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His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, has announced Prof. Lina Ghotmeh, architect and professor of architecture, as the winner of the first Great Arab Minds (GAM) award in the architecture and design category, in recognition of her timeless contributions to global architecture.
In a tweet published on his official X account, Sheikh Mohammed congratulated Prof. Ghotmeh on winning the first award in this category of GAM, the Arab world’s largest movement launched in 2022 to search for exceptional Arab talents in various fields. Prof. Ghotmeh’s insightful work and research highlight the intimate relationship between architecture and nature.
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed said that architecture and architectural landmarks are the foundation of the distinguishing features that set cities and communities apart, and the building blocks of their identities and values, making them easily recognised. He added that they are also timeless tales of the creative outputs of humanity and the rise of civilisations.
Prof. Ghotmeh has a remarkable track record in her field. She has overseen the development of over 65 global architectural projects, including renowned museums, exhibitions and cultural buildings. More specifically, Ghotmeh conducts in-depth analyses of environments and meticulously selects materials that are not only suitable for each setting but also capable of withstanding harsh conditions. Her unique approach ensures that all her projects are evolved and practical outcomes of her research on coexisting with nature and the surrounding environment.
Among Prof. Ghotmeh’s most notable works is a building near the industrial port of Beirut, which survived the 2020 Beirut explosion, having been designed using innovative techniques and select local materials.
Arab American filmmaker Ruby Malek is shining a spotlight on Saudi talent in the 10-episode docuseries “Herstory” which follows the journeys of Saudi’s modern-day female music stars.
“We were just fascinated by the amount of talent because a lot of these artists are self-taught. And, you know, there were no music schools that they went to. There wasn’t like a piano teacher that would teach these women,” said Malek to Arab News.
“A lot of these artists actually didn’t show their identity, didn’t show their faces, and weren’t really out there… We’re still talking about 2020 now, so it wasn’t like now in 2023.”
Chronicling these artists’ struggles, triumphs and their place in the cultural history of the Kingdom, the series blends the passion for music-infused storytelling Ruby honed making music videos and her skills as a documentarian.
“I’m the generation that grew up watching MTV, VH1, so I was very into the various reality shows, and that’s what I kind of fell into. I fell into creating reality shows and formats, and so went from music videos to reality shows, documentaries. And then one thing led to another,” said Malek.
Motivated by the positive changes of Saudi Vision 2030, Malek sought to showcase a side of Saudi Arabia that she had not seen in the West. With the series having opened doors for the creator, she’s excited to continue working in the Kingdom.
“I actually have been back to Saudi. I shot a show for Vice, and yes, I would definitely (work there again). I mean, as a producer, there’s so much potential and there’s so many stories to be told that I think I will be going there more often and very soon,” she said.
source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)
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Arab American filmmaker Ruby Malek is shining a spotlight on Saudi talent in the 10-episode docuseries “Herstory” which follows the journeys of Saudi’s modern-day female music stars.
Three entrepreneurs share their stories as well as tips to succeed, regardless of background
Steve Jobs, Tony Fadell of iPod and Nest thermostat fame, and Taher Elgamal, the father of SSL technology, may be some of the most successful Arab Americans the global tech world has seen – but bit by bit, that picture is starting to change.
An emerging group of Arab-American women is increasingly taking up the tech mantle in a host of diverse fields.
A year spent in Kansas as a cultural exchange student at the age of 17 led to Morocco native Yasmine El Baggari feeling a profound need to help people connect.
“Most people [in Kansas] had never met someone from Morocco before. It felt like I was a cultural ambassador for Morocco at every opportunity,” she says.
The experience morphed into something more: a road trip to all 50 US states, during which she stayed with families and taught French and Arabic to get by, and later, a career that has seen her visit more than 45 countries – while securing a degree from Harvard University along the way.
All this led Ms El Baggari to found Voyaj, an online platform that fosters connections between people from diverse backgrounds in all corners of the globe.
“Once you build a human connection with someone, they’re more open to considering different perspectives … which is the basis of the work I continue to do: building and facilitating connections with people around the world,” she says.
