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
In a momentous acknowledgment of his pivotal contributions to the global entrepreneurial landscape, Yacine El-Mahdi Walid, Algeria’s Minister of Vocational Training and Apprenticeship, was named the “2024 Startup Ecosystem Star.” This honor was conferred by the International Chamber of Commerce and the renowned innovation organization “Mind the Bridge” during the ninth edition of the celebrated award ceremony.
Celebrating Leadership in Innovation
The accolade recognizes El-Mahdi Walid’s instrumental role in driving innovation and nurturing startup ecosystems not only in Algeria but across the African continent. The minister’s efforts have been hailed as transformative, positioning Algeria as a rising hub for technology and entrepreneurship.
In a statement on his official Facebook page, Minister El-Mahdi Walid expressed his gratitude, emphasizing the significance of the award in celebrating individuals who make substantial global impacts within startup ecosystems.
“This recognition,” he remarked, “although awarded individually, is truly a testament to the extraordinary efforts of my former team at the Ministry of Knowledge Economy, Startups, and Small Enterprises.”
A Visionary Path for Algerian Startups
Acknowledging the collaborative spirit behind the honor, the minister reaffirmed his confidence in Algeria’s continued trajectory towards innovation under the stewardship of his successor, Noureddine Ouadah. “I am certain,” he added, “that this outstanding work will persist and that Algeria’s startup ecosystem will rise to meet the aspirations and hopes of its people.”
A Global Celebration of Innovation
The 2024 Startup Ecosystem Star event is an annual celebration that recognizes individuals who have made an indelible mark on the global entrepreneurial landscape. By highlighting exceptional contributions, it inspires collaboration and innovation worldwide.
Beginning January 1, 2025, Algeria assumes the presidency of the United Nations Security Council for one month, marking a notable step in its diplomatic engagement. With its long-standing support for just causes in the Middle East and Africa, this presidency provides the country with a strategic opportunity to highlight crucial issues.
Clear Priorities for a Central Role As a non-permanent member of the Council for a year, Algeria is concentrating on major issues such as the situation in Palestine, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and security challenges in Africa, especially the fight against terrorism.
An open ministerial discussion on “The Situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian Question” will bring together key international players, including UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
Focus on Palestine: A Historic Priority The Palestinian issue, a cornerstone of Algeria’s diplomacy, is paramount to this presidency. Fifteen months after a deadly escalation in Gaza, Algeria reaffirms the need for an “immediate” and “permanent” ceasefire.
Algerian Ambassador to the UN, Amar Benjama, has been leading efforts since March 2024 to promote peace in the region. In parallel, Algeria is renewing its call for full Palestinian membership in the UN, aiming to realize the two-state solution and restore the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.
Addressing Regional Crises In addition to Palestine, Algeria will focus on other major conflicts:
Syria: A session will address the political and humanitarian situation in this war-torn country. Yemen: UN Special Envoy Hans Grundberg will intervene to evaluate peace prospects and respond to the humanitarian emergency.
An African Priority: Fighting Terrorism On the African front, Algeria will convene a high-level meeting on counterterrorism, a growing threat to the stability of many states on the continent.
Ahmed Attaf, Minister of Foreign Affairs, will emphasise ways to strengthen international cooperation in addressing this scourge.
A Presidency Full of Hope Under the leadership of President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, Algeria aims to use this platform to promote peace, security, and justice in key regions.
With ambitious initiatives and active leadership, this presidency of the Security Council represents a unique opportunity for Algeria to defend the interests of Arab and African nations while consolidating its position on the global diplomatic stage.
The Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) has named renowned Algerian author and novelist Ahlam Mosteghanemi as the ‘Cultural Personality of the Year’ for the 43rd edition of the Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF 2024) in recognition of her remarkable contribution to Arabic literature over five decades. Her novels have captivated readers across the Arab world, establishing her as one of the most influential voices in contemporary Arabic writing.
