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Transaction, first announced in September 2023, represents Aramco’s first downstream retail investment in South America.
Saudi Aramco successfully completed the acquisition of a 100 percent equity stake in Chile’s Esmax Distribucion, a leading diversified downstream fuels and lubricants retailer, it was announced on Friday.
Esmax has a national presence that includes retail fuel stations, airport operations, fuel distribution terminals and a lubricant blending plant.
The transaction, which was first announced in September 2023, represented Aramco’s first downstream retail investment in South America, illustrating the attractiveness of this market, and supports the Saudi company’s strategic goal to strengthen its downstream value chain.
“We are delighted to conclude the acquisition of Esmax and look forward to working with the outstanding team on the ground in Chile to achieve our shared ambitions,” Yasser Mufti, Aramco executive vice president of products & customers, said.
“Aramco aims to be a primary global retail player and this deal combines our high quality products and services, including Valvoline lubricants, with the experience and quality of an established operator in Chile.”
source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)
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Pictured at the transaction closing are Southern Cross Group Partner Raul Sotomayor, front left, and Aramco Europe President & CEO Mazin Dabbagh, front right. Back row, from left, are Southern Cross Group Partner Jaime Besa, Aramco Vice-President of Retail and Esmax Chairman Ziyad Juraifani, and Aramco International Retail Director Nader Al Douhan. (Aramco)
• 2023 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix wins Event Innovation Award at F1 Promoter Awards in London, which recognises exceptional achievements of Formula 1 venues across the world.
• Award recognized several key innovations at Bahrain International Circuit, including the establishment of an industry-leading solar facility.
The 2023 Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix has won The Event Innovation Award at the F1 Promoter Awards in London. The ceremony recognizes key achievements of F1 venues across the world, with Bahrain picking up the award for a number of industry-leading innovations over the last twelve months. These included key sustainability initiatives as well as technology developments in areas including race control and traffic management.
The awards themselves are arranged and judged by Formula 1, the commercial rights holder of the sport. Categories are open to all Formula 1 venues from across the world, with a shortlist of three circuits announced in advance of the awards ceremony. Arif Rahimi, Chairman of Bahrain International Circuit, collected the award on behalf of BIC, which was presented by F1’s Chief Commercial Officer, Emily Prazer. The awards ceremony was attended by other senior BIC management, as well as Formula 1 promoters and partners from around the world.
The Event Innovation award was presented to the F1 venue which demonstrated the most significant innovation in their event delivery, commercial product offering or infrastructure. Announcing The 2023 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix as the overall winner, the judges recognized several key innovations at BIC, including:
• BIC’s industry-leading solar production facility: In its first year of operation the solar park at BIC produced over 5 million KWH of clean energy, enough renewable energy to cover all the usage for F1 with significant capacity to spare, the equivalent of offsetting 3,108 tonnes of carbon.
• Innovative energy saving measures: In 2023, BIC undertook a number of measures to reduce energy consumption. This has included a new building management system that efficiently monitors and manages light and air conditioning provision, an upgrade to more efficient air conditioning chillers and the replacement of all street and building lighting to LED lights. BIC’s combined energy saving measures saved over 30% in energy use over the year.
• Innovative technology in race control: In 2023, BIC installed a first of a kind system in the world that links flag digital panels on track to cameras in race control – with the specific camera automatically highlighting the relevant flagged area of the circuit. This saves officials in race control crucial time when looking into incidents.
• Digitalization: BIC introduced digitalized directional signage for fans coming into the circuit, enabling better proactive and efficient management of traffic, which reduced overall traffic queues and alleviated the need for printing materials for temporary signs.
FM Bourita stressed the need to confront attempts to distort human rights issues in favor of unrelated agendas, while launching initiatives to strengthen the Council’s effectiveness.
Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nasser Bourita, affirmed in Geneva that the Kingdom’s tenure leading the Human Rights Council will prioritize “credibility and dynamism,” aiming to foster constructive consensus towards the council’s objectives.
Addressing the high-level segment of the 55th session of the Human Rights Council, chaired by Morocco, Bourita emphasized the adherence to principles synonymous with Moroccan diplomacy.
He highlighted Morocco’s dedication to credibility in action, dynamism in performance, innovation in methods, and the pursuit of constructive consensus.
The election of Morocco to preside over this crucial United Nations body, with 30 out of 47 votes, serves as international validation of the nation’s unwavering dedication to human rights under the leadership of King Mohammed VI.
Surpassing South Africa in the vote, Morocco’s victory signals recognition of its far-sighted vision and commitment to the rule of law and fundamental rights.
