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Ines Zaidi, Professor of Immunology at the Higher Institute of Medical Technologies at the University of Tunis El Manar, received the science and technology award of the Francophone University Agency during her participation in the ninth edition of the Francophone Award for Young Researchers.
Dr. Inas, a specialist in blood cell biology, excelled in the competition which included 113 candidates from different continents, such as America, Asia and Africa.
Thanks to her immensely advanced research, which demonstrates intelligence, scientific and cognitive abilities. The scholar’s work has also been published in more than 40 international medical articles, which have provided many additions to humanity, health and medicine in general. Zaidi has been awarded the Sadiq Bessour scientific prize for research excellence in 2017, supported by the Sadiq Foundation in collaboration with the University of Montreal and the Ministry of Higher Education and Research in Tunisia.
Regarding the nature and importance of Ines Zaidi’s research, the piece of work highlights the inclusion and regulation of HASH-1 molecules in public health diseases, as an added value in the follow-up of pathological conditions, as well as in proposing new therapeutic strategies.
Only three other researchers in the world received the Francophone award from universities in Canada and Morocco, making them 4 international researchers with scientific recognition and utterly significant achievements.
Egyptian-American founder of Affectiva is on a mission to revolutionise the way we connect with our digital devices, and each other, by building in emotional intelligence.
The earliest memory that Rana El Kaliouby can conjure is of standing on a tiny blue plastic chair in a romper suit confidently declaring whatever was on her toddler mind at the time.
She is about three years old, revelling in her father’s attention as he dispenses tips – “look at the audience, enunciate your words” – and records the ramblings for posterity with the first commercially available home video camera.
These regular living room sessions led to El Kaliouby going on to give many accomplished public-speaking performances around the world as an artificial intelligence scientist and entrepreneur, most recently this month at the CogX Festival Deep Tech Summit in London.
Her big message after decades working in technology is that the final frontier lies at the point where AI can be immersed in emotional intelligence , or EI, to revolutionise the human-to-computer experience.
But it’s obvious that the first seeds of that life-fulfilling mission were sown more than 40 years ago in her childhood home in Kuwait where she was first encouraged to get to grips with ideas and machines.
“Our family is really big on education, the thing my parents invested in me and my sisters,” El Kaliouby, 45, tells The National.
“And because they were both in tech, we were always exposed to the latest and greatest gadgets. I was a big Atari game player,” she adds, laughing.
El Kaliouby looks back fondly on those clunky old VHS cassettes and hours the family spent playing Pac-Man as examples of the positive way in which electronic devices can bring loved ones together.
Less happy interactions with latter-day technology, however, brought about the realisation that something was missing – all the rich communication signals provided by non-verbal cues were being lost.
An enterprising mission
Her focus ever since has been on developing artificial intelligence that recognises facial expressions so that people can have better connections with their laptops, and, crucially, with each other.
Born in Egypt after her tech guru father, Ayman, met his future wife, Randa Sabry, on a university campus, it seems almost inevitable that El Kaliouby grew up to be a proud geek pursuing a career in computer science.
“It’s a cute story,” she says. “My dad was teaching COBOL programming, this obsolete language that nobody uses any more but was the programming language in the 70s.
“My mum, who was a business major, decided to explore this thing called computer science, and he was kind of interested in going out with her. She said, ‘I don’t do that. No dating allowed.’ And he was like: ‘Ok, then I’ll propose.’”
Soon after, the newlyweds moved to Kuwait, and her mother became one of the first female computer programmers in the Middle East, until having to flee when Saddam Hussein invaded.
Aiming for the stars
Next stop was Abu Dhabi, where El Kaliouby’s Muslim-Arab upbringing was conventional in many ways, bounded by “lots and lots” of rules that included not making any boy friends while at school.
“I always imagined walking around with a gold star on my forehead. I was a very nice, rule-abiding daughter. I stuck to the strict curfews. I never dated through high school or college and I think, by and large, I was always an A student.
“But, at the same time, it was very empowering. I have two younger sisters and the message was always: ‘You can do anything you want in the world.’”
She continued to meet these expectations into her early 20s, earning undergraduate and master’s degrees in Computer Science at the American University in Cairo, and marrying the founder of a start-up, Wael Amin.
Within a year, though, El Kaliouby was undertaking a PhD 5,000km away at Cambridge University despite both sets of parents saying: “Wait a second, you’re married now and you can’t leave.”
Amin, she says, deserves the credit for supporting her daring dream and agreeing to a long-distance relationship.
“It was really unheard of. I did break rules more as an adult as I explored my passions and my quest for being a researcher and an entrepreneur.
“That’s how I think I pushed the boundaries and definitely made my parents uncomfortable.”
And then? “I like the wording that my life went off the rails. I think that kind of encapsulates it.
“Cambridge opened my horizons. It’s like I discovered the world and it was hard to unlearn that.”
The enthusiasm for her life’s work comes across even through the medium of our Zoom interview, but it’s also clear that this was not an easy time.
El Kaliouby arrived in England a few days after the September 11, 2001 attack in America, a young Arab woman then wearing a hijab.
“I was visibly Muslim. My parents were very concerned about my safety.”
The perpetual smile she adopted by way of a peace offering was also something of a mask, hiding the loneliness and separation from those she loved.
Back then, the technological means for staying in contact across the distance was largely restricted to the kind of messaging that proved a barrier to expressing true feelings, making El Kaliouby all the more determined to humanise technology.
“My PhD was centred around building a machine with emotional artificial intelligence, and I recognised at the time that a lot of the ways I was communicating with my family back home, and especially my husband, was through chat.
“We didn’t have video communication and it was certainly very expensive to make phone calls so we would use texting.
“I often felt I could hide my emotions behind the machine. There were many days where I would be homesick or even in tears, but I’d never communicate that. The best I could do was send a sad face emoji.”