Ahlam Mosteghanemi is one of the most influential contemporary Arab authors, acclaimed for her ability to merge profound social commentary with pan-Arab themes. Her works critically explore the relationship between society and women while reflecting on pivotal historical events that have shaped modern Arab culture. The late Algerian President Ahmed Ben Bella famously described her as a ‘shining Algerian sun in Arabic literature,’ commending her dedication to the Arabic language and the nation’s rich history.
As part of SIBF’s annual programme, SBA selects a ‘Cultural Personality’ to showcase influential figures whose work has enriched both the Arab and global cultural landscapes, reflecting the authority’s commitment to honouring those who have made lasting contribution in fields such as literature, poetry, and philosophy. By highlighting these figures, SBA seeks to inspire future generations and reinforce the region’s cultural identity.
Ahmed Bin Rakkad Al Ameri, CEO of SBA, emphasised that the annual selection of a cultural personality reflects the vision of His Highness Dr. Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah. “His Highness believes that people are at the heart of every achievement, particularly in knowledge, culture, and thought. These are the domains where nations’ experiences are preserved, thanks to the literary and intellectual contributions of individuals whose works have been a staple in homes and libraries worldwide.”
In 2009, she published Nessyane.com and Their Hearts with Us and Their Bombs on Us, addressing the US invasion of Iraq, followed by Al Aswad Yalikou Biki in 2012. Her voice, marked by themes of freedom and authenticity, has deeply resonated with Arab readers.
He added: “Ahlam Mosteghanemi holds a unique place in Arabic literature. Her novels resonate with readers of all ages and intellectual backgrounds across the Arab world, a rare achievement for any author. By celebrating her journey and other remarkable literary experiences, we expand the horizons of Arabic literature, strengthen the relationship between societies and their creative leaders, and contribute to elevating the quality of published content.”
A thoughtful presence
Spanning more than five decades, Mosteghanemi’s literary career began with In the Harbour of Days (1971) and continues with her latest work, I Became You. Her celebrated trilogy – Zakirat Al Jasad (1993), Fawda el Hawas (1997), and Aber Sareer (2003) – remains a landmark in contemporary Arabic literature. In 2009, she published Nessyane.com and Their Hearts with Us and Their Bombs on Us, addressing the US invasion of Iraq, followed by Al Aswad Yalikou Biki in 2012. Her voice, marked by themes of freedom and authenticity, has deeply resonated with Arab readers.
Throughout her illustrious career, Mosteghanemi has earned numerous accolades, including the Naguib Mahfouz Medal for Literature and the Best Arabic Writer award during the Beirut International Award Festival (BIAF). Arabian Business and Forbes have recognised her as one of the most influential Arab women in literature and culture.
Additionally, Mosteghanemi served as a UNESCO Ambassador for eight years and was awarded the 2015 Arab Woman of the Year Award in London under the patronage of the Mayor of London and Regent’s University. In 2009, she received the Beirut Shield.
Mosteghanemi earned her doctorate in sociology from the Sorbonne University in 1982 before moving to Lebanon in the early 1990s. There, she published Zakirat Al Jasad, a novel that significantly impacted the literary world. The book sold over three million copies and was awarded the Naguib Mahfouz Medal for Literature in 1998. It is also recognised as one of the top 100 Arabic novels of the 20th century.
source/content: gulftoday.ae (headline edited)
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Ahlam Mosteghanemi poses for a photograph. File photo
Saadi Yacef, the Algerian revolutionary leader who fought for his country’s liberation from French colonial rule, died on 10 September 2021. Yacef is perhaps one of the better known of Algeria’s resistance fighters because of the role he played in the creation of the film The Battle of Algiers , directed by the renowned Italian film maker Gillo Pontecorvo.
The Battle of Algiers was filmed in 1965 as a co-production between an Italian creative team and the new Algerian FLN (Front de Libération Nationale) government, whose representative Yacef produced the film and stars as the character of Jaffar.