Following his election, Morocco’s permanent representative to the UN in Geneva, Omar Zniber, reiterated the kingdom’s pledge to promote, respect, and guarantee universally recognized human rights.
Zniber highlighted Morocco’s role as a unifying leader on key issues such as interreligious dialogue, tolerance, environmental sustainability, migrants’ rights, and the impact of new technologies.
According to Minister Bourita, the Moroccan presidency builds on significant progress in establishing a comprehensive human rights framework.
He noted that despite the challenges posed by a complex international landscape marked by polarization and human rights violations, the country remains committed to advancing the Council’s agenda.
Bourita stressed the need to confront attempts to distort human rights issues in favor of unrelated agendas, while launching initiatives to strengthen the Council’s effectiveness.
In parallel with these efforts, Bourita took part in bilateral discussions with his counterparts from Bahrain, Kazakhstan and the Netherlands, as well as meetings with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
The Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology (MTCIT), in cooperation with Universal Postal Union, will host the first edition of the Arab Postal Leaders Forum from February 12 to 14 in Muscat.
An official at MTCIT informed that with participation of more than 60 representatives from 18 Arab countries, the forum will serve as a platform for discussions of crucial topics related to the digital transformation of business models within the postal sector. He explained that the primary focus of the forum is on leveraging digital technologies to reshape the postal industry.
Among its key objectives is exploration of opportunities to broaden access to digital economy services, encompassing e-governance and e-commerce, through various digital platforms.
The event will delve into the challenges associated with digital transformation across diverse sectors such as trade, finance, communications, transportation and customs.
“The forum’s agenda includes presentations and discussion sessions that will spotlight innovative digital solutions in the postal and e-commerce domains. Moreover, global best practices in the realms of digitisation and postal transformation will be discussed. The goal is to underscore the significance of collaborations and information exchange among stakeholders, fostering increased adaptability in postal systems amid the rapid pace of digital transformation,” the MTCIT official said.
The event seeks to enhance the adaptability of postal services and systems in response to the evolving technological landscape.
Tunisian poet Abdelaziz Hammami’s words resonated through the prestigious Sharjah Arab Poetry Festival, earning him the coveted Al Qawafi award. Held from January 8th to 14th in the UAE, the festival witnessed a celebration of Arabic poetry from across the region.
Hammami, already a seasoned voice in the poetry world with works published in various newspapers and magazines, stood out amongst the diverse talent. This is reported by TAP, a partner of TV BRICS.
Hammami’s journey with poetry began in his hometown of Kairouan, where he played a pivotal role in establishing the city’s first literary club in the late 1960s. His passion for the craft extended beyond writing, as he also served as a correspondent for the TAP news agency and collaborated with national radio and Tunisian television. This win at the Sharjah festival marks a crowning achievement for a poet who has dedicated his life to the beauty of language.
Hammami is not the only Tunisian celebrating at the festival. His compatriot, Moncef Ouhaibi, had earlier bagged the “Sharjah Prize for Poetic Criticism.” This double triumph signifies a potent resurgence of Tunisian poetry on the international stage.
With 12 awards bestowed upon deserving poets and critics from across the Arab world, the 20th Sharjah Arab Poetry Festival reaffirmed its position as a beacon for literary excellence. Hammami’s victory, in particular, underscores the enduring power of poetry to transcend borders and touch hearts.
Sustainable desalination technology in Saudi Arabia has achieved global recognition, with the Kingdom’s Saline Water Conversion Corp. receiving nine Guinness World Records.
In a ceremony at the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture headquarters in Riyadh, the company was awarded a certificate for its multi-effect distillation water desalination plant. This facility, with a daily capacity of 92,000 cubic m., is recognized as the largest in the world.
In December 2021, the organization unveiled its roadmap for achieving environmental sustainability at a major international industry conference. By being awarded the record for the lowest energy consumption for a water desalination plant globally, SWCC has taken a significant step toward fulfilling its Saudi Green Initiative action plans.
Saudi Arabia, considered one of the most water-stressed countries globally, is implementing various measures to ensure water security, a foundational element for the socioeconomic transformation outlined in the Vision 2030 plan.
The actions include reducing water demand through optimizing agricultural production and increasing water supplies via expanded desalination and storage capacity. Additionally, water system resilience will be enhanced through the implementation of transmission and interlinkage projects, as outlined in a report by the nation’s desalination company.
During the ceremony, the company was recognized for achieving a record for the largest water storage facility, the Riyadh Strategic Water Reservoir, with a capacity of 4.79 million cubic m.
It also received acknowledgment for having the largest drinking water storage tank network, totaling a capacity of 8.79 million cubic m..