The personal hardships became a driving force for her work. In a career paved with “what if” moments, El Kaliouby began to ask: “What if we could teach technology to understand us in the same way that we understand each other?”
“It’s not even in the choice of words we use. It’s our vocal intonations, our facial expressions, our body posture – and all of that was just getting lost via digitally mediated communications.”
Life was about to take another decisive twist as she received an email that the scientist, inventor and entrepreneur Professor Rosalind Picard was coming to give a talk on campus.
El Kaliouby had long been an admirer of this trailblazing woman in an almost overwhelmingly male-led field, whose book on designing computers to recognise human emotions she read while still in Cairo.
Life-changing encounter
“I often say this is the moment that changed the trajectory of my life,” she says of Picard’s request to meet some of the students.
So impressed was Picard by this intense young woman that she offered El Kaliouby a post-doctorate place on the Affective Computing Research Group at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab before their first 20-minute conversation had ended.
“I remember thinking, ‘But I need to go back to Egypt. I have this husband waiting for me.’ And she basically said, ‘Just commute from Cairo. Show up whenever you want to.’’’
By then, El Kaliouby had a daughter, Jana, born in the UK, and a son, Adam, arrived in that other Cambridge in the US, but the constant round trips were becoming unsustainable.
“I was just doing that crazy back and forth. I would say it was OK until it went insanely chaotic when I started the company.”
The company was Affectiva, founded with Picard in 2009 with the goal of creating a commercial applications of emotion-sensing AI.
Growth was fast and it was an exciting time but there was another, darker side. “I was travelling so much, there was very little presence in anything I did,” El Kaliouby says.
Big lesson learnt
“I feel like I was out of balance. I didn’t make any time to sleep well. I would wake up at three in the morning almost every day and fire all these emails to my team. And so these poor people would wake up at six or seven in the morning with a whole slew of notes from me.
“I would go on vacation with my husband and my two young kids, and I’d just be on call all the time. There were zero boundaries, zero balance, and that was a big lesson learnt. There’s always time for self-care. There should always be time to spend with family and loved ones and friends. And, I didn’t do that, you know?”
By 2016, she was a divorced mother of two young children living full-time in America, and decided to bare that vulnerability in her role as chief executive of Affectiva.
Staff could see on El Kaliouby’s calendar that 3.30pm was demarcated to collect her son from school, and she explained to them that a Zumba class each Friday ensured a happier, healthier leader.
“I think it made for a much more authentic environment,” she says.
The family now lives in what El Kaliouby describes as a charming New England home filled with distinctive Middle Eastern touches and often by the aroma of molokhia soup made to her mother’s recipe.
Love for Egypt
“It’s very modern but with a lot of Egyptian things, Arab and Islamic inscriptions. I think of myself as Egyptian American, and very Egyptian in a lot of ways. I love Egypt. A lot of qualities – the Arab warmth, generosity and even intimacy – that’s very much who I am and I would say it’s the same for my kids.
“But I also have embraced what people would call American values. I’m very ambitious, very driven, very globally minded.”
That ambition and drive has taken her far. Affectiva is employed by brands in about 90 countries for market research, but also helps children with developmental difficulties, such as autism , to better interact with those around them.
More recently, the company has developed technology to make driving safer by enabling cars to detect if a motorist is becoming drowsy or distracted.
It was acquired in 2021 by the Swedish AI giant SmartEye for what was said to be about $73 million, with El Kaliouby becoming deputy chief executive.
She has long predicted that the day will come when all devices have an emotion chip and we won’t remember what it was like before screens could comprehend the meaning of us frowning at them.
“When we first started doing this work, we always said this will become ubiquitous and ingrained in every technology. Now, I think it’s more true than ever because AI is becoming a lot more conversational and perceptual.
“You can imagine that the final frontier is this emotional and social intelligence. Initially, my work was very much around human-to-computer interaction, making machines more intelligent, and how they communicate with humans.
“Now it’s back to the human connection. How are AI assistants and AI technologies going to make us better humans, especially better at connecting with each other?”
Along the way, she has learnt that daily affirmations are as integral to life as algorithms, and celebrating the small achievements, such as growing her own tulips, is as important as publishing a best-selling memoir, Girl Decoded.
Among the accolades amassed, El Kaliouby can cite becoming a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader, being listed on the Forbes Top 50 Women in Tech, and receiving the Smithsonian Magazine’s American Ingenuity Award in Technology. Earlier this year, she was invited to ring the opening bell on New York’s Nasdaq exchange as a female pioneer in AI, and was recently made a 2023 Eisenhower Fellow.
None of this seems to have gone to her head, however, perhaps because her family does a good job of keeping her grounded.
When El Kaliouby gave a TED Talk some years ago, she explained that in emotion science all facial muscle movements are measured as action units with specific numbers for each.
Words from the wise
In a throwback to those early guided sessions in the family living room in Kuwait, the night before she walked on stage, her daughter Jana, 12 at the time, helpfully texted: “Good luck mummy!! I’m sure your gonna do awesome. Remember: don’t play with your hair, connect with audience, give them a present, gesture on words, gesture to emphasise.”
The response sent in live time was the old-school 🙂 emoticon but the algorithm that is El Kaliouby’s labour of love would have strongly detected action unit 12, the main component of, in this particular case, a very indulgent smile.
From her parting message to readers of The National, it is clear that she won’t rest until the technology responds just as accurately across the whole gamut of social and emotional states irrespective of people’s age, gender or ethnicity. Going forward, El Kaliouby insists, the watchword has to be inclusivity.
“I’m on this mission to diversify the face of AI. So it’s a call to action to get involved. It’s super exciting and we need a lot of diverse people being part of it.”
Egyptian architectural historian May El-Ibrashy is among the winners of the 2022 Prince Claus Impacts awards for her contribution and innovation in her community.
