Huda Al-Sarari – Awarded ‘ 2020 Martin Ennals Award ‘ : Yemen

Huda Al-Sarari. Lawyer. Human Rights Defender.

The 2020 Martin Ennals Awards ceremony was co-hosted by the Martin Ennal Foundation and the City of Geneva.

Al-Sarari is one amongst the 3 women awarded as laureates for Human Rights Defenders. The other two are Sizani Ngubane (South Africa) and Norma Librada Ledezma(Mexico).

For the first time in the history of the Award, all three finalists are winners.

Education:

  • Masters’ Degree – Women’s studies and Development, Women’s Centre – Aden University
  • Bachelor’s Degree – Sharia and Law, Aden University
pix : ishr.ch

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Yemen

Dubai Police Women Officers pull a Boeing Plane. Set a new World Record : UAE, November 2018

Heaviest aircraft pulled over 100 m by a team (female).

A team of 77 female officers of Dubai police established a world record by pulling a Boeing 777-300ER weighing 168.801 tonnes (168,801 kg/372,142 lb) over 100 meters distance.

Dubai Police entered the Guinness Book of World Records thanks to the feat of 77 of its officers, exclusively females, who dragged an Emirates plane .

A feat for a great cause

The aircraft, a Boeing 777 of 74 meter-long and 240 tons, was pulled with one rope attached to its undercarriage. The exploit was part of Dubai Fitness Challenge, a wonder event that aims to encourage residents to exercise more.

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pix : www.guinnessworldrecords.com

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Dubai, United Arab Emirates

World Record Winner of ‘Marathon des Sables’ – Lahcen Ahansal

Lahcen Ahansal . Athlete. Long distance runner.

He has the world record for most wins by an individual – 10 wins. The first in 1997 and then 9 of them consequtively 1999 upto 2007

Marathon des Sables is considered to be the toughest running race in the world. It is a six-day ultradistance event that covers 254 km across the Sahara Desert in Morocco.

Lahcen Ahansal is also an organiser to trekking in Southern Morocco and the ‘Zagora Marathon’.

Other Events:

  • 2010: Winner of the Al Andalus Ultimate trail 
  • 2006: Winner of the Ultra Marathon of Belgium (100  km )
  • 2006: 2 nd  place in the Beaujolais Marathon (team winner)
  • 2006: 3 th  place at the Ultra Marathon Verbier , Switzerland
  • 2002: 2 nd  place in the 100 km of Biel , Switzerland
  • 2001: Winner of the Swiss Alpine Marathon ( Davos , Switzerland)
  • 1999: Winner of the Défi Val-de-Travers , Switzerland (74  km , 2952D +)
  • 1998: Winner of the Super Marathon des Gorges du Verdon , France
  • 1998: Winner of the Austrian Ultra Marathon
  • 1995: 3 rd in the Moroccan Super Marathon (contested in the Atlas Mountains)

– A Book by Belgian journalist Marie-Pierre Fosny ‘Marathonien des Sables – Lahcen Ahansal, Nomadic Child and Desert Star’

pix: moroccansoftheworld.com

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Morocco

First Saudi Woman to Head a Bank. Chairman, Saudi British Bank – Lubna Olayan : June 2019

Lubna Suliman Olayan (aka) Lubna Olayan . Business Woman. Business Executive. Philanthropist.

Breaking the Glass ceiling :

Firsts:

  1. The Saudi British Bank (SABB ) and Alawwal (First) Bank have appointed Lubna Olyan as the Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of the merged banks, to become the first Saudi woman to hold this position.
  2. First woman in Saudi history to deliver an opening keynote at a major conference in Saudi Arabia – Jeddah Economic Forum (Jan 2004)

-Chairman – Saudi British Bank and Alawwal Bank – merger / Former CEO – Olayan Financing Company

-On the Board of several Saudi Arabian and International Companies etc…

Awards/Honours :

-One of the Top 100 most influential people of 2005 – Time magazine / Forbes list of Most Powerful Women

-Awarded Cornell Entrepreneur of the Year (2010) etc…

Education :

-MBA : Business Management, Kelly’s School of Business, University of Indiana, USA / Bachelor’s Degree in Agriculture : Cornell University, USA

pix: weforum.org

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Saudi Arabia

Khalid Al Falih : Minister of Investment. Chairman – Aramco : Saudi Arabia : Feb 2020

Khalid A. Al-Falih is the Minister of Investment, Saudi Arabia. Concurrently Chairman of Aramco.