Speaking on the sidelines of the event, SWCC Gov. Abdullah Al-Abdulkarim, said: “The corporation is proud to have achieved these new records that enhance its pioneering and leadership role in the desalination industry and to continue its race with the future with deliberate and confident steps.”
He further outlined that achieving nine new Saudi records in the Guinness resulted from continuous development, research, and innovation efforts. This success reflects a strategy emphasizing increased business efficiency through technology harnessing, capability empowerment, and knowledge localization.
“Our vision expands today in the desalination industry, so that our ambitions exceed the horizons of competing for record achievements to making a change, making a difference, and exporting Saudi leadership to the world,” added Al-Abdulkarim.
source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)
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A ceremony to mark the records was held at the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture headquarters in Riyadh. Supplied
In medieval Sicily, a specific variant of Arabic emerged after the Aghlabid and Fatimid dynasties. This language, now extinct, left a living legacy.
The emergence ofSicilian Arabic is a direct consequence of the Islamic conquest of Sicily. This period began in 827 AD, initiated by Euphemius, a Byzantine naval commander in Sicily, who sought aid from Muslim forces to regain his command after being deposed in a rebellion. This appeal set the stage for a protracted conflict, ultimately leading to the complete domination of Sicily by Muslim forces by 902 AD. Notably, the resistance persisted in some Byzantine strongholds, with Rometta succumbing as late as 965 AD.
A new era
Under the new Muslim governance, Sicily underwent a profound transformation. This era facilitated the intermingling of Islamic Arab and Berber settlers with the island’s Latin-Romance, Greek-Byzantine, and Jewish populations. Palermo, in particular, flourished as a significant cultural and political nexus within the Islamic world. The establishment of the Emirate of Sicily during this epoch (831 to 1091 AD) marked a significant phase in the island’s history, enduring until the Norman conquest in the late 11th century.
The emergence of Sicilian Arabic to the island was a byproduct of these migrations and conquests, rooted in the Maghrebi Arabic variant brought by Arab troops and settlers from Tunisia. From this dialect, the Siculo-Arabic language emerged. But this linguistic evolution extended beyond Sicily, influencing the language and cultural landscape of nearby Malta , where Sicilian Arabic eventually gave rise to the Maltese language. The Maltese language, with its deep connections to the Maghrebi Arabic variant spoken in Sicily during the Norman period, is a unique blend, integrating elements of Sicilian Romance and Arabic into a distinct parler. This linguistic transformation was later also significantly influenced by the conquests of Roger II and subsequent shifts towards a more European societal structure in both Sicily and Malta from 1091 to 1127, accentuating the Latin element of the Maltese language.
Between East and West
Maltese, today, is officially classified within the South Arabic branch of the Central Semitic languages, traces its lineage through Sicilian Arabic back to Tunisian Arabic, part of the broader Maghrebi Arabic family. Despite its Semitic roots, a substantial portion of the Maltese vocabulary is derived from Romance languages, predominantly due to the influence of Sicilian Latin and Tuscan. But the language, today, is a surviving descendant of the now-extinct Arabic of Sicily. Moreover, a study entitled “Mutual intelligibility of spoken Maltese, Libyan Arabic, and Tunisian Arabic functionally tested” by Čéplö et al. examines the proximity of Maltese to East Maghrebi Arabic and found an noteworthy degree of intelligibility between Maltese and Tunisian and Libyan Arabic dialects today.
Mohamed Ibrahim Warsame, one of Somalia’s greatest poets, dies aged 79.
Somali social media has been flooded with tributes to the man better known as ‘Hadraawi’.
Messages of condolences continue to pour in from around the world following the death of Mohamed Ibrahim Warsame, regarded as one of Somalia’s greatest poets.
Warsame, known as “Hadraawi”, died in Hargeisa, in Somaliland, on Thursday at the age of 79.
Social media has been flooded with tributes and praise for his contribution to Somali language and culture.
“I’m heartbroken to inform you our giant Mohamed Ibrahim Warsame Hadraawi has passed away. Might Allah bless him and grant him Jannah,” Ayan Mahamoud, founder of Kayd Somali Arts and Culture , said on Twitter.
“We will treasure his legacy and the rich scholarly work he left behind,” added Said Salah Ahmed, a poet and playwright who teaches the Somali language at the University of Minnesota in the US.
Hadraawi, which means the “master, or father, of speech”, was regarded as a pillar of modern Somali literature and a strong advocate of peace and democracy.
In 1973, he was imprisoned for five years by the president, Siad Barre, who ruled Somalia until 1991, for speaking against the revolution. His work was banned but he continued to compose poetry upon his release, which were was passed on through word of mouth.