The Prince Claus Fund has announced on Tuesday the six recipients of the first 2022 Prince Claus Impact Awards.
The new award honours individuals whose work in art and culture engages their communities in innovative, positive ways while addressing issues of urgent contemporary relevance.
El-Ibrashy is an architect whose work centres on community engagement through heritage conservation, rehabilitation, preservation, and re-signification. She is the founder of the Megawra Built Environment Collective, a twinship between an architectural firm and an NGO.
Through her work she has managed to create a real difference for the often-marginalised communities living in Cairo’s historic centre and has created an important counter narrative to the current government’s focus on urban expansion and renewal, creating a new sense of hope and pride for the communities she works with.
Focusing on Al-Khalifa District in Sayeda Zeinab, Al-Hattaba district by the citadel, and Al-Imam Al-Shafii district, El-Ibrashy’s participatory conservation initiative is an inspiring successful community dialogue that has been going on for 10 years. The impact of the dialogue still resonates in the communities of Al Khalifa District, Al-Hattaba and Al-Imam Al-Shafii.
The other five recipients are:
Ailton Alves Lacerda Krenak (Brazil), an indigenous leader, environmentalist, and philosopher.
Alain Gomis (Senegal), a Senegalese-French film director and screenwriter.
Hassan Darsi (Morocco), a visual artist whose work promotes critical thinking about public spaces and citizenship.
Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara (Cuba), an artist and human rights defender.
María Medrano (Argentina) is a writer, poet and editor.
The Awards Ceremony shall take place in the Royal Palace Amsterdam on the 7th of December.
Najla Al Midfa, CEO of the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Centre (Sheraa), has received the coveted Arabian Business Arab Woman Award for Entrepreneurship during the Arabian Business Arab Woman Awards 2023, held at Jumeirah Mina A’Salam Hotel in Dubai.
The Arabian Business Arab Woman Awards 2023 recognised and celebrated exceptional women who have made significant contributions to various fields.
This prestigious accolade is a testament to Al Midfa’s relentless dedication to fostering entrepreneurship in the Arab world and her true commitment to empowering founders and innovators.
Najla Al Midfa’s passion for entrepreneurship has helped take Sheraa to new heights, empowering aspiring entrepreneurs not just in the UAE but across the Arab region and the world. Through various initiatives, Sheraa has emerged as a thriving ecosystem that nurtures and supports budding business founders, providing them with the tools and resources needed to transform their dreams into reality.
Commenting on the award, Najla Al Midfa eloquently said, “It is often said that every great dream commences with a dreamer standing atop the shoulders of giants. I humbly dedicate this award to two such giants, visionaries who have paved the way for us on this remarkable journey. H.H. Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, who envisioned the emirate not merely as an Arab city, but as a global beacon for human advancement and progress, and Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairperson of Sheraa, whose unyielding commitment to nurturing the next generation of changemakers knows no bounds.”
The Sheraa CEO gave homage to her team saying, “The incredible team at Sheraa embodies the essence of this vision, thanks to their relentless drive that every idea finds its purpose, every challenge morphs into an opportunity, and every enraptured dream inches closer to reality. And lastly, a tribute to the entrepreneurs we have had the honour of working with. You invigorate us every single day with your determination to push the boundaries of what is possible. Your ventures echo the realisation of the vision that guides us at Sheraa, reiterating that with collective effort, the sky is not the limit but the beginning.”
By calling for women’s education and freedom, Saida Manoubia was truly a feminist ahead of her time.
Her shrine, located in the governorate of Manouba, west of Tunis, is a historical and cultural landmark of the city. It’s a gathering spot for locals and a venue for musical events. Visitors partake in the eating, conversing, and singing of folk songs praising and singing the saint’s virtues.
When I got inside, I was advised to talk to Aunt Zaziya, an elderly woman who resides in one of the building’s rooms. A long line of people had formed outside her door. I stepped in and sat down while she was having lunch in a small room surrounded by a few bags of gifts from the visitors a short time later.
People bring Aunt Zaziya treats to give away to visitors, as well as meat to cook and eat there, and she sends them away with Lella Saida’s blessings. She told me stories about couples who were able to conceive after years of unsuccessful attempts and women who married at a very advanced age thanks to the saint’s blessings. Aunt Zaziya, on the other hand, refused to continue the conversation when I told her I wanted to learn more about this renowned and revered woman.
I had the opportunity to speak with some of the women present and hear their stories. Amira, 25, described her visits to the shrine as providing her with “interior comfort.” But she didn’t know anything about Lella Saida’s background, her life story, or Sufism in general. Saida Manoubiya was described as a “smart and nice woman who assisted the underprivileged” by other regular visitors. However, the specifics of what made her such a wonderful woman were not widely known.
This lack of understanding runs against to Saida Manoubiya’s own beliefs, as well as how she lived her life and why she is regarded as one of Tunisia’s greatest women.
Education in a Patriarchal Society
Aicha, who grew up in Tunis during the Hafsid reign in the 13th century, possessed outstanding intelligence and intuition. Her father was a religious figure, an Imam or a Quran instructor. In his relationship with Aicha, it’s worth noting that he encouraged her education by teaching her Arabic (her native tongue is Amazigh) and the Quran.
It was evident that Aicha was different; she was a free spirit who refused to conform to the limits put on women at the period, something the villagers did not appreciate. Her behavior was viewed as unconventional or liberal, to the extent where her father was frequently chastised for her conduct.
When Aicha was told she would be married to a relative, she refused and decided to leave, an option that is still frowned upon now in Tunisia, let alone in the 1200s. Aicha was seeking freedom, financial independence, and education when she left Manouba for Tunis and sacrificed her family life. She was leaving behind the confines of a loveless marriage and traditional social constraints, as well as the confines of a loveless marriage and traditional social constraints.
According to historian Abdel Jalil Bouguerra, education was only available to specific women during that time: foreigners from the Mashreq, Al-Andalus, or the ruling family’s elite women. Aicha, on the other hand, was neither of these things.