Voyaj has collaborated with organisations to bring dozens of students from Africa to California for cultural exchange trips.
In March, Ms El Baggari raised more than $50,000 through a crowdfunding campaign involving more than 260 people from 40 countries to help fund the app.
Recently, Voyaj started working with non-profit Alight to help connect Afghan refugees recently arrived in Minnesota with local residents.
With the number of immigrants from the Middle East and North Africa in the US doubling over the past 20 years to 1.2 million, Arab-American women are set to play an increasing role in the tech and entrepreneurial landscape.
But getting to the top is not easy – just ask serial achiever Sherien Youssef.
Born and raised in Cairo, she emigrated to the US aged 11.
“My parents gave up a lot in Egypt to come here. They were comfortable there, but wanted a better life for their children,” she says.
Now living in a suburb of Washington, Ms Youssef is a senior executive and vice president at CGI, a major IT and consulting multinational that employs more than 90,000 people in about 40 countries.
It has taken serious determination to get to where she is.
“Growing up, being Arab American and being a Muslim, it wasn’t easy to find a person that looked like me [in this industry],” she says.
“It wasn’t very prevalent in my field. When you come as an immigrant, you have a desire to be constantly working harder and proving yourself over and over again.”
Today, her professional life consists of speaking at conferences, working closely with chief executives at partner companies and mentoring staff.
Having raised a family, grown her career and secured an MBA, she says there is still room for change.
“This is still a male-dominated field. We don’t see as many women in the C suites in the IT field,” she says.
Health and wellness is another area Arab-American women are making inroads.
For 12 years, Megan Moslimani was a dedicated public servant, working as a lawyer for the city of Detroit and serving as a board member of the Detroit Bar Association.
But a trip to Los Angeles in 2016 made her realise health care and wellness were industries on the up, and that IV drip therapy could be a game-changer.
“We visited different medical spas for fun and to enjoy the luxury experience. I was impressed with the way you could feel instantly better and hydrated [from using the drips],” she says.
Last spring, Ms Moslimani, whose family arrived in the US from Lebanon in the early 19th century, and her colleague, Biane Bazzy, dove headfirst into their passion, opening the House of Drip & Wellness in Dearborn, Michigan.
American designer brings hijabs to the high street
Made popular by celebrities such as the Kardashians and Hailey Bieber, and appearing in popular TV shows such as Billions, restorative IV drip therapy is a way to get vitamins, electrolytes and other nutrients into the bloodstream quickly.
It is believed to help people recover more quickly from illnesses, jet lag, fatigue and other ailments.
“Clients feel results instantaneously as the drip directly enters the bloodstream, bypassing the digestive tract,” she says.
“People love instant gratification, and I knew all could benefit – athletes, tired mums, overworked professionals.”
Restorative IV drip therapy spas or “drip bars” are springing up in strip malls and neighbourhoods across the US. With the global wellness industry estimated to be worth about $1.5 trillion and expected to grow by 5 per cent to 10 per cent per year, IV drip therapy is set to become an important health recovery tool.
For Arab-American women thinking about starting out in the tech and entrepreneurial worlds, the trio have tips to share.
Ms Moslimani says it is important to be prepared to spend money on the right things to grow your business.
“Look for attorneys offering pro bono hours and get real business law advice,” she says.
Ms El Baggari says getting past the stigma of asking for help is essential to succeeding as an entrepreneur.
“Don’t be afraid to ask for what you need – if people say no, that’s OK,” she says. “You want a clear sense of mission. Understand your ‘why?’”
For Ms Youssef, investing in yourself is key, “whether it’s in degrees and certificates, or in networks”.
“Oftentimes it’s the relationships and connections that you make will be the reason that you get to the next step in your career,” she says.
Last spring, Megan Moslimani and a colleague launched the House of Drip & Wellness in Dearborn, Michigan. Photo: Megan Moslimani
Yasmine El Baggari is the founder of Voyaj, an online platform that fosters connections between people from diverse backgrounds. Photo: Yasmine El Baggari
For Sherien Youssef, investing in yourself is key, ‘whether it’s in degrees and certificates, or in networks’. Photo: Sherien Youssef
Brazilian Henrique Tabchoury has listened to Arabic music records with his Lebanese father since he was a child and saw him get emotional with the songs of his homeland. Jamil Abrão Tabchoury was born in Tripoli, Lebanon, in 1917 and came to Brazil with his family in 1927 when he was nine.
