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
Al-Samaani and Tabbi will serve in their roles for two years.
Saudi Justice Minister Waleed Al-Samaani has been elected head of the executive office of the Council of Arab Justice Ministers, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Abdul Rashid Tabbi of Algeria was elected deputy head. Both will serve in their roles for two years.
The announcement came on Wednesday during the 71st session of the executive office, held at the Arab League’s headquarters in Cairo.
source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)
__________
Saudi Justice Minister Waleed Al-Samaani attends 71st session of the executive office of the Council of Arab Justice Ministers. (SPA)
Her Royal Highness (HRH), Princess Lamia Bint Majed Al Saud, the Secretary General of Alwaleed Philanthropies, was reappointed as the UN-Habitat Goodwill Ambassador for the Arab region for a second term during a meeting held at the UN-Habitat premises in Riyadh.
As the first ever UN-Habitat Goodwill Ambassador for the Arab region appointed in 2020, HRH shed the light on key urban issues through her engagement with UN-Habitat activities and events, including the tenth session of the World Urban Forum 2020 and World Habitat Day Global Observance 2020.
HRH further advocated for topics, including Cities free from Violence against Women and Girls and COIVID-19 response in urban areas, as well as supported resource mobilization for a number of projects, targeting housing for the most vulnerable groups, COVID-19 response and climate action, spanning Iraq, Palestine, Sudan, Yemen, and Tunisia.
“I am greatly honoured to have been appointed for the second time as the UN-Habitat Regional Goodwill Ambassador for the Arab world. Our partnership with UN-Habitat will support our efforts to address issues around urbanization and its implications on societies, economies and environments. We promise to continue building bridges for a more compassionate, tolerant and accepting future along with our key partners.”
HRH signed her appointment letter in the presence of Maimunah Mohd Sharif, UN-Habitat Executive Director, Erfan Ali, UN-Habitat Regional Representative for the Arab States and Ayman El-Hefnawi, UN-Habitat Head of Office in Saudi Arabia.
“In the past three years during UN-Habitat’s cooperation with HRH Princess Lamia bint Majid Al Saud as UN-Habitat’s regional Goodwill Ambassador, HRH has shown the utmost commitment to the advocacy for the UN-Habitat mandate to realise more sustainable, resilient and inclusive cities,” Sharif commented.
UN-Habitat is keen on continuing the cooperation with HRH for the years 2022, 2023 and beyond in all relevant areas, including climate action, urban crisis response, housing and advocating the realization of better cities for all.
Mawhiba representatives told the 13th Conference of Arab Ministers of Education in Rabat that its ‘Gifted Arabs’ initiative had identified and was supporting people in 16 Arab countries
Secretary-General Dr. Amal bint Abdullah Al-Hazaa said that the program allows Saudi leadership to share their expertise and discover, nurture, and empower talent around the Arab world
More than 600 ‘gifted’ students have been granted support to realize their academic talents under an initiative launched by a Saudi foundation, an education conference has been told.
Leaders from Mawhiba, or the King Abdulaziz and his Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity, Mawhiba, told the 13th Conference of Arab Ministers of Education in Rabat, Morocco, that its ‘Gifted Arabs’ initiative had identified and was supporting people in 16 Arab countries.
Secretary-General Dr. Amal bint Abdullah Al-Hazaa said that the program allows Saudi leadership to share their expertise and discover, nurture, and empower talent around the Arab world.
Dr. Khaled Al-Sharif, director general of Mawhiba’s Center of Excellence, said that 606 students were identified in the first and second rounds of the ‘Gifted Arabs’ initiative’s recruitment.
The initiative has provided the talented students with qualitative enrichment and academic programs to develop their knowledge and capabilities, he added.
Mawhiba said that its efforts were part of its vision to empower talent and creativity to further prosperity.
The conference, “Future of Education in the Arab World in the Digital Transformation Era,” was held on May 29 and 30.
source/contents: arabnews.com (headline edited)
___________
Mawhiba has grant aided 606 students under its ‘Gifted Arabs’ initiative. (SPA)
The authority said the forum is an opportunity to learn from regional and global experiences and to share best practices in safeguarding competition and combating monopolistic practices.