One of the most extraordinary films ever made, The Battle of Algiers is an emotionally devastating account of the anticolonial struggle of the Algerian people and a brutally candid exposé of the French colonial mindset. Many French people were unhappy with the representation of their army and country in the film. It was not officially censored in France , but the general public and all cinemas boycotted it. It was seen as anti-French propaganda.
In later years, the film was screened to groups classed as revolutionaries and terrorists, apparently becoming a “documentary guidebook” in the Palestinian struggle, and for organisations such as the Irish Republican Army and the Black Panthers, who examined its detailed representation of guerrilla tactics.
It was also shown in the Pentagon in 2003, in the middle of the Iraq War. US Counterterrorism experts Richard Clarke and Mike Sheehan suggest that the film showed how a country can win militarily, but still lose the battle for “hearts and minds”.
What relevance does The Battle of Algiers hold today, 55 years after it was first released?
The message of the film is ultimately one of hope: the oppressed multitude will eventually triumph because their cause is just. The images of revolutionary crowds in the film recall the jerky, grainy footage that has emerged from a wave of recent protests in the last decade, from the Black Lives Matter movement to Extinction Rebellion . Pontecorvo thrillingly captures the power and possibility of large gatherings of citizens, who come together to demand rights, putting their bodies at risk to create social and political change.
Additionally, the film refuses to condemn any of the agents in this conflict. As Pontecorvo has stated
in a war, even if from a historical standpoint, one side is proven right, and the other wrong, both do horrendous things when they are in battle.
A film of contrasts
Shot in black and white, the film is difficult to classify in terms of style. Its military action sequences and tactical montages remind us of films like Zero Dark Thirty and The Eye in the Sky; indeed, it is almost impossible to film a scene of politically-motivated torture without having The Battle of Algiers as an implicit or explicit point of reference.
The collective aspect of the film’s creation, and the socialist ideals that inspired it, link it to what’s called Third Cinema. This was a kind of revolutionary cinema, a cinema of the “Third World”, that was designed to overthrow the systems of colonialism and capitalism.
The Battle of Algiers is also an example of Italian neorealism, a major film movement coming out of mid-twentieth century Italy. The neorealists made films that opposed Mussolini’s fascist regime, and they focused on the hardships of the working class in Italy. Neorealism was a moral and aesthetic system: it brought art and politics together to expose the ills of society and bring about social change.
The Battle of Algiers was shot entirely on location in Algiers, and Colonel Mathieu was the only professional on set. Pontocorvo selected the other actors from the local population based on their faces and expressions.
Other elements of the neorealist style was the use of techniques that create a documentary aesthetic such as the hand-held camera. Pontecorvo also uses extracts from real-life FLN and police communiqués, letters, and title cards. And he used newsreel stock, which was cheaper, but also added to the sense of verisimilitude in the film.
Although he believed the Algerians cause to be just, Pontecorvo wanted to create a nuanced and fair account of the war. Therefore, he sets up a series of contrasts to reflect this opposition between French and Algerian. This is present in the original musical score by Ennio Morricone: while groups of French soldiers rampage through the Casbah to the sound of jaunty military drums and horns, a haunting flute theme accompanies sequences which feature Algerian civilians.
Contrast is also evident in the use of light and shadow: there are strong chiaroscuro effects, perhaps reflecting the themes of right and wrong in the film. Pontecorvo also uses shadow to highlight the covert operations of the Algerians: Ali La Pointe’s face is filmed with deep shadows, and the face of Colonel Mathieu is always brightly lit.
Space provides another important contrast in the film. Frantz Fanon, a famous theorist of the Algerian revolution, describes the colonial world as a world “cut in two” because of the stark divide between the coloniser and the colonised. In The Battle of Algiers, the wide boulevards of the European quarter are juxtaposed to the narrow, winding, labyrinthine alleyways of the Casbah. Space is also divided vertically and horizontally – the European quarter is flat, while the Casbah is steep and sloping.