After he died in 1988, Henrique inherited around 300 Arabic records from his father. Since then, he has dedicated his free time to rescuing, collecting, and cataloging Arab music material, many of them recorded in Brazil, as a way of honoring his father and the Arab colony that came to Brazil in the first diaspora in the late 19th century and early 20th.
A trained agronomist, Tabchoury works in agribusiness and, since the 2000s, started buying Arabic records for his collection, which today has around 4,000 pieces – some are not Arabic. He recently received a donation of 22 albums by Arab and Brazilian artists from the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC).
Tabchoury searches for Arabic music records in advertisements, used bookstores, antique shops, and websites. He collects Arab discography produced in Brazil and already has around 60 albums by Arab artists who lived and recorded in the country for labels such as Continental, Odeon, Arte-fone, and RCA Victor. The recordings were made between 1927 and 1935, and the collection includes records by artists such as Nagib Hankash and Nagib Mubarak.
“It’s a retrieval of the history of the Arab colony in Brazil; these artists were of fundamental importance for the community; they were an encouragement for the Arabs who came to Brazil,” said Tabchoury to ANBA.
The albums are mainly from Syrian and Lebanese artists. “I guess most are Lebanese artists as many sing odes to Lebanon, and 90% to 95% are Christian Arabs,” said Tabchoury. In his assessment, over half of these are Orthodox Christians, and less than half are Maronite Christians.
Of the 4,000 discs in his collection, he has already cataloged and digitalized around 580, and nearly 400 are Arabic music. “Cataloged, including private and serial recordings, we have 390 Arab 78rpm records produced in Brazil, apart from LP albums (vinyl), compact, and 10-inch records,” he informed. He intends to digitalize his entire collection and later launch a website with the music catalog and information about the artists.
One of his goals is to find all Arabic records of private recordings made in Brazil until the 1970s. After the 1970s, recordings from abroad began to arrive here,” he said. He also wants to find more old Arabic records, whether recorded in Brazil or not.
“Many people keep records for sentimental value, and some don’t know what to do and throw them in the trash. I’m looking for these records in my spare time; I go to other cities and talk to families. I have no commercial interest; my collection has a historical background and is a source of homage to the Arabs in Brazil,” he declared.
Tabchoury has already been to Araxá, Barretos, Uberaba, Goiânia, Curitiba, Porto Alegre, and Pindamonhangaba, among other Brazilian municipalities with Arab communities. “I want people to know I’m building this collection,” he said. He accepts donations and also buys records.
Lebanese filmmaker Nadine Labaki returns to Toronto International Film Festival as a jury member.
Lebanese filmmaker Nadine Labaki has been announced as a jury member for the 48th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), scheduled from September 7th to the 17th. Labaki, a distinguished writer, director and actor, will join the TIFF Platform jury alongside Academy Award-winning American filmmaker Barry Jenkins and Canadian Platform Prize-winning filmmaker Anthony Shim.
Labaki’s international acclaim began with her 2007 debut film ‘Caramel,’ which premiered at Cannes Film Festival’s Directors’ Fortnight and was Lebanon’s official entry for the 80th Academy Awards’ Best Foreign Language Film category.
The filmmaker continued to make waves with ‘Where Do We Go Now?’ in 2011, earning the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival. Later in 2018, her drama film ‘Capernaum’ secured the Jury Prize at Cannes Film Festival and received an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film.
TIFF’s Platform programme is known for its selection of distinct and bold directorial visions since its inception in 2015, and for the upcoming edition, ten feature films will be competing for a CAD 20,000 prize.
Longtime scholar Linda Jacobs calls it “the best-kept secret in New York history.” She is talking about New York City’s forgotten Syrian enclave of immigrants (often referred to as Little Syria) that once thrived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, forming the first Arab-speaking community in the US.