The songs and verses he wrote are full of imagery and metaphor, open to interpretation, which made it hard for the military regime to control. A verse from his poem The Killing of the She-Camel resulted in his imprisonment without trial.
The snake sneaks in the castle:
although it’s carpeted with thorns
still the coward casts off his curses
so the courageous must stretch out his neck;
the cob stallion sells his values
in order to cut a fine figure.
When such cockiness struts forth
and even laughter becomes a crime
our country has unfinished business.
In the early 1990s he called for an end to the civil war, which caused thousands of people to flee Somalia. In 2004, he travelled throughout the country on a “peace march” urging warring parties to stop the violence. His message of reconciliation resonated with Somalis at home and abroad.
He retired a few years ago.
“Poet Mohamed Ibrahim Warsame (Hadraawi) was a symbol of unity and peace,” said the Somali president, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, in a statement. “He was one of key pillars of Somalia’s art and literature who took a leading role in preserving the Somali culture and promoting the Somali language. His death is felt in every Somali household.”
The EU, Norway, the UK and other friends of Somalia sent condolences and tributes.
“Sending my heartfelt condolences to the people of Somaliland and to all Somalis for the loss of Mohamed Ibrahim Warsame “Hadraawi”, an iconic poet and one of the most eminent and beloved Somali poets of all time,” tweeted Lizzie Walker, head of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in Hargeisa.
Hadraawi had been called the “Somali Shakespeare”, but Somali singer and songwriter Aar Maanta said: “Hadraawi wasn’t the ‘Somali Shakespeare’ he was the Somali Hadraawi. He was more than a poet; he was a philosopher and a freedom fighter who spent many years in jail for his stance against injustice and dictatorship.
“He wrote some of the most beautiful love songs and poems that Somalis in the Horn of Africa and beyond use as a benchmark.”
Ahmed, who knew Hadraawi since late 1960s, added: “Hadraawi was one of the kindest people I have ever met. His poetry speaks for the voiceless and calls out oppression against the people …. he will be missed so dearly but we will treasure his legacy and the rich scholarly work he left behind.”
Known as a “nation of poets”, poetry is woven into the fabric of Somali society with centuries of oral history, as the Somali language was only written in 1972.
Contemporary Somali poetry, including the works of Hadraawi, has been preserved in books and translated into English.
Rahman was one of the first women to be paid to play football in Europe – and set a host of records!
Deena Rahman owns five Guinness World Records
She was one of the players who got contracts when Fulham became professional in 2000
Rahman represented Bahrain in 40 matches, and scored 23 goals
In 2000, almost a decade before the English Football Association awarded the first central contracts to women, Fulham Ladies, at the insistence of club chairman Mohamed Al-Fayed, turned fully professional. It was a watershed moment in the history of women’s football. One of the 16 players paid to play professional football, a first in Europe, was Deena Rahman.
Deena Rahman’s career has since become one of football’s enduring legacies. She has played for the England women’s age group teams, then Bahrain national team. A midfielder during her playing days, the 39-year-old now works to promote gender equality in football while also creating a host of world records. The former Fulham midfielder currently holds five Guinness World Records!
Born to an Egyptian father, Deena Rahman rose through Fulham’s youth ranks, then joined the Arsenal Academy. But she returned to Fulham, and became a member of the team which completed a treble of Premier League National Division, FA Cup and League Cup in 2003. The club became semi-professional soon enough, after three years.
At 15, Rahman made her England U-18 debut. She also represented the country of her birth in two UEFA Women’s Under-19 Championships. However, she retired as a Bahraini player, having scored 23 goals in 40 matches after making her debut in 2011. She is regarded as one of the greatest to have played for the Reds, the nickname for the team from the small Western Asian kingdom.
In her journey – from Fulham to Manama with a brief stoppage in Cairo – Deena Rahman has witnessed a whole gamut of human experience. As a prodigious talent in England, she was a regular at the all-conquering Fulham. But injury and the disbandment of the Cottagers in 2006 forced her to move to Egypt, where she played for Wadi Degla for a brief spell. Another injury sidelined her, and she was back in England.
Then Bahrain came calling, thanks to her association with Arsenal. In 2010, Rahman arrived in the Gulf to work as a coach at Arsenal Soccer School at Soccer City in Janabiya. After five years there, she and her husband Paul Shipwright established their own academy, Tekkers Academy.
Meanwhile, Rahman was also busy creating her own legacy. In 2017, she, along with 32 women from 20 countries, set the Guinness World Record for the highest game of football ever played. And the setting was 18,760 feet above sea level, atop Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania – the highest mountain in Africa.
