in 2019.
Maira Khan conceded the most runs for Saudi Arabia – 68 in four overs. Emaan Ejaz took the sole wicket of the inning but conceded 63 runs in her fours overs.
There was a clear contrast between the two bowling cards. The best Saudi Arabian bowler conceded 13 runs an over and the worst bowler for Bahrain conceded 3.5 runs an over.
In reply, Saudi Arabia women could only score 49 runs and lost eight wickets. They lost the match by 269 runs – the second-highest win in terms of runs in a women’s T20I game.
The first world expo held in the Middle East ends in style.
After 182 days of diverse and rich activities and events, which enjoyed by millions of visitors from across the world, the curtain of Expo 2020 Dubai, the first world expo held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region and the first hosted by an Arab nation, came down on Thursday, March 31, 2022, at the iconic dome-structured Al Wasl Plaza.
The six-month-long exposition, staged under the central theme, “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future”, defied the tremendous challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic, delivering a resounding success.
By organising the world greatest show amidst such challenges, the UAE has removed the world ”impossible” from its lexicon to present a wonderful edition in the event’s long history as His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, said in an audio message delivered at the closing ceremony of the mega global event.
We will not be exaggerating if we repeat what millions of visitors have said that Dubai’s remarkable success offered a great challenge for those to come.
Expo 2020 Dubai, which brought together 192 participating nations, is not a mere event that tells the culture and history of participating countries, rather than an invitation to engage and share visions to address challenges facing the humanity.
The UAE selection of the theme, ”Connecting Minds, Creating the Future” as a headline for its campaign to host the exhibition, did not come by chance. The UAE used to look to the future with proactive visions. Despite humanity’s passing through the most difficult and challenging time due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its negative effects on the economies of the world, there was no confusion in the UAE’s approach and calculations.
Projects did not stop or affected by slowness, delay or hesitation. Rather, they continued in an unprecedented harmony that encouraged the international community participate and engage with confidence enhanced by millions of visitors who and their families enjoyed events and activities that many of them may not be able to repeat again and they will proudly tell them to the future generations.
Since the International Exhibitions Bureau (BIE) announced on 27th November 2013 in Paris that Dubai had won the bid to host Expo 2020, no one doubted the UAE’s ability to present to the world the most beautiful and brightest image of an event that had been exclusively hosted by certain cities in regions far away from the Middle East and North Africa.
As usual, the UAE has a proven track-record in areas of communication and fresh innovative concepts and ideas which have been turned into reality over the past decades. An indicator of success of Expo is that the large number of visitors came from outside the country.
Over six months, Expo 2020 Dubai brought together over 190 participating nations, including multilateral organisations and academic institutions, in a defining moment to exchange new ideas and perspectives, inspire meaningful change and create a brighter future for all under the theme, ”Connecting Minds and Creating the Future” through sustainability, mobility and opportunity.
There is no better place and environment than Dubai and the UAE in general to discuss these issues that of major concern to the world. This was clearly reflected in the World Government Summit 2022, which was the best conclusion to an exceptional event.
It was an opportune coincidence that hosting this event preceded the UAE’s Golden Jubilee celebrations in 2021, as the UAE shared its visions, ideas and rich experience in development with the world in an event that chronicles the World Expo events a new.
The UAE deserves deepest congratulations for the remarkable success of Expo 2020 Dubai as the world welcomes Expo 2025 Osaka in Japan.
Opinion: by: Mohammed Jalal Al Rayssi is the Director-General of the Emirates News Agency (WAM)
source/content: gulfnews.com (edited)
____________
Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan (L2), UAE Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence and Commissioner General of Expo 2020 Dubai, hands the BIE flag to His Excellency Jai-chul Choi (C), President of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) during the Expo 2020 Dubai Closing Ceremony at Al Wasl alongside Her Excellency Reem Al Hashimy (L), UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation and Director General, Expo 2020 Dubai, His Excellency, Dimitri Kerkentzes (R2), Secretary General of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), the governing body of World Expos and His Excellency Wakamiya Kenji (R), Minister for the 2025 World Expo in Osaka, Japan. Image Credit: Expo 2020 Dubai