As part of an initiative supported by Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, Jacobs led in-person walking tours on Washington Street, the main hub of Little Syria, this summer. For Jacobs, it is a story that hits close to home.
Just-landed Middle Eastern immigrants at Ellis Island, ca. 1905. (Supplied)
All four of her grandparents emmigrated from modern-day Lebanon in the late 1800s, moving to Washington Street. “I was just interested in doing my family genealogy, and more importantly, for me, understanding if the myths or stories we were told as children in our family matched the reality … Some made it, some didn’t,” she told Arab News.
Aside from the presence of Arabs, Washington Street was home to other nationalities, including German and Irish families. It was an economic and cultural center, full of stores, cafes, and factories. It was not a bed of roses, though, according to Jacobs.
Built on landfill, Washington Street suffered from poor living conditions and a lack of clean air. Because the area was located near the tidal Hudson River, water would come up through the basements of tenement buildings.
60-62 Washington Street, where dozens of Syrian-owned businesses were located, 1903. (Supplied)
To make matters worse, the rate of infant mortality, due to tuberculosis, was high. “It makes you cry, it’s really sad,” said Jacobs. “You can imagine that people did not want to remember this time of their lives, and I think that’s why my grandmother never talked about it. She never mentioned the word(s) ‘Washington Street’.”
A majority of the people referred to as Syrians who came to New York City most likely hailed from Lebanon, seeking better economic opportunities. Those who initially arrived were farmers and laborers, later followed by wealthier classes. The lucrative trade of peddling was a common profession amongst Syrians, who saved up money to open their own businesses and relocate to safer boroughs, such as Brooklyn.
By the 1940s, the Syrian community was non-existent on the street. The physical neighborhood was destroyed, making way for building the Brooklyn–Battery Tunnel. Today, Washington Street is a neglected area, where only three buildings, including the facade of St. George’s Melkite Church of the Syrian Community, have survived, but most lack landmark status granted by the city.
Conducting such walking tours around the area is important for Jacobs. “All were surprised because no one had any idea that this community existed,” she remarked. “It’s a mixed blessing, because in a way, it’s a real lesson to others to try and save their communities from total destruction. And on the other side, it’s very sad to have it all be gone.”
source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)
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New York City’s forgotten Syrian enclave of immigrants (often referred to as Little Syria) thrived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. (Supplied)
Kassem Istanbouli, Lebanese actor-director, and Hajer Ben Boubaker, French researcher and sound director, were awarded the 19th UNESCO-Sharjah Prize for Arab Culture at an award ceremony at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris on 26th June 2023.
The event, organised by the Sharjah Department of Culture in collaboration with UNESCO, celebrated the achievements of two winners.
The ceremony was attended by Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Owais, Chairman of the Sharjah Department of Culture; Ernesto Ottone Ramirez, Assistant Director-General for Culture at UNESCO; Mohammed Ibrahim Al Qasir, Director of the Department of Cultural Affairs in Sharjah; Ahmed Al Mulla, Deputy Ambassador of the UAE to France, and Aisha Al Kamali, Representative of the Cultural Attaché at the Embassy of the UAE in France, along with dignitaries, writers, intellectuals and accredited diplomats to the United Nations (UN).
Al Owais and Ramirez presented the 19th edition of the UNESCO-Sharjah Prize for Arab Culture to Istanbouli, winner of the Arab Personality Award, and Ben Boubaker, winner of the Non-Arab Personality Award.
The UNESCO-Sharjah Prize for Arab Culture recognizes recipients’ outstanding artistic achievements celebrating Arab art and culture globally. Core to UNESCO’s anti-racism and anti-discrimination agenda, the Prize promotes peace and dialogue to foster intercultural understanding and celebrate diversity.
For this 19th edition of the Prize, the international jury recognized Mr Istanbouli and Ms Ben Boubaker’s extraordinary contributions to promoting the arts and Arab culture and supporting their local communities.
Kassem Istanbouli is a Lebanese actor and director. Since 2014, he has led the rehabilitation of historical cinemas in Lebanon, including Stars Cinema in Nabatieh, and Al-Hamra and Rivoli in Tyre, abandoned or destroyed during civil war.
