Three singers have reached the end of their journey in Munshid Al Sharjah, the annual show that crowns the Muslim world’s next nasheed star.
Abdulaziz Alawi from Saudi Arabia, Uday Al Akhras from Palestine and Abdul Bari Karroum from Algeria were eliminated by the audience. They were among the 12 finalists who performed live for the judges at the quarter-finals on Thursday at Sharjah's Al Majaz Amphitheatre. Through their impressive performances, the contestants expressed patriotic and religious themes using traditional Inshad styles.
Taking the stage, they were accompanied by veteran backing vocalists of Munshid Al Sharjah for the lively performance, which was directed by Raed Al Dalati, who hails from Syria.
In support of their favourite contestants, cheering fans waved Arab countries’ flags, as well as photos of contestants and Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, the ruler of Sharjah.
Importance of team spirit for Saudi contestant
Despite the eliminations, the contestants share a united team spirit, on and off stage.
"The finalists and I have become more than brothers. We used to eat, hang out and spend the evenings together. Having to say goodbye to the contestants is what saddens me, not the elimination,” Alawi, 25, said.
“On stage, I wasn’t thinking about whether I would be eliminated or qualify for the next round because it would not allow me to perform well. I focused on my performance. Praise to God, I performed well thanks to my coach Mustafa Hamdo.”
And, having reached the final 12, he considers himself a winner already.
“Everyone dreams of being part of Munshid Al Sharjah," he said. "I am glad I was. I will certainly continue my journey in Inshad after the event."
Unbeatable spirit of Moroccan contestant
Ezz El Din Al Esawy, 21, earned high praise from the judges, who gave him a standing ovation following his dazzling performance.
"The judges' positive evaluation of my performance is an incentive for me to take it to the end," said the Moroccan singer.
“Initially, I chanted as a hobby, then I improved my nasheed skills before auditioning for the contest. I decided to participate in the contest on my own. No one from my family is here. The audience, however, was filled with Moroccans supporting me.
"Whether I win or not, I plan to continue my chanting journey because I value this purposeful art."
Who are the nine remaining contestants?
In the second round of the competition on Saturday, Sultan Daoud Al Ali from the UAE; Yahya Nadi from Egypt; Al Esawy from Morocco; Muhammad Al Masha'leh from Jordan; Issa Shammout from Syria; Abdullah Al Omari from Lebanon; Makhlid Al Jabry from Oman; Muhammad Al Rifai from Iraq; and Muhammad Al Wafi Idris from Libya will compete.
Who are the guest performers?
Thursday featured performances by acclaimed Egyptian singer and actor Ali El Haggar, known as the Golden Voice. He dedicated a song to Sharjah, written by poets Mohammed Al Buraiki, from the UAE, and Salim Al Shahbani, from Egypt.
Al Haggar mesmerised the audience with renditions from his extensive musical journey
Najm Al Dine Hashem, executive producer of Munshid Al Sharjah, said: “We are fortunate to have Ali Al Haggar as tonight’s guest performer. He has a rich portfolio of award-winning works with value-added content."
He said they endeavour to pick guests from across the Arab region based on fans' requests.
Munshid Al Sharjah, Al Turath Music Band, will perform on Saturday. The group, led by Mustafa Hamdou, will play Arabic heritage songs using traditional musical instruments.
At the final on December 25, there will be fierce competition between the remaining contestants to win the coveted title. The evening will be capped off with a special performance by Humood AlKhudher, a Kuwaiti singer and music producer.
Who are the vocal coaches?
Three vocal coaches are guiding the aspiring nasheed stars on their journey. They include acclaimed Iraqi musician and composer Waseem Faris, season four finalist Mustafa Hamdo from Syria, and Egyptian music producer and composer Sherif Mohsen.
Who are the judges?
The judging committee includes Tunisian artist Lotfi Bouchnak, Egyptian artist Mahmoud Al Tohamy and Emirati munshid ambassador Ahmed Bukhatir.
The judges thanked Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed for his unwavering support to Munshid Al Sharjah.
Today, the nasheed industry is on the rise thanks to the Munshid Al Sharjah.
Last season, Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, crowned Zakaria Al Zirek from Morocco the winner. Ahmed Samreen from Jordan came in second place and Aseel Jaber from Algeria took third.
How to attend and vote?
Tickets are free for the finals on Saturday and December 25 and can be obtained at the Al Majaz Amphitheatre main entrance. Parking is available at the adjacent government departments complex, buses will transport the visitors to and from the venue.
To vote, visit munshidsharjah.ae
Know your cyber adversaries
Cryptojacking: Compromises a device or network to mine cryptocurrencies without an organisation's knowledge.