She began knitting and spinning wool to support herself after settling in Montfleury, and she quickly became a disciple of Abu al-Hasan al-Shadhili, one of the most renowned religious personalities of his time, who was immersed in the Sufi school of Ibn Arabi al-Andalusi. Women and men are equal, according to Ibn Arabi, a controversial yet prominent person in Islamic history. It’s no wonder that Aicha picked this Sufi order as her educational path because he wrote extensively about the different female teachers who molded his spiritual knowledge.
Aicha continued to break social conventions at the time. She studied the Quran and attempted to analyze it attentively in order to comprehend its contents, opting for inquiry as a way to religion. She would leave her house without a male companion and go out to preach and debate with men. Some Sheikhs are said to have called for her stoning as a result of this.
She, on the other hand, worked hard in class, passed multiple exams, and swiftly advanced from student to teacher. Sufi intellectuals and kings were drawn to her arguments with her mentor, al-Shadhili. Continuing her schooling at that time is a remarkable achievement in and of itself. But pursuing and teaching Islamic studies and religion, a field dominated largely by men, is even more impressive.
Prominence & Influence
Aicha rose to prominence as a significant religious person in Tunisia, with connections to the most powerful religious groups. In Sufi societies, accompanying her master to various prayer spots on top of mountains and hills is considered a luxury. She then got close to prince Abou Mouhamad Abdel Wahed and Sultan Abou Zakariyah, and she received access to prayer sites formerly only open to men, such as Mousalla Al-Idayn, erected by Abi Zakariya in 1229.
Aicha’s fluent style and advanced language skills, which were once exclusively expected of prominent male intellectuals, as she preached at the Mosque of Safsafa (the area is now the shrine of Abdallah Chrif), astounded and amazed people.
Aicha was a philanthropist who lived off her earnings and gave the remainder to the underprivileged, especially women, in addition to her scholastic and religious qualities. There is also evidence that she purchased some Tunisian slaves who were being shipped to Italy only to free them six centuries before slavery was abolished in Tunisia in 1846.
In an official ceremony, Al-Shadhili gave Aicha his cloak, ring, and the title of Qutb, and referred to her as a “Imam of men” as he was leaving Tunisia. In Sufism, the highest spiritual position is Qutb (literally “pole”), and Aicha was a pole of knowledge and religion during her lifetime and beyond.
Her spirituality and deeds influenced people’s lives in such a way that she was elevated to the status of a Saint, and her life was surrounded by supernatural and divine legends known in Sunni Islam as “Karamat.” Her father once gave her a bull for agricultural purposes, but she instead gave it all to the impoverished, requesting them to return the bones. The bull came back to life once the bones were retrieved.
What is certain about her life is that she was a strong, independent woman who was able to break free from social constraints and establish herself as an equal and intellectual superior to males of her time. Saida Manoubiya was a feminist ahead of her time, advocating for women’s education and freedom.
In the heart of Historic Cairo, the mausoleum and mosque of Sayeda Zeinab (6-62 hijri), the granddaughter of the Prophet Muhammad, centres the square and district that holds her name.
Sayeda Zeinab is known among Egyptians as Om Hashim (Hashim’s mother) since she was the one who took care of the wounded and martyred members of her tribe during the battle of Karbala. She is also known as El-Tahra (The Pure) and as ” Om El-Awagez” (mother of the disabled) because she attended to elderly and disabled women. Egyptians also know her by the title El-Mushira (The One to Consult) and Raeisat El-Diwan (The chief of diwan) because she opened her house for the people who sought her guidance and proclaimed her the head of her diwan of spiritual guidance.
Born in the sixth year of Hijra in Madina, this bright and beautiful girl was known for her sound mind and intellect and was often referred to as Aqilat Bani Hashem (The sound mind of the tribe of Bani Hashim).
She got married and had four boys and two girls. She became known for her gatherings on Islamic jurisprudence, where she shared her knowledge. She lived a simple, pious life until she witnessed the harshest moments in Islamic History.
In Aisha Abdel-Rahman’s book titled Al-Saida Zeinab Aqilat Bani Hashim, published in 1985 by Dar El-Ketab El-Araby, she was described as the hero of the famous Karbala battle, which occurred between the party of Al-Hussien Ibn Ali, grandson of the prophet Muhammed and Yazid Ibn Umayya. Sayeda Zeinab was spotted protecting the women, soothing the injured, and protecting the bodies of the dead. She lost her brother Al-Hussien in this battle but managed to spare the life of his son Ali Zein Al-Abdein, a child back then.
After losing this battle, her staying in Al-Madina became a real threat to the Umayyads after they seized the caliphate and killed Al-Hussien and almost all of Prophet Muhammed’s descendants (Ahl al-Bayt). Consequently, Sayeda Zeinab, the representative of the Ahl al-Bayt had to choose their exile. She chose Egypt, arriving in modern-day Cairo in year 61 of Hijra.
When she came to Egypt with her family, almost all Egyptians came out to greet her. She was greatly honoured by the Egyptian people who visited her and consulted her constantly on her premises at Qanater Al-Sibaa (The Lions Barrages ), approximately the current location of El-Sayeda Zeinab’s mosque and mausoleum.
According to Ali Pasha Mubarak’s series Al-Khetat Al-Tawfiqia, ” Sayeda Zeinab Street was named after Sayeda Zeinab, daughter of Imam Ali, bless be upon him, because this is where her mausoleum is situated in a golden copper compartment with an embroidery silk cover underneath a high dome that is situated inside Al-Zainabi mosque near Qanater Al-Sibaa. The mosque was renovated by Prince Ali Pasha Al-Wazir in 955. Then, it was renovated and enlarged during the reign of Prince Abdel-Rahman Katkhuda in 1173. The mosque is always full of visitors. A Hadra (Sufi ritual of praising God’s presence) is held every Sunday night, and a Maqraa ( A night of reading the Quran) is held every Wednesday night. The mosque also witnesses the celebration of her Moulid (her ascension) every year,” reads the book.