Mr Istanbouli is involved with several international projects focused on skills enhancement, youth empowerment and collaborative partnerships. In 2020 he co-founded the Arab Culture and Arts Network (ACAN) to design and implement online cultural activities across the Arab region. The Network includes over 700 organizational and individual members from across the world.
Mr Istanbouli is also director and founder of the Lebanese National Theater in Tyre and the Lebanese National Theater in Tripoli and has been a project manager at the Tiro Association for Arts in Lebanon since 2014.
Hajer Ben Boubaker is a French-Tunisian independent researcher and sound director. Her research focuses on a socio-historical analysis of Arab music and the cultural history of the Maghreb community in France and around the world.
In 2018, she created and self-produced the Vintage Arab podcast, which explores Arabic musical heritage. At the intersection of research and art, the podcast allows her to keep a foot in each sphere.
Ms Ben Boubaker is a producer and documentary director for France Culture, where her work questions the sound and political memory of immigration. As a researcher, she is associated with the Arab and Oriental music collection at the Bibliothèque nationale de France, and continues to write for scientific journals, including “Paris, capitale maghrébine: une histoire Populaire” in October 2023.
Created in 1998 and run by UNESCO at the initiative of the United Arab Emirates, the UNESCO-Sharjah Prize awards two laureates per year — individuals, groups or institutions — in recognition of their contribution to Arab art and culture, or for participating in the dissemination of the latter outside the Arab world.
The initiative contributes towards the Organization’s objective of fostering inclusive, resilient and peaceful societies. The Prize carries a monetary value of USD 60,000, which is equally divided between the two laureates.
Americans born in or with ancestral ties to Arab-speaking countries have made countless significant scientific, medical and engineering contributions.
While Americans born in or with ancestral ties to Arab countries have made countless significant scientific, medical and engineering contributions, most have never made it into record books. From cryptography, to the artificial heart, to the iPod, here are a few examples of some of the major advancements by Arab Americans.
1. Television Transmission and LCD Screens
Born in Nabatieh, Lebanon in 1895, Hassan Kamel Al-Sabbah studied and then taught mathematics at the American University of Beirut before immigrating to the United States in 1921. After a brief stint studying at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Al-Sabbah earned a master’s degree in engineering sciences from the University of Illinois, says Lujine Nasralla, communications specialist at the Arab American National Museum in Dearborn, Michigan.
“In 1923, General Electric (GE) hired him to work in its Engineering Laboratory under a contract that awarded him a dollar for each of his patents,” Nasralla explains, noting that between 1927 and 1935, he applied for patents for 52 of his inventions while working at GE. Some of the patents Al-Sabbah was awarded during his time at GE include three for innovations in television transmission technology (granted between 1928 and 1930), and two for cathode ray tubes (1935).
Though Al-Sabbah died in a car accident 1935, GE engineers continued to rely on the technology he invented, including developing the liquid crystal display (LCD) based on one of his patents. Al-Sabbah made numerous other significant contributions to science, technology and engineering, especially in the field of solar energy.
2. Emotion Recognition Technology
RANA EL KALIOUBY, CO-FOUNDER AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF AFFECTIVA, SPEAKING DURING THE NEW WORK SUMMIT, CALIFORNIA, 2019. / DAVID PAUL MORRIS/BLOOMBERG VIA GETTY IMAGES
While Rana El Kaliouby was completing her doctoral research at the University of Cambridge in England in the early 2000s, she never felt as though she could ever truly connect with her loved ones back home. “Away from her family and friends in Egypt, El Kaliouby wished her computer could better convey her emotional state,” Nasralla says. That’s when she decided to find a way to make more emotionally intelligent technology.
After earning her doctorate, El Kaliouby took a position as a research scientist in the Affective Computing group in the MIT Media Lab. There, she was part of a team that developed an “emotional hearing aid,” as well as a pair of eyeglasses that could read emotions, along with social cues. Officially known as “the Emotional-Social Intelligence Prosthesis,” El Kaliouby and a colleague created the wearable technology in 2006 for people living with autism who have difficulty identifying and processing other people’s emotions as they communicate.