This opposition of space highlights the gap between rich and poor, coloniser and colonised.
The question of bias
The biggest contrast in the film is of course between the French and Algerians. The embodiment of French and European values in the film is Colonel Mathieu. He is a suave figure, confident and controlled in army fatigues, stylish sunglasses and slick speech – he has more dialogue than other characters in the film. A number of critics have argued that Mathieu is far ‘too cool’, given that he is a practitioner and a proponent of torture.
Yet Colonel Mathieu is not depicted as an ogre: above all, he embodies reason. We see this in his statements about the use of torture, when he uses solid rhetorical devices to justify it. He says:
…do you think France should stay in Algeria? If you do, you have to accept the necessary consequences.
This is persuasive as a logical argument – if you want French Algeria, you have to accept the actions that result in this outcome – torture.
If Mathieu and the French have reason, what do the Algerians have?
Firstly, they have raw, visceral emotion and the power of the group. The victory at the end of the film is a victory of the masses, embodied in two figures – the martyr Ali La Pointe, the illiterate everyman who becomes a hero for the revolution, and the gyrating, anonymous Algerian women, whose gaze outwards to the future closes the film.
This takes me to the final point about what the Algerians have on their side – the power of historical right. We see this through Pontecorvo’s use of chronology – the narrative proceeds as a flashback, until we leap forward in time to the euphoria and mania of the end of the war and the triumph of the revolutionaries. Pontecorvo here glosses over the fact that the real Battle of Algiers was lost by the Algerians, and jumps into a future of eventual victory in the war.
This is how he views the process of history – the masses, with moral right on their side, will eventually win.
Yacef Saadi (R), military leader of the FLN National Liberation Front networks of the autonomous zone of Algiers, poses after being captured at the end of the “Battle of Algiers”. Photo by -/AFP via Getty Images
The only billionaire Algeria has is Issad Rebrab, he is the owner of Algeria’s biggest company, Cevital, which is a sugar refinery company that produces about 2 million tons a year, Although, he is alone in his wealth, there are other 5 multibillionaires worthy of recognition.
He is the founder of BioPharm which is a large pharmaceutical company that manufactures and distributes drugs, BioPharm employs more than 1,500 people and gets more than $500 million revenues last year.
He is the 52-year-old founder of ETRHB Haddad Group with an annual revenue of $500 million, it’s very impressive that he’d founded this company at the age of 32, he is also the controlling shareholder of the Algerian club USM Alger that plays in the Algerian Premier League.
He is the head of the Benamor Group, which is one of the most successful food companies in Algeria. This company makes more than $80 million as an annual revenue.
This big guy owns the Condor Group which manufactures and distributes air conditioners, televisions, satellite receivers, washing machines, refrigerators, smartphones, tablets, gas cookers, microwaves, desktops and laptops, with an annual revenue of $700 million.
This 80-year-old guy owns the Mehri Group; the sole bottler of all Pepsi products, and the owner of many luxurious hotels.
source/content: scoopempire.com (headline edited) / Febronia Hanna
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pix: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algiers /L to R : Coast, Martyr’s Memorial , Ahmed Francis Building , Basilica of Our Lady of Africa, Central Post Office, Ketchaoua Mosque, Harbour
The multi-talented, multilingual model, actress and singer is making a name for herself beyond her homeland.
Baraka Merzaia is a true force of nature. Beautiful, intelligent and multi-talented, the young Algerian rising star is attracting praise and attention from across the world for a wide variety of reasons. If you don’t yet know her name, you soon will.
Merzaia was born in Adrar, in the south of Algeria, but is now based in Algiers. Her talent was first noticed aged 16, when she joined a choir to learn to improve her already impressive vocal skills.