Achievements / Honour:

-Listed in Forbes Most Powerful People for 2016

-Distinguished Alumnus Award ,Texas A & M University (2013)

-Petroleum Executive of the Year Award 2016 from Energy Intelligence

-Top 100 most powerful Arabs 2019 – Gulf Business

-The Order of the Rising Sun , Japan

Education:

-Harvard Business Program in Global Leadership (1998)

-MBA : Financial Business Adminstration, King Fahd Petroleum & Mineral Resources

-B.E. : Mechanical Engineering , Texas A&M University, USA

pix: arabnews.com

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Saudi Arabia

World’s 5th Largest Lake Island – Ukerewe Island : Tanzania

Ukerewe Island in Tanzania is the largest Island in Lake Victoria.

It is also the Largest Lake Island in Africa.

It is also the 5th Largest Lake Island in the World with an area of 530 km2 (200 sq ml).

pix : safarijunkie.com

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Tanzania

World’s Biggest Indoor Skydiving Flight Chamber : Abu Dhabi, UAE : August 2020

World record breaking 32 ft (10 m) in diameter and height of 104 ft making it the world’s largest indoor skydiving wind tunnel.

It is one of 2 world records of CLYMB Abu Dhabi, a sports and leisure attraction on Yas Island.

The other record is of the ‘World’s Tallest Artificial Climbing Wall’

CLYMB Abu Dhabi is awarded for both by Guinness World Records.

CLYMB Abu Dhabi is awarded for both by Guinness World Records. / pix: drifttravel.com

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Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (U.A.E)

Egypt – World’s Largest Exporter of Frozen Strawberries : 2019

Egypt was the world’s number one exporter of frozen strawberries in 2019, according to a report by the United Nations’ (UN) World Trade Center. 

The Egyptian Food Export Council revealed that Egyptian exports of frozen strawberries made up 20% of all global exports last year, amounting to about 140,000 tons valued at $165 million

In second place behind Egypt is Poland, who exported 94,000 tons of frozen strawberries in 2019. Mexico came in third with 84,000 tons, with Morocco coming in fourth place with 73,000 tons, and in fifth place was China with 48,000 tons.

pix: nilefm.com

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Egypt

Dr Wafaa El-Sadr – Epidemiologist – Global Health Visionary – Director, ICAP , Columbia University, USA.

Dr Wafaa El-Sadr MD, MPH, MPA .

Founder and Director of ICAP at Columbia University. Director – Center for Infectious Disease Epidemiologic Research ‘CIDER’ at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and Professor at Columbia University.

Dr. El-Sadr joined the faculty of Columbia’s College of Physicians and Surgeons in 1988 and become a professor of epidemiology and medicine at the Mailman School of Public Health, of which she is an alumna.

In 2013, she was appointed University Professor, Columbia’s highest academic honor.

She also holds the Dr. Mathilde Krim-amfAR Chair in Global Health, and is the director of the Global Health Initiative at the Mailman School.

Awards & Honours :

-Dr Wafaa El-Sadr received the MacArthur Prize from the MacArthur Foundation (2008)

Rolling Stone magazine named her to its list of “100 People Who Are Changing America” .(2009)

-Named as one of the ” 10: Guiding Science for Humanity” of “Scientific American” (2008)

-Member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Medicine .  

– “Utne Reader” named Wafaa El-Sadr, one of the “50 visionaries who are changing your world. ” (2009)

 
(Photo source: Hugh Siegel – © ICAP at Columbia University)

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American / Egyptian-American

World’s First Historic Birth of Arabian Bustard With IVF : Abu Dhabi, UAE : July 2020

Abu Dhabi created a world first record in species conservation , with the birth of the endangered species Arabian Bustard (Ardeotis Arabs) via IVF – artificial insemination.

It was done at the National Avian Research Centre (NARC), Abu Dhabi.

The International Fund for Houbara Conservation(IFHC) Arabian Bustard Breeding Programme, the first of its kind project globally, has successfully bred 42 chicks in captivity.

pix : wam.ae

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Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE)