After launching its auditions on August 21, Munshid Al Sharjah, Sharjah TV's Islamic chanting contest, will return in December for its 14th season, with the goal of finding the Muslim world's next nasheed star among its 12 finalists.
Many previous Munshid participants have enjoyed regional and international fame, with album releases and live performance tours. As Sharjah's Al Majaz Ampitheatre gears up for the coming competition, The National catches up with some of its most notable past competitors.
Season 7: Kamal Rezzoug, winner
Kamal Rezzoug, 33, who holds a master's degree in popular literature, says his 2014 victory earned him scores of fans in his home country of Algeria — where he is frequently guest of honour at local Inshad (Islamic chanting) festivals.
Rezzoug, who was appointed a judge for last year's Algerian auditions, says: "I released two albums, Ma Zal Al Hal [This Remains the Case] and Sayyidat Al Hob [The Love Lady], referring to mothers’ love.
"In 2021, I began hosting two weekly talk shows. On Takseera [Soiree], I host national celebrities, such as artists, businesspeople and musicians, and on Star Kids, I introduce children talented in the arts, sports, acting, and so on. I am also working on a few English-language chanting projects, to reach the wider audience, like the renowned Maher Zain."
Season 9: Mohammed Al Muflahi, finalist
Although Emirati Mohammed Al Muflahi didn’t win the 2016 competition, he says just taking part was "an exceptionally beautiful experience". Not only did he learn to perform, but he connected with great Islamic chanters all across the world, he says. "I learned a lot from them, such as Tunisian singer Lotfi Bouchnak and Emirati renowned singer Osama Al Safi."
Al Muflahi has since taken part in chanting events on UAE television and radio, and as part of official National Day and Ramadan ceremonies — as well as festivals abroad. He says: "It is not difficult to achieve something, but it is difficult to maintain this, and go on to achieve even bigger achievements. Any ambitious, passionate, and successful person has to overcome such difficulties."
Season 9: Mahmoud Ali Helal, winner
Egyptian Mahmoud Ali Helal, 31, who starred in season 9 of the show, serves as the imam at Cairo's Sheikh Zayed Mosque.
Helal says Islamic chanting has started to "boom and flourish" thanks to a rise in popularity not just on television, but social media too.
"I have produced many works including Qad Manna Allah Alayna [We Are Much Obliged to God], Bika Atma’en [Your Presence Reassures Me], Kana Badran [It Was a Full Moon], and many other successful Islamic hits. I have also participated in several functions in Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, the UAE, and many other countries. Fans show a strong presence in Islamic shows."
Since winning, Helal has joined the Munshid Al Sharjah team. "I work with them every season. I am also in touch with the vocal coaches, especially Mustafa Hamdo, to whom I owe my title."
Season 10: Yassine El Chehab, winner
Yassine El Chehab, 31, says winning season 10 introduced him to a wider audience across the Arab world, Asia and even Europe. Even King Mohammed VI of Morocco, and various senior officials, congratulated him on his success.
El Chehab, who has since released an album of chants, and become a regular on Moroccan television, says his biggest challenge is to express art that "appeals to the public and reflects his culture, represents his identity, and promotes peace among all faiths and people". He says: "I find these hurdles typical but spice up the winning experience."
Season 12: Omar Kabbara, finalist
Lebanese civil engineering graduate Omar Kabbara, 26, reached the finals in season 12 but did not win. However, he says he had a "wonderful" experience.
"I met outstanding figures such as the vocal trainers, Sherif Mohsen, Waseem Faris and Mustafa Hamdo and Munshid Al Sharjah producer Najm El Dine and many others. With the help of the trainers, I learned new vocal exercises that I am still using to train and improve my voice."
Despite his own father being a renowned chanter, known as the "dean of the mushideen", Kabbara says support in his home country of Lebanon was minimal.
"The economic situation was bad, which is why you don’t find that exquisite buzz when a Lebanese person represents their country abroad, that you had with previous participants."
However, the contest "opened doors" for him, bringing in a whole new online fan base. "Now, I have a wide audience who help me shape my nasheed path," he says.
Season 13: Mostafa El Shafei, finalist
Mostafa El Shafei, 25, is the director of an Islamic Inshad group, run by Egypt's Ministry of Culture. A season 13 finalist, he says the experience is "still echoing" in his life. His popularity has soared beyond his country to the rest of North Africa, and beyond, to the UAE.
He says that Munshid Al Sharjah has been instrumental in bridging a generational gap that emerged in the 1990s. "I faced many challenges before the competition, and these are still ongoing. The problem lies in the production. There are barely any production companies which show interest in Islamic Inshad in Egypt. In Egypt, we must produce our works on our own."
However, El Shafei, who has produced several works since appearing on the show, has participated in several Inshad festivals in Egypt. "I will release a new album very soon too," he says.
Season 13: Zakaria Al Zirek, winner
Zakaria Al Zirek, an Islamic Studies graduate aged 26 from Morocco, says he "built an empire of fans" on the road to winning season 13 — a journey that began when he was only five. "Many people wanted to work with me, musicians, producers, and media," he says.
"I've participated in many esteemed festivals, shows and events across my country, and hope to participate in regional and international events later." Al Zirek, who is working on a new recording project, says charisma is crucial to maintaining broad appeal.
He hopes to collaborate with his fellow Munshid season 13 finalists some day. "The programme has already given my art journey such a great push. The vocal coaches always give me advice when I ask for it," he says.
Najm Al Dine Hashem, executive producer
Najm Al Dine Hashem, executive producer of Munshid Al Sharjah, says the show has continued to support talents beyond their participation in the competition.