Touched by the emotions of Egyptians, Sayeda Zeinab is said to have blessed Egypt, saying: ” O People of Egypt, you stood by us, may God stand by you, you were our refuge, may God be yours, you helped us, may God always help you out of all difficulties. “
She died in year 62 of Hijra, with conflicting stories surrounding her burial. Some say she was buried in Madina. Others say she was buried in Egypt. But the fact remains that she came to Egypt and that her presence is still felt, appreciated and celebrated. People still refer to her for spiritual guidance.
Her annual moulid, one of the largest and most iconic, takes place on the 28th of Ragab in the Hijri year.
Egyptians walk outside Cairo’s Sayeda Zainab mosque during celebrations marking the birthday of Prophet Mohamed s granddaughter Zeinab, late on February 14, 2023. AFP
The Zayed Sustainability Prize, the UAE’s pioneering global sustainability and humanitarian award, has announced this year’s finalists following a deliberation by its esteemed Jury.
The winners will be announced at the Zayed Sustainability Prize Awards Ceremony on 1st December during the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, to be held from 30th November to 12th December.
The Zayed Sustainability Prize’s Jury elected the 33 finalists from 5,213 entries received across six categories: Health, Food, Energy, Water, Climate Action and Global High Schools – a 15 percent increase in submissions compared to last year. The new Climate Action category, introduced to mark the UAE’s Year of Sustainability and hosting of COP28 UAE, received 3,178 nominations.
From Brazil, Indonesia, Rwanda and 27 other countries, the finalists represent small and medium sized businesses, nonprofit organisations and high schools, and reflect the Prize’s growing mandate to reward innovations that transcend borders and tackle pressing global challenges.
Dr. Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, COP28 President-Designate and Director-General of the Zayed Sustainability Prize, said the finalists exemplify the remarkable ingenuity and unwavering commitment to shaping a more sustainable and resilient future for our planet.
Dr. Al Jaber added, “The Zayed Sustainability Prize carries forward the enduring legacy of UAE’s visionary leader, Sheikh Zayed, whose commitment to sustainability and humanitarianism continues to inspire us. This legacy remains the guiding light of our nation’s aspirations, propelling us forward in our mission to uplift communities around the globe. Over the past 15 years, the Prize has been a powerful force for positive change, transforming the lives of over 378 million people across 151 countries. We have incentivised solutions that are driving climate and economic progress in some of the world’s most vulnerable regions.
“This cycle, we received a record-breaking number of submissions from every continent. The innovations put forth by the finalists reflect a profound dedication to inclusivity and an unyielding resolve to bridge critical gaps. These solutions directly align with the four pillars of the COP28 UAE agenda: fast-tracking a just and equitable energy transition, fixing climate finance, focusing on people, lives and livelihoods and underpinning everything with full inclusivity. The work of these sustainability pioneers will contribute practical solutions for climate progress that protect the planet, improve livelihoods, and save lives.”
Through the Prize’s 106 winners to date, 11 million people have gained access to safe drinking water, 54 million homes have gained access to reliable energy, 3.5 million people have gained access to more nutritious food, and over 728,000 people have gained access to affordable healthcare.
Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, Chair of the Prize Jury, said, “As global challenges continue to mount, our newest group of Prize finalists reveal the extraordinary efforts being made worldwide to meet the needs of the moment with purpose and innovation – inspiring hope for a brighter future. Whether it’s restoring the ocean wilderness, using technology to ensure better, more sustainable farm yields, or driving change for individuals without access to affordable healthcare, these innovators are transforming our world.”
The Health finalists are: • Alkion BioInnovations is an SME from France that specialises in supplying cost effective and sustainable active ingredients for large-scale pharmaceuticals and vaccines. • ChildLife Foundation is an NPO from Pakistan that employs an innovative Hub & Spoke healthcare model, linking Emergency Rooms as hubs to telemedicine satellite centres. • doctorSHARE is an NPO from Indonesia dedicated to expanding healthcare access in remote and inaccessible regions using barge-mounted floating hospitals.
The Food finalists are: • Gaza Urban & Peri-urban Agricultural Platform is an NPO from Palestine that empowers female agripreneurs in Gaza to achieve food security in their communities. • Regen Organics is an SME from Kenya that specialises in a municipal-scale manufacturing process that produces insect-based protein for livestock feed and organic fertiliser for horticultural production. • Semilla Nueva is an NPO from Guatemala that specialises in the development of biofortified maize seeds.
The Energy finalists are: • Husk Power Systems is an SME from the United States of America that deploys AI-enabled minigrids that provide 24/7 renewable energy to homes, micro enterprises, health clinics, and schools. • Ignite Power is an SME from Rwanda that specialises in delivering solar powered pay-as-you-go solutions to electrify last mile communities. • Koolboks is an SME from France that provides off-grid solar refrigeration solutions with integrated Internet of Things (IoT) monitoring for last mile communities, through a lease-to-own sales model.
The Water finalists are: • ADADK is an SME from Jordan that employs wireless smart sensors that use machine learning and augmented reality for the detection of both visible and hidden water leaks. • Eau et Vie is an NPO from France that offers individual taps to the homes of impoverished urban residents, ensuring access to clean water in slum areas. • TransForm is an NPO from Denmark that employs innovative soil filter technology for the cost-effective treatment of wastewater, sewage, and sludge without relying on energy or chemicals.
The Climate Action finalists are: • CarbonCure is an SME from Canada that specialises in carbon removal technology. They inject CO₂ into fresh concrete, effectively reducing its carbon footprint while maintaining performance standards. • Foundation for Amazon Sustainability is an NPO from Brazil that is dedicated to implementing projects and programmes that advance environmental conservation and empower indigenous communities to protect their rights. • Kelp Blue is an SME from Namibia that contributes to the restoration of natural ocean wilderness and the mitigation of excess CO₂ by establishing large-scale giant kelp forests in deep waters.