Like many young people of her generation in Algeria, Merzaia is a polyglot, which has helped her gain fans across borders. In India, four years ago, when the country celebrated the 150th anniversary of the birth of Gandhi, Merzaia was praised by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for her “memorable” rendition of “Vaishnava Jana To,” a hugely popular Hindu hymn “whose lyrics are imbued with empathy” that Merzaia hopes is contagious.
In 2019, Merzaia was named Miss Talent in her homeland, and has since landed several modelling contracts, and aspires to hit the international catwalks soon, inspired particularly by the career of Somali-American model Halima Aden — who famously sported the hijab on a Vogue cover and was the first model to wear a burkini in Sports Illustrated magazine. Like Aden, Merzaia aims to remain true to her faith and smash stereotypes in the fashion industry.
She tells Arab News France that she has already turned down offers of partnerships with brands who have asked her to remove her headscarf for photo shoots.
“Many consider my (headscarf) to be a fashion accessory,” she says. “That is far from the case, and I am convinced that I can carry out my projects without compromising my integrity.”
Another major inspiration, she tells Arab News, is her mother — a PhD holder whose thirst for knowledge has inspired Merzaia to pursue higher education, in addition to her artistic projects.
The singer, model, and actress has built up a following of more than half a million over various social-media platforms, on which she documents her daily life and her artistic projects, with a strong emphasis on Algerian culture and heritage.
One example is a video shot during a visit to her hometown of Ain Salah. “When I posted a video showing how we make kesra — a semolina pancake baked in sand — I was inundated with messages from curious people across the country asking me to share this type of content more frequently,” she says.
Her kesra video was widely shared online — including by NWE, a media that highlights African culture in all its diversity — and helped to highlight a little-known facet of Algerian culture.
Merzaia explains that she sees social media as an opportunity to introduce people to the south of Algeria, which is under-represented across mainstream media, and, at the same time, to disabuse people of stereotypes concerning Saharan inhabitants.
In 2006, a census estimated that the Black community in Algeria represented around 5 percent of the population, the lowest ratio in the Maghreb.
While Baraka is not overtly political, her claiming of — and ability to reconcile — her Algerian and African heritage, and her faith, demonstrates that these aspects of Algerian identity complement each other, when popular wisdom might suggest that they are incompatible.
At a time when many young people in North Africa tend to look to the West for cultural inspiration, Merzaia demonstrates that Algerian culture, in addition to being plural and rich, “has a lot to offer and deserves to be discovered,” as she puts it.
“I don’t consider myself to be an influencer,” she says. “Nevertheless, I do want to shed light on my culture, by sharing with my followers my faith and culture, (and this balance) between modernism and tradition.”
source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)
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Baraka Merzaia, young student, model, singer and actress becomes an essential artist of the Algerian cultural scene (Photo, Instagram @Barakamerzaia). /arabnews.fr
One doesn’t have to be a Muslim to visit the mosque or see the tallest minaret in the world.
Many people who think of a vacation to Africa make plans with Morocco in mind, South Africa at times, maybe Kenya, and definitely Egypt—to see the famous pyramids—or the 4,100-mile-long river that gave birth to that momentous civilization. Yet, as a continent, Africa has 54 countries, almost as many as the number of states in the U.S. Though it may come as a surprise, almost all of these countries are safe and have nearly the same conveniences as those found in many First World countries. Take Algeria, for instance, the biggest country in Africa and more than three times the size of Texas. This northern African country has pyramids, just like Egypt, and several fascinating ruins that would interest any history buff or anyone who’s out for some real adventure.
The Great Mosque Of Algiers And Its Record-Breaking Minaret
Also known as Djamaa el Djazaïr, the Great Mosque of Algiers is itself a monumental structure and an architectural marvel in its own right. However, what really puts it in the Guinness Book of World Records is its minaret. The reason is that the Great Mosque of Algiers is noted for having the tallest minaret in the world. For those who may be scratching their heads, a minaret is a tower—or a tower-like structure—built into mosques primarily to project the “Adhan,” the Muslim call to prayer. Of course, today, minarets serve other purposes as well. For instance, they are important landmarks of Islamic presence. Coming to the minaret of the Great Mosque of Algiers, we would not be remiss to expect a structure described as the world’s tallest to answer to that exceptional description. Well, the minaret of the Great Mosque of Algiers is 265 meters tall and hence, by all accounts, impressive.