Hashem says: "We've invited some of them to special evening events and treated them as stars, once they gained fame in their countries." The show also often brings on previous participants to serve on jury panels in their countries during the auditions.
"We also help some of the winners to produce video clips, and invite others to attend Munshid Al Sharjah finals to celebrate their achievements and really put them in the spotlight," Hashem says.
Get Out
Director: Jordan Peele
Stars: Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Catherine Keener, Bradley Whitford
Four stars
LILO & STITCH
Starring: Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders
Director: Dean Fleischer Camp
Rating: 4.5/5
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
Meydan racecard:
6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 (PA) Group 1 | US$75,000 (Dirt) | 2,200 metres
7.05pm: UAE 1000 Guineas (TB) Listed | $250,000 (D) | 1,600m
7.40pm: Meydan Classic Trial (TB) Conditions | $100,000 (Turf) | 1,400m
8.15pm: Al Shindagha Sprint (TB) Group 3 | $200,000 (D) | 1,200m
8.50pm: Handicap (TB) | $175,000 (D) | 1,600m
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) | $175,000 (T) | 2,000m
10pm: Handicap (TB) | $135,000 (T) | 1,600m
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
More on Palestine-Israeli relations
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EElggo%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20August%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Luma%20Makari%20and%20Mirna%20Mneimneh%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Education%20technology%20%2F%20health%20technology%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESize%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Four%20employees%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Pre-seed%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Best Academy: Ajax and Benfica
Best Agent: Jorge Mendes
Best Club : Liverpool
Best Coach: Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool)
Best Goalkeeper: Alisson Becker
Best Men’s Player: Cristiano Ronaldo
Best Partnership of the Year Award by SportBusiness: Manchester City and SAP
Best Referee: Stephanie Frappart
Best Revelation Player: Joao Felix (Atletico Madrid and Portugal)
Best Sporting Director: Andrea Berta (Atletico Madrid)
Best Women's Player: Lucy Bronze
Best Young Arab Player: Achraf Hakimi
Kooora – Best Arab Club: Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia)
Kooora – Best Arab Player: Abderrazak Hamdallah (Al-Nassr FC, Saudi Arabia)
Player Career Award: Miralem Pjanic and Ryan Giggs
PROFILE OF INVYGO
Started: 2018
Founders: Eslam Hussein and Pulkit Ganjoo
Based: Dubai
Sector: Transport
Size: 9 employees
Investment: $1,275,000
Investors: Class 5 Global, Equitrust, Gulf Islamic Investments, Kairos K50 and William Zeqiri
Six large-scale objects on show
- Concrete wall and windows from the now demolished Robin Hood Gardens housing estate in Poplar
- The 17th Century Agra Colonnade, from the bathhouse of the fort of Agra in India
- A stagecloth for The Ballet Russes that is 10m high – the largest Picasso in the world
- Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1930s Kaufmann Office
- A full-scale Frankfurt Kitchen designed by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, which transformed kitchen design in the 20th century
- Torrijos Palace dome
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20HyveGeo%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Abdulaziz%20bin%20Redha%2C%20Dr%20Samsurin%20Welch%2C%20Eva%20Morales%20and%20Dr%20Harjit%20Singh%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ECambridge%20and%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%208%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESustainability%20%26amp%3B%20Environment%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%24200%2C000%20plus%20undisclosed%20grant%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EVenture%20capital%20and%20government%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
The specs: 2018 Nissan Patrol Nismo
Price: base / as tested: Dh382,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 428hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 560Nm @ 3,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
The biog
Born: Kuwait in 1986
Family: She is the youngest of seven siblings
Time in the UAE: 10 years
Hobbies: audiobooks and fitness: she works out every day, enjoying kickboxing and basketball
Coal Black Mornings
Brett Anderson
Little Brown Book Group
RACE CARD
5pm: Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,400m
5.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh70,000 1,000m
6pm: Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 2,000m
6.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 2,000m
7pm: Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 1,600m
7.30pm: Al Ain Mile Group 3 (PA) Dh350,000 1,600m
8pm: Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,600m
Amith's selections:
5pm: AF Sail
5.30pm: Dahawi
6pm: Taajer
6.30pm: Pharitz Oubai
7pm: Winked
7.30pm: Shahm
8pm: Raniah
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
FA Cup fifth round draw
Sheffield Wednesday v Manchester City
Reading/Cardiff City v Sheffield United
Chelsea v Shrewsbury Town/Liverpool
West Bromwich Albion v Newcastle United/Oxford United
Leicester City v Coventry City/Birmingham City
Northampton Town/Derby County v Manchester United
Southampton/Tottenham Hotspur v Norwich City
Portsmouth v Arsenal
THE SPECS
GMC Sierra Denali 1500
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Price: Dh232,500
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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.
The Comeback: Elvis And The Story Of The 68 Special
Simon Goddard
Omnibus Press
MATCH INFO
Real Madrid 2 (Benzema 13', Kroos 28')
Barcelona 1 (Mingueza 60')
Red card: Casemiro (Real Madrid)
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more from Janine di Giovanni
Results
3pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (Dirt) 1,400m, Winner: Lancienegaboulevard, Adrie de Vries (jockey), Fawzi Nass (trainer).
3.35pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (Turf) 1,600m, Winner: Al Mukhtar Star, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass.
4.10pm: Handicap Dh165,000 (D) 2,000m, Winner: Gundogdu, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer.
4.45pm: Handicap Dh185,000 (T) 1,200m, Winner: Speedy Move, Sean Kirrane, Satish Seemar.
5.20pm: Handicap Dh185,000 (D) 1,600m, Winner: Moqarrar, Dane O’Neill, Erwan Charpy.
5.55pm: Handicap Dh175,000 (T) 1,800m, Winner: Dolman, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