The Global High Schools’ finalists presented project-based, student-led sustainability solutions, with finalists divided into 6 regions. The regional finalistsinclude:
The Americas: Colegio De Alto Rendimiento La Libertad (Peru); Liceo Baldomero Lillo Figueroa (Chile); and New Horizons School (Argentina). Europe and Central Asia: Northfleet Technology College (United Kingdom); Presidential School in Tashkent (Uzbekistan); and Split International School (Croatia). Middle East & North Africa: International School (Morocco); JSS International School (United Arab Emirates); and Obour STEM School (Egypt). Sub-Saharan Africa: Gwani Ibrahim Dan Hajja Academy (Nigeria); Lighthouse Primary and Secondary School (Mauritius); and USAP Community School (Zimbabwe). South Asia: India International Public School (India); KORT Education Complex (Pakistan); and Obhizatrik School (Bangladesh). East Asia and the Pacific: Beijing No. 35 High School (China); Swami Vivekananda College (Fiji); and South Hill School, Inc. (The Philippines).
In the Health, Food, Energy, Water and Climate Action categories, each winner receives US$600,000. Each of the six winning Global High Schools receives up to US$100,000.
source/content: wam.ae (headline edited0
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أبوظبي في 12 سبتمبر /وام/ أعلنت جائزة زايد للاستدامة، الجائزة العالمية الرائدة التي أطلقتها دولة الإمارات لتكريم حلول الاستدامة المبتكرة، عن المرشحين النهائيين لدورتها لهذا العام بعد مداولات أعضاء لجنة التحكيم.
وسيتم الإعلان عن الفائزين في حفل توزيع الجوائز الذي تعقده الجائزة يوم الأول من ديسمبر القادم خلال مؤتمر الدول الأطراف في اتفاقية الأمم المتحدة الإطارية بشأن تغير المناخ “COP28” الذي تستضيفه دولة الإمارات في الفترة الممتدة من 30 نوفمبر إلى 12 ديسمبر المقبلين.
واختارت اللجنة 30 مرشحاً ضمن ست فئات تشمل الصحة والغذاء والطاقة والمياه والعمل المناخي والمدارس الثانوية العالمية.
كانت الجائزة قد تلقت هذا العام 5,213 طلب مشاركة، محققةً بذلك زيادة بنسبة 15 في المائة مقارنة بالدورة الماضية.. واستقطبت فئة العمل المناخي وحدها والتي تم استحداثها مؤخراً تزامناً مع عام الاستدامة في دولة الإمارات والاستعدادات لاستضافة مؤتمر(cop28) حوالي( 3,178) مشاركة.
تضم قائمة المرشحين النهائيين مؤسسات صغيرة ومتوسطة ومنظمات غير ربحية ومدارس ثانوية من البرازيل وإندونيسيا ورواندا و27 دولة أخرى، ما يعكس الانتشار العالمي المتنامي للجائزة وسعيها المستمر لتكريم الابتكارات التي تواجه التحديات العالمية الملحة في مختلف بقاع الأرض.
وبهذه المناسبة، قال معالي الدكتور سلطان بن أحمد الجابر، وزير الصناعة والتكنولوجيا المتقدمة، الرئيس المعيّن لمؤتمر الأطراف (COP28)، مدير عام جائزة زايد للاستدامة: “تواصل الجائزة إحداث تأثير إيجابي ملموس والارتقاء بالمجتمعات حول العالم تماشياً مع رؤية القيادة الرشيدة واستلهاماً لإرث الوالد المؤسس الشيخ زايد بن سلطان آل نهيان، طيب الله ثراه، في مجالات الاستدامة والعمل الإنساني.. وعلى مدار السنوات الخمس عشرة الماضية، أسهمت الجائزة في تحسين حياة أكثر من 378 مليون شخص في 151 دولة، وذلك من خلال تكريم ودعم الحلول المبتكرة القادرة على دفع التنمية الاقتصادية ومواجهة أزمة المناخ، لا سيما في المجتمعات الأكثر تأثراً بتداعيات تغير المناخ”.
وأضاف: “تلقت جائزة زايد للاستدامة في هذه الدورة عدداً قياسياً من المشاركات من كل القارات، وتقدم الابتكارات المقترحة من قبل المرشحين النهائيين حلولاً فعالة لمجموعة من التداعيات الملحة الناجمة عن تغير المناخ، ما يعكس الالتزام الراسخ للجائزة بإحداث تغيير واسع النطاق لبناء مستقبل أكثر استدامة ومرونة لكوكبنا.. وتنسجم الحلول المتأهلة مع الركائز الأربع للأجندة المناخية التي تسعى دولة الإمارات لتحقيقها خلال استضافتها لمؤتمر الأطراف (COP28) والهادفة إلى تسريع تحقيق انتقال منظم ومسؤول وعادل في قطاع الطاقة، وتطوير أداء التمويل المناخي، والحفاظ على البشر وتحسين الحياة وسُبل العيش، وضمان احتواء الجميع بشكل تام”.
وأسهمت الجائزة من خلال الفائزين بدوراتها السابقة، والبالغ عددهم 106 فائزين، في تمكين 11 مليون شخص من الوصول إلى مياه الشرب المأمونة، وإيصال إمدادت الطاقة النظيفة إلى 54 مليون منزل، وحصول 3.5 مليون شخص على الأطعمة المغذية، وتوفير الرعاية الصحية ميسورة التكلفة لأكثر من 728 ألف شخص.