In 2009, El Kaliouby and the same MIT colleague co-founded a company called Affectiva, which used deep learning, computer vision, speech science and vast amounts of real-world data to develop emotion recognition technology. “Her pioneering technology accurately reads minute changes in facial expressions that convey emotions,” Nasralla says, adding that El Kaliouby is a member of the Women in Engineering Hall of Fame.
3. The iPod and iPhone
TONY FADELL, WHO OVERSAW THE DESIGN OF THE IPOD AND IPHONE, PHOTOGRAPHED IN SINGAPORE, 2019 / WEI LENG TAY/BLOOMBERG VIA GETTY IMAGES
There was a time in the not-so-distant past when listening to music outside of your home meant bringing the physical album with you on a record, audio cassette or compact disc. And while portable MP3 players existed before 2001, none were popular enough to make the device the standard way of listening to music on the go. That is, until Apple CEO Steve Jobs hired Arab American inventor Anthony “Tony” Fadell and put him in charge of a new special projects group within the company tasked with doing exactly that.
The result was the iPod, which launched in 2001. Fadell, who is now known as “ the father of iPod,” went on to oversee the first 18 iterations of the device before Jobs gave him his next assignment: to create a mobile phone with many of the same features as the iPod.
This time, the end product was the iPhone, which essentially allowed people to carry a highly compact computer with internet capability around at all times, and, in the process, changing the way people access information. Fadell was involved with developing the first three generations of the iPhone.
4. Developments in Surgery
HEART SPECIALIST DR. MICHAEL DEBAKEY, C. 1994. / F. CARTER SMITH/SYGMA/GETTY IMAGES
Born in Lake Charles, Louisiana in 1908 to Lebanese immigrants, Michael DeBakey (the Anglicized form of Debaghi) grew up spending time in his father’s pharmacy and enjoyed sewing, gardening and learning how motors and other machinery work. He earned his medical degree in 1932 and served in the Surgical Consultants Division of the Army Surgeon General’s Office from 1942 to 1946.
It was during this time that DeBakey and his colleagues developed special units dedicated to providing surgical care to soldiers wounded near the front lines. They were first deployed in 1943, though are best known for their work during the Korean and Vietnam conflicts, when they were known as the Mobile Auxiliary Surgical Hospital (MASH) units.
DeBakey’s surgical contributions continued for the next several decades and included performing the first successful removal of a blockage of the carotid artery (1953), developing the concept behind coronary bypass surgery (1963), pioneering the field of telemedicine with the first demonstration of open-heart surgery transmitted overseas via satellite (1965), and being the first to use a partial artificial heart (1966).
5. Internet Security
While internet security is top-of-mind now, that wasn’t the case when Egyptian-born cryptographer Taher Elgamal began his pioneering work in the field in the 1980s. “Elgamal published a paper in 1984, ‘A Public Key Cryptosystem and a Signature Scheme based on Discrete Logarithms,’ which became the basis of the Elgamal Digital Signature algorithm,” says Richard Gardner, a software developer and CEO of Modulus. This work was then utilized in the development of the Digital Signature Algorithm (DSA).”
Elgamal’s work became even more influential after the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) adopted it as the Digital Signature Standard (DSS). “Like the name implies, it became the standard for electronic signatures,” Gardner explains.
And according to Abdulrahman Henedy, an Arab American entrepreneur and founder of Financeive , Elgamal’s invention of the discrete logarithm was also an important milestone in cryptography. “His work inspired other encryption variations and paved the way to create more advanced algorithms, like Advanced Encryption Standard,” he explains.
In addition, Elgamal was the driving force behind the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), a protocol that keeps online communications like email and instant messaging secure. Because of this major technological development, he is known as the “father of SSL.”
6. The Waffle Cone
Though it may not be the most high-tech invention on the list, the waffle cone stands out not only because it’s delicious, but because not one, but four different Arab Americans claimed to have invented it. And what’s perhaps even more bizarre, is that in an origin story with so many inconsistencies, all four of the men contend that their ice cream innovation was born at the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition—better known as the Saint Louis World’s Fair.