Saudi Arabia will host the fourth Arab Competition Forum, organized by the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, the UN Conference on Trade and Development, and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.
The General Authority for Competition said that Saudi Arabia’s hosting of this forum emanates from its pioneering role in organizing events and forums aimed at upgrading the level of cooperation with other Arab countries to enhance fair competition in the markets, raising the level of consumer welfare in Arab countries, and stimulating enterprises to develop and innovate.
The event will take place from May 23–24 with the involvement of other competition agencies from fellow Arab countries and more than 15 experts and representatives from international agencies and organizations involved in the competition.
The authority said the forum is an opportunity to learn from regional and global experiences and to share best practices in safeguarding competition and combating monopolistic practices.
It focuses on discussing mergers and acquisitions, as well as enhancing the effectiveness of competition authorities in developing countries.
It also examines best practices for planning and conducting market studies as well as concerns arising from abuse of dominance in digital markets.
The forum was first launched in 2020 and aimed at establishing a continual knowledge-sharing platform on competition policy and enforcement for Arab stakeholders.
It advances advocacy and knowledge, builds capacity on best practices in competition across the Arab region, and facilitates coordination and collaboration at the national, regional and international levels.
Students of King Abdulaziz University won 41 medals during their participation in the 48th Geneva International Exhibition of Inventions.
The recently concluded exhibition saw 825 exhibitors from 44 countries take part with more than 1,000 inventions.
The head of innovation at the university, Dr. Iqbal Ismail, told Arab News: “Other Saudi universities are also participating. However, the participation of King Abdulaziz University at this exhibition is the largest and has been ongoing since 2016.”
Dr. Hana Al-Naim, acting president of the university, praised the achievements of the university’s male and female students, which have contributed both to the community and the Kingdom’s ranking, regionally and globally, in the field of creativity and innovation.
The students came from the university’s various colleges including departments of medicine, engineering, information technology and nursing.
Rahaf Alem and Raghad Al-Jundi won the International Federation of Inventors Association Award for the invention of a laser blood disease detector, also winning the gold medal.
A special prize from Taiwan was awarded to student Faisal Al-Subaie for inventing a cistern made from palm fronds to provide irrigation water.
Ahmed Al-Zahrani, Saleh Bakraa, Marwan Al-Jadaani, and Mohammed Al-Khamis also won the special award for their automated diagnostic platform.
The silver medal was awarded to Duaa Al-Shabani, Lama Al-Jelani, Gaitha Al-Khatami, Emtinan Yamani, and Hadeel Al-Lazori for their invention of an antimicrobial agent for dialysis patients.
Several Saudi inventions received the bronze medal. Safwan Hashim and Abdullah Abu Thyab won it for their renewable-energy car umbrella and Abdullah Al-Khotami for his work on protective glasses that shield wearers from thermal diseases.
Hala Mogarbel, Shahad Asiri, and Shatha Al-Sulami won the bronze medal for their urinary catheter holder invention.
Dina Al-Shibeeni, Marwa Bakour, and Hind Al-Rashid also won the bronze medal for the invention of an artificial intelligence gardening system.
The invention of a bedsore-proof bed earned Bateel Bajamal, Rena Al-Qahtani, Joud Hakami, Asmaa Bahmeed, and Shahad Al-Nahdi the bronze medal.
Shathar Al-Shabak, Jumana Al-Madhoun, Njoud Al-Ghamdi, and Raneem Saati were also awarded for their invention of “Minqath,” a drowning warning system.
Finally, Sumayah Baamer, Raniya Baksh, Rahaf Al-Saeed, and Deema Majashi won the bronze medal for school environment safety measures using artificial intelligence.
Ismail said: “There is no doubt that such student participation will have a great impact on raising a generation that thinks and researches in a scientific way and develops appropriate solutions to the problems facing the…community.”
He added that the exhibition constitutes an important opportunity to transform inventions into products that can be manufactured and marketed inside and outside the Kingdom.
Al-Naim will honor the exhibition’s winning students in a ceremony on Wednesday.
Dr. Jalees Razavi is first physician from Kingdom, Arab world to be honored
Prize presented by American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
A Saudi doctor has been presented with the prestigious Lifetime Achievement in OEM Award by the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
Dr. Jalees Razavi is the first Saudi, and Arab, to have been honored with the prize and also the first person from outside North America.
The award, which was created in 1938 by William S. Knudsen, then president of General Motors, recognizes doctors who have made a distinguished contribution to occupational and environmental medicine.
“Never in my wildest dream did I think that I would ever be nominated, let alone win it, Razavi told Arab News.
“I Googled the award and was speechless, as the luminaries who have won this award in the past consist of the who’s who of the specialty, such as C. Everett Koop, the 13th surgeon general of the US, and the father of modern occupational medicine in Canada, Ernest Mastromatteo in 1987.”
Saudi Arabia has many world-class medical researchers. Many Saudis have already proven to the world that they are hardworking, capable, ethical and goal-oriented professionals. I hope that this award willinspire the next generations ofSaudi professionals to continue to workhardand aim higher.
Dr.Jalees Razavi, Saudi physician
Based in Canada, Razavi has been a pioneer in the field of occupational and environmental medicine in Saudi Arabia and across the Middle East, and has chaired many symposiums, conferences and technical workshops.
“I think (receiving the award) is the combination of my active clinical work, unyielding commitment to the health and safety of the workforce and teaching,” he said.
At the award ceremony, Razavi was praised for his work as head of occupational medicine and later as chief of preventive medicine at Saudi Aramco, where he led on a number of environmental health campaigns.
“During my work as the executive medical director for Imperial Oil Ltd., Canada and ExxonMobil I worked on the slogan I introduced: ‘Having a Healthy Career,’” he said.
Razavi said occupational and environmental medicine was the field that dealt with the relationship between work and people’s physical and mental health.
“Without enough physicians, the gap is filled by professionals who will not have the skill sets required to address worker health needs. This ultimately impacts the health of workers and even their safety, depending on their job. I don’t think that there is a global solution, nor is it something that can be solved alone.
“Instead, governments, industries, unions, workers, medical schools, regulatory bodies and others should come together to determine how to arrive at an adequate number of specialists to meet population needs and maintain worker health.”
He also suggested incorporating OEM courses in undergraduate medical education and postgraduate residency training in order to grow interest and awareness in the speciality.
“Over the past 20 or more years, planetary health, global warming, greenhouse effect and climate change became global challenges. The occupational medicine specialists were quick to recognize the need for addressing the environmental medicine need,” Razavi said.
“The postgraduate programs in occupational medicine at the Universities of Toronto, Alberta and Montreal, for example, over the last many years have expanded their training curriculum to include environmental medicine.
“I expanded my practice for heat- and cold-related diseases and injuries, migrant and remote workers heath, and I also consult on disaster responses, because what happens in one corner of the world can impact the rest within hours, such as with COVID-19 or catastrophes such as Fukushima or Chernobyl.”
Different from clinical medicine, OEM evaluates and addresses whether certain illnesses are caused by a specific workplace exposure and evaluates risk, toxicology, injuries management and prevention.
“For example, we may diagnose diabetes in the workplace during routine screening. We don’t actively treat the condition, but assess and manage the impact of the disease on the worker’s health at work, and his or her safety in the workplace,” Razavi said.
He said he was proud to be the first Saudi to win the award.
“Saudi Arabia has many world class medical researchers. Many Saudis have already proven to the world that they are hardworking, capable, ethical and goal-oriented professionals. I hope that this award will inspire the next generations of Saudi professionals to continue to work hard and aim higher.”
Project to be located at astronomical observatory in Hail’s Mashar National Park.
The Saudi Amateur Radio Society is preparing to launch the largest radio telescope in the Middle East, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Sunday.
Construction on the 20-meter diameter device is done and tests will be conducted before it is linked to the radio telescope system developed at universities.
The radio telescope will be sited at the astronomical observatory in Mashar National Park.
Prince Badr bin Fahd, the president of the association, said the project was in line with Saudi Vision 2030 goals of sustainable development, digital transformation and attracting investments in the fields of technology and innovation.
source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)
___________
Construction on the 20-meter diameter device is done and tests will be conducted before it is linked to the radio telescope system. (File/AFP)
Mohammed bin Yahya Al-Sayel has been appointed to become a member of the UN’s Global Geospatial Knowledge and Innovation Center following a royal decree on April 16.
The UN-GGKIC aims to build geospatial capabilities and competencies at the global level, develop centers of knowledge and innovation in countries, and benefit from the mechanisms, techniques, and analysis used in the field of geospatial information.
The center is working on implementing the Integrated Geospatial Information Framework to improve and strengthen work on managing national geospatial information for achieving sustainable development goals.
Al-Sayel has been the regional coordinator for Arab countries at the International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing since January.
Al-Sayel, who has also been the president of the Kingdom’s General Authority for Survey and Geospatial Information since 2021, was nominated for his new position by the board of directors at the ISPRS.
The general authority is mandated with developing national capacities in the sector, in cooperation with universities and specialized institutes with its counterparts in other countries, international bodies, and organizations related to the sector.
The ISPRS is a non-governmental organization devoted to the development of international cooperation for the advancement of photogrammetry, remote sensing, and their applications.
Al-Sayel received a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering in 1984 from Roger Williams University, Rhode Island, US. He also received a high diploma in geodesy and map production from the Royal School of Military Survey.
He was granted a master’s degree in geomatics in 1994 from the University of Toronto, Canada, and obtained a doctorate in surveying engineering and geospatial information from Leibniz University Hannover, Germany.
Al-Sayel has taken a number of advanced training courses on geographic information and global positioning systems. He has attended several training courses on negotiations and boundary delimitation at Durham University in the UK.
Al-Sayel, who is both the CEO of Quality Geospatial Engineering Co. and Vision Intelligence, a digital sustainability solution-providing company, has risen in the military to the rank of major general and was an assistant director at the General Directorate of Military Survey. He was also the head of the boundaries and documents department.
He is the secretary-general of the Cooperative Society of Moringa and Desert Plants, one of the first Saudi cooperative societies aiming at increasing the country’s vegetation.
Al-Sayel is a consultant member of the Saudi Council of Engineers and a member of the American Imaging and Geospatial Information Society, and the ISPRS.
The EGMO is an international competition in mathematics targeting female high school students whose commitment to mathematics goes beyond the usual school curriculum
To participate at the EGMO, students must qualify first at a national competition, after which they, together with their advisors, form their respective national delegations
Two Saudi girls have achieved advanced positions in the European Girls’ Mathematical Olympiad 2023, which is being held in Slovenia from April 13-19.
The EGMO is an international competition in mathematics targeting female high school students whose commitment to mathematics goes beyond the usual school curriculum.
To participate at the EGMO, students must qualify first at a national competition, after which they, together with their advisors, form their respective national delegations.
“Saudi Arabia, represented by King Abdulaziz and his Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity (Mawhiba) and the Ministry of Education won two medals in the EGMO 2023 in Slovenia,” Mawhiba tweeted on Tuesday.
The young talents have raised Saudi Arabia’s medal tally to 26 in all editions of the EGMO, in which 213 students representing 55 countries are currently participating.
Saudi students Jana Ali Saad Al-Dosar from the Eastern Region and Fatimah Hassan Mohammed Bu Ali from Al-Ahsa won a bronze medal and a certificate of appreciation, respectively.
Mawhiba’s Secretary-General Dr. Amal bint Abdullah Al-Hazzaa congratulated the winners and expressed gratitude to King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for their support of higher education, which led to these achievements.
Al-Hazzaa noted that the students’ successes embody the integration between Kingdom’s institutions and its commitment to advancing young talents through education and training in line with international standards.
She also praised the cooperation between Mawhiba, the Ministry of Education, and the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, a partnership that aims to develop Saudi human capital and increase competitiveness in the labor market in line with the National Transformation Program and Saudi Vision 2030.