Distributed denial-of-service: Floods systems, servers or networks with information, effectively blocking them.
Man-in-the-middle attack: Intercepts two-way communication to obtain information, spy on participants or alter the outcome.
Malware: Installs itself in a network when a user clicks on a compromised link or email attachment.
Phishing: Aims to secure personal information, such as passwords and credit card numbers.
Ransomware: Encrypts user data, denying access and demands a payment to decrypt it.
Spyware: Collects information without the user's knowledge, which is then passed on to bad actors.
Trojans: Create a backdoor into systems, which becomes a point of entry for an attack.
Viruses: Infect applications in a system and replicate themselves as they go, just like their biological counterparts.
Worms: Send copies of themselves to other users or contacts. They don't attack the system, but they overload it.
Zero-day exploit: Exploits a vulnerability in software before a fix is found.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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The biog
Family: He is the youngest of five brothers, of whom two are dentists.
Celebrities he worked on: Fabio Canavaro, Lojain Omran, RedOne, Saber Al Rabai.
Where he works: Liberty Dental Clinic
Dubai Bling season three
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Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
What is Folia?
Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal's new plant-based menu will launch at Four Seasons hotels in Dubai this November. A desire to cater to people looking for clean, healthy meals beyond green salad is what inspired Prince Khaled and American celebrity chef Matthew Kenney to create Folia. The word means "from the leaves" in Latin, and the exclusive menu offers fine plant-based cuisine across Four Seasons properties in Los Angeles, Bahrain and, soon, Dubai.
Kenney specialises in vegan cuisine and is the founder of Plant Food Wine and 20 other restaurants worldwide. "I’ve always appreciated Matthew’s work," says the Saudi royal. "He has a singular culinary talent and his approach to plant-based dining is prescient and unrivalled. I was a fan of his long before we established our professional relationship."
Folia first launched at The Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills in July 2018. It is available at the poolside Cabana Restaurant and for in-room dining across the property, as well as in its private event space. The food is vibrant and colourful, full of fresh dishes such as the hearts of palm ceviche with California fruit, vegetables and edible flowers; green hearb tacos filled with roasted squash and king oyster barbacoa; and a savoury coconut cream pie with macadamia crust.
In March 2019, the Folia menu reached Gulf shores, as it was introduced at the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, where it is served at the Bay View Lounge. Next, on Tuesday, November 1 – also known as World Vegan Day – it will come to the UAE, to the Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach and the Four Seasons DIFC, both properties Prince Khaled has spent "considerable time at and love".
There are also plans to take Folia to several more locations throughout the Middle East and Europe.
While health-conscious diners will be attracted to the concept, Prince Khaled is careful to stress Folia is "not meant for a specific subset of customers. It is meant for everyone who wants a culinary experience without the negative impact that eating out so often comes with."
Traits of Chinese zodiac animals
Tiger:independent, successful, volatile
Rat:witty, creative, charming
Ox:diligent, perseverent, conservative
Rabbit:gracious, considerate, sensitive
Dragon:prosperous, brave, rash
Snake:calm, thoughtful, stubborn
Horse:faithful, energetic, carefree
Sheep:easy-going, peacemaker, curious
Monkey:family-orientated, clever, playful
Rooster:honest, confident, pompous
Dog:loyal, kind, perfectionist
Boar:loving, tolerant, indulgent
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
Who has been sanctioned?
Daniella Weiss and Nachala
Described as 'the grandmother of the settler movement', she has encouraged the expansion of settlements for decades. The 79 year old leads radical settler movement Nachala, whose aim is for Israel to annex Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where it helps settlers built outposts.
Harel Libi & Libi Construction and Infrastructure
Libi has been involved in threatening and perpetuating acts of aggression and violence against Palestinians. His firm has provided logistical and financial support for the establishment of illegal outposts.
Zohar Sabah
Runs a settler outpost named Zohar’s Farm and has previously faced charges of violence against Palestinians. He was indicted by Israel’s State Attorney’s Office in September for allegedly participating in a violent attack against Palestinians and activists in the West Bank village of Muarrajat.
Coco’s Farm and Neria’s Farm
These are illegal outposts in the West Bank, which are at the vanguard of the settler movement. According to the UK, they are associated with people who have been involved in enabling, inciting, promoting or providing support for activities that amount to “serious abuse”.
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Brief scores
Day 1
Toss England, chose to bat
England, 1st innings 357-5 (87 overs): Root 184 not out, Moeen 61 not out, Stokes 56; Philander 3-46
