Morocco’s Youness Mustafa Gharbi Wins Quran Recitation Skill, Scent of Speech (Otr Elkalam)’ Category in the ‘Saudi International Holy Quran Competition ‘ 2022

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.

source/content: moroccoworldnews.com

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MOROCCO

MAScIR Develops 100% Moroccan Tuberculosis Diagnostic Test

Researchers from the MAScIR Foundation have developed a 100% Moroccan made molecular test for tuberculosis screening.

The test will provide health professionals with results within 30 minutes.

The test called MAScIR TB SS-LAMP “has the advantage of being precise and fast, delivering results in 30 minutes,” a press release from the foundation said on Friday. 

The foundation, which is part of the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, said that the Pasteur Institute of Morocco validated the test. It is also registered with the Directorate of the Medicines and Pharmacy under the Ministry of Health and Social Protection.

The test constitutes a solution that facilitates “diagnosis as close as possible to patients at a controlled cost,” the researchers said.

source/content: moroccoworldnews.com

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MAScIR Develops 100% Moroccan Tuberculosis Diagnostic Test

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MOROCCO

UNWTO – World Tourism Organization’s First Regional Office for Africa to Open in Marrakech: December 2021

Morocco’s bid to host the first African office of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) was ratified at the 24th session of the Organization’s General Assembly.

The bid was approved amid strong competition from four other African countries, and UNWTO’s first regional office will open in Marrakech.

Morocco’s bid to host the first African office of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) was ratified at the 24th session of the Organization’s General Assembly.

The bid was approved amid strong competition from four other African countries, and UNWTO’s first regional office will open in Marrakech.

Ammor led the Moroccan delegation at UNWTO’s General Assembly, which was attended by more than 500 government officials and several tourism professionals from member countries. 

Morocco’s participation shed light on the village of Sidi Kaouki in the province of Essaouira as “Best Tourism Village 2021.”

The seaside village of Sidi Kaouki was selected from more than 170 villages from 75 countries, echoing Morocco’s continuous efforts to build an eco-friendly destination for global tourism.

source/content: moroccoworldnews.com

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UNWTO Regional Office for Africa to Open in Marrakech. Credits: UNWTO

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MOROCCO

Sanae Abdi, Morocco-born Female Politician Elected to German Parliament in Historical First

The Moroccan-German woman won a seat in the Cologne 1 region under the banner of the Social Democratic Party.

Abdi is the first Moroccan woman to successfully be elected to Germany’s legislative body. Born in Tetouan, Abdi moved to Germany to attend the Adolf Reichwein Comprehensive School in Ludenscheid.

During this time, Abdi also joined the SPD in 2008, at the age of 22. 

source/content: moroccoworldnews.com

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Sanae Abdi was elected to represent the Cologne I constituency after Sunday’s elections. Photo Credit: Sanae Abdi / pix: moroccoworldnews.com

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GERMANY / MOROCCO

Morocco’s El Amin Chentouf Smashes Own Paralympic Record to Win T12 Marathon Gold : Tokyo 2020 : September, 2021

El Amin Chentouf. Athlete. Paralympic Athlete.

Veteran El Amin Chentouf of Morocco defended his title in the T12 marathon for visually impaired athletes, smashing his own Paralympic record by over three minutes to finish in 2:21:43.

The 40-year-old retains his title after finishing more than more than four minutes ahead of silver medallist Clifford.

Further back in the field, Tunisian’s Wajdi Boukhili had been well placed to take the bronze until the 40km mark, where both he and compatriot Hatem Nasrallah slowed up to finish sixth and fourth, respectively. The bronze medal went to Tadashi Horikoshi of Japan.