According to Nasralla, Ernest Hamwi, Nick Kabbaz, Abe Doumar and Leon B. Holwey each had their own story about how they came up with the waffle cone in 1904. “We give credit to all four of them, but we don’t recognize any of the stories as more plausible than the others,” she explains. “It remains a mystery to this day!”
But that mystery extends beyond which of the Arab American vendors (if any) deserves credit for the waffle cone. That’s because on top of these four narratives, there are several other origin stories , including some that took place prior to 1904. And though we may never know who first devised a handheld edible ice cream container, it’s safe to say that the 1904 World Fair and its Arab American dessert vendors did have a hand in popularizing what we now know as the waffle cone.
source/content: history.com (headline edited) / Elizabeth Yuko
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HEART SURGEON DR. MICHAEL DEBAKEY. CREDIT: BETTMANN ARCHIVE/GETTY IMAGES
Since 1973, L’Oréal Paris supports each and every woman on her journey to success and self-worth. Through the “Women Of Worth” program, L’Oréal Paris honored 10 leading Lebanese women, who have overcome challenges and achieved greatness in their respective fields, in Lebanon and in the whole world. The awards were delivered during a gala dinner ceremony titled “Walk your Worth”, held on March 28, 2023 at the Middle East Airlines (MEA) Training Center in Beirut.
During the event, Mrs. Emilie Wahab Harb, Managing Director of L’Oréal Liban, said: “As a brand that has always taken on the cause of women’s worth, L’Oréal Paris is proud to recognize and celebrate the outstanding achievements of 10 exceptional Lebanese women who have overcome challenges and achieved greatness in their fields. Their accomplishments inspire future generations and contribute to the development of the Lebanese society, thanks to their passion, dedication, and commitment to excellence.” Moreover, she asserted that “L’Oréal Paris firmly believes that all women are worth it, whereas it’s evident to support their journeys and recognize their successes”, asking all women and those present at the ceremony, to “recognize the power of beauty as a catalyst of self-worth”. She further added: “We are entirely convinced that women’s causes should be celebrated and highlighted. That is the reason why we founded “Women Of Worth” which gathers us tonight, as we follow a journey we started 50 years ago, and which we will firmly continue because women are worth it.”
The honored Lebanese women were chosen by L’Oréal Paris not only for their accomplishments, but also for the values they embody, namely self-confidence, perseverance, resilience:
–Mrs. Nayla Tueni – CEO of An Nahar Newscorp and Editor in Chief of Annahar newspaper. Awarded under the Media category, Mrs. Tueni is a prominent Lebanese journalist.
–Dr. Hiba Al Kawas – President of the Lebanese National Higher Conservatory of Music. Awarded under the arts category. Dr. Kawas is a Lebanese composer, opera singer, scholar, and pioneer of Arab Opera.
–Mrs. Ghida Anani – Founder & Director of ABAAD – Resource Centre for Gender Equality. Awarded under the Social Responsibility category, Ms. Anani led a number of public opinion campaigns, notably the #Undress522 which resulted in the abortion of the article 522 of the Lebanese penal code.
–Captain Rola Hoteit – Airline Pilot at MEA. Awarded under the bravery category, Mrs. Hoteit is an Airbus A320 and A330 Captain, and the first Lebanese female airline captain.
–Mrs. Mireille Hayek – Founder & Owner of Em Sherif: Awarded under the Culinary Category, Mrs. Hayek is well known among the Lebanese and Arab society for her passion for cooking, her dedication and leadership in her restaurant that revives the Lebanese tradition, and which has been a success in Lebanon and abroad such as in London and Monaco.
–Mrs. Yola Zard Noujaim – Architect, Founder of Jabalna Festival & Owner of Al Fundok Hotel. Awarded under the sustainability category, she restored the old school of Maasser el chouf in an understated rural style to become Al Fundok boutique Hotel. This eco hotel is a non-profit community project, which encourages local tourism, creates a sustainable income for the community and promotes environmental, cultural, and culinary estate preservations.