The following year, Deena Rahman played her part in setting another Guinness World Record, this time for a game of football at the lowest point in the world, the Dead Sea in the Jordan Rift Valley, at 1,412 ft below sea level.
In 2019, Rahman clocked two more Guinness World Records by taking part in a match featuring 822 players during the biggest five-a-side game at Olympic Lyonnaise Training Academy in Meyzieu, Lyon. Then in an exhibition match on the sidelines of the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France, she got her fourth Guinness World Record as a part of the match with the most nationalities – 114 participants, representing 53 nationalities. In 2020, Rahman secured her fifth record by hammering 7,876 penalties in 24 hours at the Kick Off Academy in Saar.
The Great Sand Sea Desert stretches over an area of 72,000km² linking Egypt and Libya. If you find yourself in a particular part of the desert in south-east Libya and south-western parts of Egypt, you’ll spot pieces of yellow glass scattered across the sandy landscape.
It was first described in a scientific paper in 1933 and is known as Libyan desert glass . Mineral collectors value it for its beauty, its relative rarity – and its mystery. A pendant found in Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun’s tomb contains a piece of the glass . Natural glasses are found elsewhere in the world; examples include moldavites from the Ries crater in Europe and tektites from the Ivory Coast. But none are as rich in silica as Libyan desert glass, nor are they found in such large lumps and quantities.
The origin of the glass has been the subject of debate among scientists for almost a century. Some suggested it might be from volcanoes on the moon. Others propose it’s the product of lightning strikes (“fulgurites” – glass that forms from fusion of sand and soil where they are hit by lightning). Other theories suggest it’s the result of sedimentary or hydrothermal processes; caused by a massive explosion of a meteor in the air; or that it came from a nearby meteorite crater .
Now, thanks to advanced microscopy technology, we believe we have the answer. Along with colleagues from universities and science centres in Germany, Egypt and Morocco, I have identified Libyan desert glass as originating from the impact of a meteorite on the Earth’s surface.
Space collisions are a primary process in the solar system, as planets and their natural satellites accreted via the asteroids and planet embryos (also called planetesimals) colliding with each other. These impacts helped our planet to assemble, too.
Under the microscope
In 1996 scientists determined that the glass was close to 29 million years old. A later study suggested the source material was composed of quartz grains, coated with mixed clay minerals and iron and titanium oxides.
This latter finding raised more questions, since the proposed age is older than the matching source material in the relevant area of the Great Sand Sea desert. To put it simply: those source materials didn’t exist in that location 29 million years ago.
For our recent study, a co-author obtained two pieces of the glass from a local who had collected them in the Al Jaouf region in south-eastern Libya.
We studied the samples with a state-of-the-art transmission electron microscopy (TEM) technique, which allows us to see tiny particles of material – 20,000 times smaller than the thickness of a paper sheet. Using this super-high magnification technique, we found small minerals in this glass: different types of zirconium oxide (ZrO₂).
Minerals are composed of chemical elements, atoms of which form regular three-dimensional packaging. Imagine putting eggs or soda bottles on the shelf of a supermarket: layers on top of layers to ensure the most efficient storage. Similarly, atoms assemble into a crystal lattice that is unique for each mineral. Minerals that have the same chemical composition but different atomic structure (different ways of atom packaging into the crystal lattice) are called polymorphs.
One polymorph of ZrO₂ that we observed in Libyan desert glass is called cubic zirconia – the kind seen in some jewellery as a synthetic replacement for diamonds. This mineral can only form at a high temperature between 2,250°C and 2,700°C.
Another polymorph of ZrO₂ that we observed was a very rare one called ortho-II or OII. It forms at very high pressure – about 130,000 atmospheres, a unit of pressure.
Such pressure and temperature conditions provided us with the proof for the meteorite impact origin of the glass. That’s because such conditions can only be obtained in the Earth’s crust by a meteorite impact or the explosion of an atomic bomb.
More mysteries to solve
If our finding is correct (and we believe it is), the parental crater – where the meteorite hit the Earth’s surface – should be somewhere nearby. The nearest known meteorite craters, named GP and Oasis, are 2km and 18km in diameter respectively, and quite far away from where the glass we tested was found. They are too far and too small to be considered the parental craters for such massive amounts of impact glass, all concentrated in one spot.
So, while we’ve solved part of the mystery, more questions remain. Where is the parental crater? How big is it – and where is it? Could it have been eroded, deformed or covered by sand? More investigations will be required, likely in the form of remote sensing studies coupled with geophysics.
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