من جانبه، قال فخامة أولافور راغنار غريمسون، رئيس لجنة تحكيم الجائزة: “تعكس الحلول المقدمة من المرشحين النهائيين لهذا العام الجهود الاستثنائية التي يتم بذلها في جميع أنحاء العالم لتسخير الابتكار بهدف تلبية الاحتياجات الراهنة الملحة في ظل تنامي التحديات المناخية، ما يبرهن على الدور المستمر للجائزة في تغيير العالم نحو الأفضل من خلال توفير منصة داعمة لرواد الاستدامة.. وتميزت الحلول بالابتكار والتنوع وشملت مجموعة مختلفة من التحديات بما في ذلك استعادة الحياة البرية في المحيطات، واستخدام التكنولوجيا لزيادة وتعزيز استدامة إنتاجية المحاصيل الزراعية، وتحسين الوصول إلى خدمات الرعاية الصحية ميسورة التكلفة في المجتمعات الأشد حاجة لها”.
وشملت قائمة المرشحين النهائيين عن فئة الصحة كلاً :.
– من “ألكيون بيو إنوفيشنز”، وهي من فئة المؤسسات الصغيرة والمتوسطة في فرنسا متخصصة في إنتاج مكونات نشطة مستدامة وفعالة من حيث التكلفة للأدوية واللقاحات المستخدمة على نطاق واسع.
– “تشايلد لايف فاونديشن”، وهي منظمة غير ربحية في باكستان تستخدم نموذج الرعاية الصحية المبتكر (Hub and Spoke) لربط غرف الطوارئ مع بعضها البعض وبالمراكز التي تقدم خدمات التطبيب عن بعد عبر الأقمار الصناعية.
– مؤسسة الأطباء للرعاية “doctorSHARE”، وهي منظمة غير ربحية في إندونيسيا تعمل على توسيع نطاق خدمات الرعاية الصحية لتصل إلى المناطق النائية باستخدام المستشفيات العائمة المحمولة على السفن.
وشملت قائمة المرشحين النهائيين عن فئة الغذاء كلاً من:.
– منتدى غزة للزراعة الحضرية، وهو منظمة غير ربحية في فلسطين تهدف إلى تمكين رائدات الأعمال في القطاع الزراعي في غزة لتعزيز الأمن الغذائي في مجتمعاتهن.
– “ريجين أورجانيكس”، وهي من فئة المؤسسات الصغيرة والمتوسطة في كينيا وتعمل على إنتاج البروتين المشتق من الحشرات لتغذية الماشية، والأسمدة العضوية لإنتاج المحاصيل البستانية.
– “سيميلا نويفا”، وهي منظمة غير ربحية في غواتيمالا متخصصة في إنتاج بذور الذرة المدعّمة.
شملت قائمة المرشحين النهائيين عن فئة الطاقة كلاً من:.
– “هاسك باور سيستم”، وهي من فئة المؤسسات الصغيرة والمتوسطة في الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية، وتعمل على نشر شبكات صغيرة مدعمة بالذكاء الاصطناعي لتوفير الطاقة المتجددة على مدار الساعة للمنازل والمؤسسات الصغيرة والعيادات الصحية والمدارس.
– “إغنايت باور”، وهي من فئة المؤسسات الصغيرة والمتوسطة في رواندا، وتقدم حلول الشراء بنموذج الدفعات الدورية (go-you-as-pay) بالاعتماد على الطاقة الشمسية لإمداد المجتمعات بطاقة الكهرباء.
– “كولبوكس”، وهي من فئة المؤسسات الصغيرة والمتوسطة في فرنسا، وتوفر من خلال نموذج التأجير المنتهي بالتمليك حلول التبريد بالطاقة الشمسية والمدعومة بنظام مراقبة قائم على تقنية إنترنت الأشياء (IoT) في المجتمعات غير المتصلة بشبكة الكهرباء.
وشملت قائمة المرشحين النهائيين عن فئة المياه كلاً من:.
– “عدادك”، وهي من فئة المؤسسات الصغيرة والمتوسطة في الأردن، وتستخدم أجهزة استشعار ذكية لاسلكية مدعومة بتقنيات “تعلّم الآلة” والواقع المعزز للكشف عن تسربات المياه المرئية والمخفية.
– “الماء والحياة” (Eau et Vie) هي منظمة غير ربحية في فرنسا، توفر صنابير مياه لمنازل الأسر الفقيرة في المناطق الحضرية، لتضمن بذلك إمكانية الوصول إلى المياه النظيفة في الأحياء العشوائية الفقيرة.
– “ترانسفورم” هي منظمة غير ربحية في الدنمارك، تستخدم تقنية ترشيح مبتكرة للتربة لمعالجة مياه الصرف الصحي والمجاري والرواسب الصلبة دون الاعتماد على الطاقة أو المواد الكيميائية.
و شملت قائمة المرشحين النهائيين عن فئة العمل المناخي كلاً من:.
– “كاربون كيور”، وهي من فئة المؤسسات الصغيرة والمتوسطة في كندا، والمتخصصة بتقديم حلول إزالة الكربون.. ويتضمن حلّها حقن ثاني أكسيد الكربون في الخرسانة أثناء مرحلة الإنتاج مما يقلل من حجم الانبعاثات بصورة فعالة دون التأثير على معايير الكفاءة والأداء.
– “مؤسسة استدامة الأمازون” هي منظمة غير ربحية في البرازيل، وتنشط في تنفيذ المشاريع والبرامج التي تسهم في الحفاظ على البيئة وتمكين الأفراد من حماية حقوقهم.
– “كيلب بلو”، وهي من فئة المؤسسات الصغيرة والمتوسطة في ناميبيا، والتي تسهم في استعادة الموائل الطبيعية في المحيطات والحد من فائض ثاني أكسيد الكربون في الغلاف الجوي.
