Mohammed Assaf is a married man.
In news that will likely warm and break the hearts of his devoted fans in equal measure, the former Arab Idol winner has tied the knot in a secret wedding.
Assaf’s bride is reportedly fellow Palestinian Reem Ouda, 22.
The news was announced by Assaf’s friend, Palestinian singer Qasem Al Najjar, in a social media post today.
“Finally good news in 2020,” he said.
“Congratulations to my friend and brother Mohammed Assaf on his marriage. God bless you both and bring you together for goodness and happiness.”
Najjar also released a short video of the wedding party, in which Assaf, 30, and Ouda danced along with a small circle of attendees, one of whom was draped in the Palestinian flag.
While there is no clear information regarding the exact date and location of the wedding, multiple reports suggest it was an intimate affair held as recently as this month.
If that is the case, then it could have been held in Dubai, a city Assaf has called home for the past seven years and in which he has been residing throughout the pandemic.
This theory is also strengthened with the recent announcement that Assaf will perform a concert at Dubai Opera on Thursday, August 20.
Who is Reem Ouda?
She hails from Assaf's home city of Gaza and has previously lived in Saudi Arabia before migrating to Denmark.
According to a report by UAE newspaper Al Bayan, the couple first met about eight months ago. This timeline is conceivable as Assaf did conduct a tour of Denmark that took him through several cities in December 2019.
It is also reported that Ouda is not involved in the regional entertainment industry.
Why the secret?
This has always been the way Assaf has conducted his private life.
In a 2015 interview with The National, the then-eligible bachelor stated the qualities he was looking for in a future Mrs Assaf.
“I would prefer her not to be from the entertainment industry, I can honestly tell you that,” he said. “Not that there is anything wrong with people from there, but it’s just my preference. I want my home life to be totally separated from my career. I want to be relaxed and secure in my home.”
Don’t expect Assaf to be too forthcoming about his newfound family life, as he intends to keep it firmly behind the scenes.
"That's something I will have to enforce. Once I am, inshallah, married and have children, I don't want them to be in the media or anything like that," he told The National.
“My home is mine and it’s not for the fans or the media – there will definitely be boundaries. I want to live a normal life. I want to be like you, where I can go home and just relax after work with my loved ones. There is no way they will be paraded in front of the cameras.”
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
UNpaid bills:
Countries with largest unpaid bill for UN budget in 2019
USA – $1.055 billion
Brazil – $143 million
Argentina – $52 million
Mexico – $36 million
Iran – $27 million
Israel – $18 million
Venezuela – $17 million
Korea – $10 million
Countries with largest unpaid bill for UN peacekeeping operations in 2019
USA – $2.38 billion
Brazil – $287 million
Spain – $110 million
France – $103 million
Ukraine – $100 million
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
One in nine do not have enough to eat
Created in 1961, the World Food Programme is pledged to fight hunger worldwide as well as providing emergency food assistance in a crisis.
One of the organisation’s goals is the Zero Hunger Pledge, adopted by the international community in 2015 as one of the 17 Sustainable Goals for Sustainable Development, to end world hunger by 2030.
The WFP, a branch of the United Nations, is funded by voluntary donations from governments, businesses and private donations.
Almost two thirds of its operations currently take place in conflict zones, where it is calculated that people are more than three times likely to suffer from malnutrition than in peaceful countries.
It is currently estimated that one in nine people globally do not have enough to eat.
On any one day, the WFP estimates that it has 5,000 lorries, 20 ships and 70 aircraft on the move.
Outside emergencies, the WFP provides school meals to up to 25 million children in 63 countries, while working with communities to improve nutrition. Where possible, it buys supplies from developing countries to cut down transport cost and boost local economies.
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