Chentouf’s gold was the fourth for Morocco during the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, all of which have been won in athletics. Abdeslam Hili and Ayoub Sadni won gold in the men’s 400m in the T12 and T47 classes, respectively, and Zakariae Derhem topped the podium in the men’s shot put F33 class.

source/content : thenationalnews.com

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pix: moroccolatestnews.com

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MOROCCO

Soufiane Bakkali Wins Morocco’s First Medal with Gold. Makes History at Tokyo 2020 Olympics : August 2021

Soufianne El Bakkali. Steeplechase runner. Athlete

Soufianne el Bakkali makes history, ends Kenya’s 3000m steeplechase domination.

The last time Kenya entered the 3000m stepplechase and did not finish first was the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, 57 years ago.

He thus became the first non-Kenyan born athlete to win the gold at the Olympics or World Championships since 1987.

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pix: Soufiane El Bakkali, of Morocco celebrates after winning the gold medal in the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Monday, Aug. 2, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (AP) / www.arabnews.com

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MOROCCO

Mohamed Benchaaboun Named Africa’s ‘Finance Minister of the Year’ : June 23rd, 2021

The African Banker, a quarterly magazine that covers Africa-related financial news, has named Moroccan Minister of Economy and Finance Mohamed Benchaaboun as Africa’s “Finance Minister of the Year.

The winners of the 2021 edition of the African Banker Trophies were celebrated on June 23, 2021, during the prestigious awards ceremony, organized on the sidelines of the Annual Meetings of the African Development Bank.

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pix: moroccolatestnews.com

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MOROCCO

Samir Zaim-Sassi: American Movies’s, 8-Year-Old Moroccan-American Star

Samir Zain-Sassi. Hollywood Actor.

The 8-year old young actor from Connecticut works out of New York City and Los Angeles and has been playing different roles in the entertainment industry for three years.

Appearance/s (few):

  • No Longer Suitable for Use (2021)

Short Film:

  • 1 out of 30 (2019)

Commercials:

  • Elmo Brite Brush commercial
  • Nintendo Switch

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AMERICAN (U.S.A) / MOROCCAN

UNICEF Morocco Appoints Achraf Hakimi ‘Champion for Children’ – May 2021

The UNICEF office in Morocco announced the appointment of Moroccan international football star Achraf Hakimi as children’s rights champion.

Hakimi, 22, is triumphing not only in his humanitarian works but also in his football career.

The football player is a key element in both his international club Inter Milan and Morocco’s national team.

UNICEF launched the initiative to appoint public figures from all fields, including arts, academics, and sports among others to engage in its efforts to help raise awareness of children’s rights.

Champions for Children are prominent individuals from arts, music, academics, ICT, sports, community-based organizations, or other fields who help to raise awareness of children’s rights.

The initiative is in line with the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which is the “most widely ratified human rights treaty in history,” UNICEF said.

source/content: moroccoworldnews.com

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pix: Moroccan football player Achraf Hakimi. Photo: UNICEF

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MOROCCO

Naima Lamcharki Wins Best Actress at Malmo International Arab Film Fest : April 2021

Moroccan actress Naima Lamcharki won the best actress award at Sweden’s 11th annual Malmo International Arab Film Festival (MAFF). 

In the film “L’Automne des Pommiers” (Autumn of the Apple Trees), directed by Moroccan director Mohamed Mouftakir, Lamcharki plays the role of a wisdom-filled grandmother, filling a crucial role in the film’s unique dynamic. 

Along with the Malmo International Arab Film Festival, the film won awards at the Moroccan Film Festival of Tangier. Namely, the prize for the Best Picture 2020, the Critics Prize 2020, and the Prize for the Federation of Cineclubs 2020.

Naima Lamcharki has accomplished many other great feats throughout her career as an actress. Starring in films like The Garden of Eden (1998) and Bad Faith (2006), her career in the international film industry dates back to 1958. 

Two years ago, Moroccan actress Fatima Atif won the best actress award at the ninth edition of the Malmo Arab Film Festival for her role in the film “The Healer”, where the director was Moroccan.

source/content: www.moroccoworldnews.com

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pix: moroccoworldnews.com

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MOROCCO