أما المرشحون النهائيون عن فئة المدارس الثانوية العالمية فقد قدموا حلولاً مستدامة قائمة على مشاريع يقودها الطلاب وتم تقسيم المتأهلين إلى 6 مناطق جغرافية.. وشملت قائمة المرشحين النهائيين عن هذه الفئة كلاً من:.
– منطقة الأمريكيتان: مدرسة الحرية للأداء العالي “Colegio De Alto Rendimiento De La Libertad” (بيرو)، مدرسة “ليثيو بالدوميرو ليلو فيغيروا” (تشيلي)، “مؤسسة أوزوريس – مدرسة نيو هورايزنز” (الأرجنتين).
– منطقة أوروبا وآسيا الوسطى: “معهد نورث فليت تكنولوجي” (المملكة المتحدة)، المدرسة الرئاسية في طشقند (أوزبكستان)، مدرسة سبليت الدولية (كرواتيا).
– منطقة الشرق الأوسط وشمال أفريقيا: المدرسة الدولية (المغرب)، “جيه إس إس الدولية” (الإمارات)، مدرسة المتفوقين للعلوم والتكنولوجيا بالعبور (مصر).
– منطقة إفريقيا جنوب الصحراء الكبرى: “أكاديمية جواني ابراهيم دان هاجا” (نيجيريا)، مدرسة “لايت هاوس الابتدائية والثانوية” (موريشيوس)، “مدرسة يوساب المجتمعية” (زيمبابوي).
– منطقة جنوب آسيا: مدرسة الهند الدولية العامة (الهند)، مجمع كورت التعليمي (باكستان)، مدرسة أوبهيزاتريك (بنغلاديش).
– منطقة شرق آسيا والمحيط الهادئ: “مدرسة بكين 35 الثانوية” (الصين)، “كلية سوامي فيفيكاناندا” (فيجي)، “ساوث هيل” (الفلبين).
ويحصل كل فائز ضمن فئات الصحة والغذاء والطاقة والمياه والعمل المناخي على 600 ألف دولار، فيما تحصل كل مدرسة من المدارس الثانوية العالمية الست الفائزة على ما يصل إلى 100 ألف دولار.
Egypt’s Mayar Sherif continued her dominant rise in the tennis world at the BBVA Open Internacional de Valencia in Spain, winning the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) 125 title and leaping into the Top 35 world singles ranking for the first time.
This is also the tennis champion’s second consecutive WTA 125 title, having clinched the WTA 125 Makarska Open trophy in Croatia on 11 June.
Sherif enjoyed a winning streak throughout the tournament, eventually defeating Spain’s Marina Bassols Ribera 6-3, 6-3. With this victory, Sherif, now ranked 31st in the world, maintained her remarkable record in WTA 125 finals, extending it to 6-0.
“I came into this tournament with great momentum from Makarska, and I wanted to capitalize on it,” expressed Sherif after her dominant display. “Right from the beginning of the tournament, I felt very comfortable, and I believe that reflected in my straight-set victories throughout.”
With an astounding 9-place leap to 31st place in the singles world ranking, Sherif is now the highest-ranked Egyptian tennis player in history – surpassing the legendary Ismail El Shafei’s career-high of 34th place.
The winners of the third National Cultural Awards were honored in a ceremony held in Riyadh on Saturday. The event was a night dedicated to celebrating cultural creativity and promising ambition.
Minister of Culture Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan presented the awards to the winners in the presence of Minister of Education Yousef Al-Benyan and Minister of Media Salman Al-Dossary. The ceremony was also attended by a distinguished group of intellectuals, writers and media figures.
The National Cultural Awards, an annual initiative by the Ministry of Culture, aims to recognize and showcase the talents of individuals within the country.
The awards also serve to promote their cultural products both locally and internationally, while providing financial and moral support to encourage their continued growth and success.
The winners were nominated for awards in 16 different categories, covering a range of areas including literature, music, architecture and design, nonprofits and film.
Prince Badr said: “We are happy to honor innovators in our beloved capital,” adding that the initiative aims to “shed light on talents, celebrate achievements, honor innovators and encourage cultural production.”
He said: “The newly launched business owner award for this year reflects the cultural system’s appreciation for the contributions of supporters of cultural activity across all cultural sectors, and acknowledges their vital role as an integral part of the efforts made by the cultural system entities.”
Prince Badr added: “The international cultural excellence award celebrates international cultural personalities and institutions contributing to enriching the contemporary international cultural landscape, in addition to celebrating the significant efforts in the field of international cultural exchange on a global level.”
He concluded by congratulating the winners of the National Cultural Awards for this year, urging them to continue their efforts and wishing everyone a future filled with arts and culture.
Author Abu Abdulrahman Al-Dhaheri received the cultural pioneer award for his extensive contributions to literature and culture. He has produced a diverse collection of publications in languages, literature, philosophy, art, Shariah sciences and history.
Businessman Abdulrahman bin Mahfouz won the business owner award for supporting cultural activity. The International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage in Conflict Areas received the international cultural excellence award.
In addition, Lubna Al-Khamis, a Saudi journalist, won the youth cultural award. The cultural institutions award was given to the Saudi Research and Media Group in the private sector and the Abdulrahman Al-Sudairy Cultural Center in the nonprofit sector.
The ceremony also recognized winners in other cultural sectors. Mohammed Ibrahim Yaacoub, a poet, received the literature award, and Adab Publishing won the publishing award.
Maha Al-Faleh was honored with the translation award, and Charmaleena Jewellery received the fashion award. Dr. Abdullah Al-Masri, a historian, won the national heritage award, and Bateel International was recognized with the culinary arts award.
Artist Manal Al-Dowayan was given the visual arts award, and the Riyadh Band received the theater and performing arts award.
Abdulrahman Mohammed won the music award, while Ibrahim Al-Hsawi won the film award. Kholoud Attar was recognized with the architecture and design award.
source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)
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/Saudi Minister of Culture Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan with the winners of the third National Cultural Awards in Riyadh. (SPA)