The Saudi girls participating in the EGMO 2023 have undergone intensive training to develop their scientific skills and were nominated to participate based on the results they achieved in the training forums held by Mawhiba.
The EGMO was initially launched in the UK, which hosted its first edition in April 2012 with 19 participating countries.
The international competition aims to motivate more female students to participate in the International Mathematical Olympiad, where girls currently constitute only 10 percent of the participating students.
This is Saudi Arabia’s 11th participation in the EGMO. The Kingdom has achieved two gold medals, six silver medals, 12 bronze medals, and six certificates of appreciation.
The EGMO 2023 awards are scheduled to be distributed on Wednesday during a final ceremony.
source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)
____________
Fatimah Hassan Mohammed Bu Ali and Jana Ali Saad Al-Dosar. (Twitter/Mawhiba)
Mariam Saleh Binladen took just four hours to make the crossing from the Saudi island of Tiran to the Egyptian resort of Sharm El-Sheikh.
A Saudi dentist and endurance swimmer has set a new women’s world record time for swimming across the Red Sea.
Mariam Saleh Binladen took just four hours to make the crossing from the Saudi island of Tiran to the Egyptian resort of Sharm El-Sheikh.
She was accompanied in the water on her 9-kilometer swim by Lewis Pugh, a British South African endurance swimmer and UN patron of the oceans.
Pugh was on the first leg of his campaign to raise awareness about the destruction of oceans and coral reefs in the run up to the 2022 UN Climate Change Conference (COP27) due to take place in Sharm El-Sheikh next month.
Binladen told Arab News: “During the final moments of the swim, I felt elated, a sense of jubilation, and blessed to have achieved my goal with my body intact.
“I had concerns before embarking on the swim, namely the weather conditions and sharks. As the last moments approached, I thanked Allah that the team had made it safe and sound through what were quite hazardous conditions.”
Due to high winds and rough seas the swim had to be staggered over two days.
She said: “We completed the swim in two segments and fed less often to minimize the risk of shark attacks. I would say that the most challenging aspect was at the midway point when the sea became very turbulent.
“We had also agreed to swim without protective cages, so those sharks were always at the back of our minds.”
Binladen has been involved in open water endurance swimming professionally since 2012.
“I train hard at least three times a week. Over my weekends, I alternate between four to six hours of swims to maintain momentum. I maintain a dedicated fitness regime, and I keep to a physically gruelling schedule when I am preparing for a challenge,” she added.
Her first major world record-breaking swim was in London’s River Thames in 2016, but she pointed out that the Red Sea attempt was for a greater cause.
“I agreed to join this challenge as the cause is near to my heart. These challenges are not for the faint of heart; you really need to be disciplined with your training and build up your physical and mental strength. Those two things are what will keep you going and be the key to success,” she said.
Long-distance swimming, she noted, was physically and mentally challenging and it was only with the support of a sports counsellor and her family that she was able to prepare herself.
“We sift through any fears and concerns together. I cannot stress enough how important it is to always work with professionals and to surround yourself with the right people.
“I’m blessed to also have the support and reassurance of a loving family without whom I could never have embarked on this journey,” she added.
Binladen’s charitable work has included offering support to refugees.
She said: “I am primed and physically and mentally prepared to take on my next challenge.
“In terms of the future, I will continue to use my challenges to raise awareness of issues that concern me, my philanthropic work is ongoing, and I have my career, and I am very busy.”
She now has five world records to her name, including being the first Arab to complete the Dardanelles Strait open water race in Turkey from Asia to Europe, in August 2015, completing the 6.5-km distance in one hour, 27 minutes, and 26 seconds.
In September 2016, she became the first Saudi to complete an assisted swim across the English Channel of 39.7 km, a feat she did in 11 hours and 41 minutes.
And she was also the first swimmer to cross the Dubai Creek and Dubai Water Canal, clocking up a total distance of 24 km in nine hours and 10 minutes.
source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)
___________
Saudi dentist and endurance swimmer Maryam Saleh Binladen. (Supplied)