For perspective, that’s the same height as Truist Plaza, the 60-story skyscraper in downtown Atlanta or the Panorama Tower in Miami, Florida. It’s also about half the height of the One World Trade Center, the tallest building in the United States. Minarets, however, have never been this tall. Before the Great Mosque of Algiers secured a page in the Guinness Book of World Records for its minaret, the tallest minaret was the 670-feet tower of the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, Morocco. The Algiers minaret, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, is now not just the tallest minaret in the world but the tallest building in Africa as well. This minaret is designed to withstand a magnitude nine earthquake, the highest earthquake magnitude. This type of earthquake can cause major damage over a region more than 1,000 km across.
Here’s A Brief History Of The Great Mosque Of Algiers And Its Minaret
The government of Algeria launched the construction of the Great Mosque and its record-breaking minaret in 2012. However, according to an adviser to the minister of housing responsible for the construction, the idea of constructing a mega-mosque had been in the cards from way back in 1962 when Algeria got its independence after 132 years of French occupation and after a 7-year brutal war that would send seismic revolutionary waves across the continent. For some reason, the efforts to put up a mega-mosque in Algiers had failed and foundered. However, with the election of Abdelaziz Bouteflika as President of Algeria in 1999, the building efforts would soon receive significant impetus.
Famous for his religious zeal and devotion to Muslim art and culture, Bouteflika would, unsurprisingly, actualize the mega-mosque dream even though his tenure as president would dramatically come to a premature end before the completion of his pet project. The mosque, however, including its record-breaking minaret, was an outstanding architectural masterpiece. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the Great Mosque of Algiers sits on an expansive area of around 400,000 square meters (about 50 acres). For perspective, the building itself, plus the outside courtyard, can seat up to 120,000 worshipers.
Other Reasons Why The Great Mosque of Algiers Is Worth Visiting (& How To Visit)
The mosque looks towards the scenic Bay of Algiers, which features dazzling white buildings and panoramic views as far as the eye can see. Part of the mosque is a library that can stock more than a million volumes. In addition, the mosque has a Koranic school and a museum of Islamic art and history.
Where Is The Great Mosque of Algiers Located? This mosque is located on the Rue de la Marine in Algeria’s capital city, Algiers.
A crucial travel tip is to get in as a worshiper, probably during worship. Some visitors even carry a prayer mat or wear a scarf, especially women. Of course, one doesn’t have to be a Muslim to visit the mosque or see the tallest minaret in the world.
The rare meteorite, estimated to be 4.6 billion years old, was found by a team led by Jean-Alix Barrat of Université de Bretagne Occidentale. Results of the study have been published in PNAS.
Named Erg Chech 002 (EC 002), after the Algerian site where it was discovered, the rock is a rare artefact from a protoplanet — a large body of matter in orbit around the Sun or another star, and believed to be developing into a planet — that was likely forming when the solar system was a young 2 million years old.
The meteorite was part of a group that was recovered in May 2020 near Bir Ben Takoul, southern Algeria, within the Erg Chech sand sea. The stones are described as having a “coarse grained, tan and beige appearance” interspersed with crystals that are green, yellow-green, and yellow-brown.
The oldest volcanic rock we have ever discovered may help us understand the building blocks of planets. The meteorite, which was discovered in the Sahara desert in 2020, dates from just 2 million years after the formation of the solar system – making it more than a million years older than the previous record-holder.
Since no known asteroid resembles EC 002, the researchers suspect that no other remnants are left from these early times.