–Mrs. Fadia ElMendelek – Hair Consultant. Awarded under the beauty category, Mrs. ElMendelek is a hair stylist whose talent and creativity earned her many European awards. With an online service and her own line “K by Fadia El Mendelek” of premium all-natural hair care products and extensions, she became the stylist to many celebrities and Arab Royalties.
–Mrs. Danielle Hatem – Founder & CEO of D Does Business. Awarded under the Digital Business category, Mrs. Hatem is an influential blogger who highlights strategic economical facts and figures, with the aim to create awareness about latest business headlines, while influencing and motivating the youth into entrepreneurship and business growth.
–Miss Rana Hayek, Electro-Mechanical Engineer & Car Mechanic. Awarded under the outstanding category, she’s Lebanon’s first female car mechanic. She is a diagnosis engineer at Sigma, the exclusive agent for Seat, Mitsubishi, and Ducati.
–Miss Aleen Sabbagh – Founder & Owner of The Concept. Awarded under the fashion category. What started as a personal devotion to fashion turned into a full-fledged clothing brand. Aleen Sabbagh, the young Lebanese face behind it all, goes from one factory to the other looking to constantly design drop trendy collections that always manage to sell out quickly.
The event was presented and moderated by Ms. Nadine W. Njeim, who discussed with each awardee her journey to success. It was attended by an audience of more than 150 invitees including public figures, the awardees’ families, journalists and representatives of various Lebanese media outlets, bloggers and social media influencers, as well as L’Oréal’s team and partners of L’Oréal Paris in Lebanon.
Lebanese designer represents Moroccan culture and feminine beauty at Maroc Fashion Week.
Maroc Fashion Week ran from March 8 to 11 in the city of Marrakech. The purpose of the event was to represent the Moroccan caftan and to further celebrate International Women’s Day.
Morocco World News spoke with Lebanese fashion consultant and designer Bernard Jabbour about his newly presented collection, Poisonous Beauty.
The esteemed designer has 28 years of experience in the fashion industry, some of Jabbour’s extensive experience includes his work as a consultant for Lebanese fashion designer Elie Saab and Project Runway Middle East. The designer is mostly known for his work at his Lebanon-based fashion studio, in which he specializes in haute couture – high-end, custom, and handmade fashion – including evening and wedding gowns.
Jabbour has visited Morocco twice before, but the most recent visit marks more of an official trip at one of the “biggest events,” hosted at what the designer described as a “beautiful country.” Poisonous Beauty is also the first-ever collection that he has debuted at Maroc Fashion Week.
“They say I’m classic yet with a twist. I try every time to put something new in my designs, but you can always see the touch of Bernard Jabbour. My DNA is always present in my designs,” Jabbour explained.
Enticing and dangerous inspiration
His primary inspiration for all of his collections is the presence of the woman; each collection simply approaches the woman figure a little differently to create a unique design for every season. Poisonous Beauty is one of his more ambitious and “tricky” projects.
The thought process behind the idea relays his thinking that women are a “beautiful poison that … we want to have … Her soul, her look and everything is poisoning us, but we also ask for it.” The designer sees a woman’s figure and aura as something both enticing and dangerous, a familiarity that when studied and analyzed through an artistic lens, appears unique and foreign.
Furthermore, Jabbour explains that he has experimented with “unconventional material” for this very collection as well, with new volumes and calmer color palettes.
Jabbour’s most prized dress in the Poisonous Beauty collection is one that is inspired by Moroccan architecture. It was never intended to be a part of this collection, but Jabbour says that “because I’m here in Morocco Fashion Week, I said no. I have to do one dress dedicated to Morocco.”
In regards to Maroc Fashion Week, Jabbour applauds the beauty and representation of the caftan: “I have … few Moroccan designer friends … [but] I like how they make the caftan. The handwork they put in the caftan, it’s like really magic.”
The designer felt amazed by the multiculturalism that he and other designers were exposed to at Maroc Fashion Week. Jabbour mentioned that the event unites people from across the globe he said, including countries such as “Kazakhstan, Italy, Lebanon, and Palestine.”
Jabbour is one of many international designers who helped in paying tribute to women’s presence and cultural recognition in the ever-developing world of the international fashion industry.
