Exactly a year ago, on March 23, one of the largest container ships ever built, Ever Given, ran aground in one of the world’s busiest shipping routes.
The vessel blocked Egypt’s Suez Canal for six days, in an incident that made headlines across the world.
Though the blockage was quickly resolved, it remains an important event for some people, whose lives were immeasurably changed.
For Abdullah Abdel Gawad, 30, the driver of a now-famous excavator captured in one of the most-shared pictures from the incident, it was a chance to have his mundane yet demanding job seen and appreciated.
Dozens of social media accounts were set up in tribute, with one called Guy With The Digger At Suez Canal earning 55,000 followers.
“I was called to the site because I was the closest technician to the ship, so it was only by chance,” said Mr Abdel Gawad.
“The work itself wasn’t much different from other assignments I had done on the digger, in fact, some other jobs were more physically taxing for me. What was unique about it was that people cared so much. I honestly didn’t know how much was riding on the task at the time.”
He remembers working round the clock. During the little time he had to rest, he would catch up on sleep, so he was not aware of how famous his excavator had become until the ship was refloated.
“Someone like me, someone who comes from where I come from, is used to back-breaking labour. But what I was not used to was having that labour seen and appreciated,” said Mr Abdel Gawad.
“Having so many people understand how difficult it is and celebrate my efforts fills me with pride to this day. If I leave nothing else to my children, I will at least leave them that.”
After helping to free the Ever Given, Mr Abdel Gawad is now part of a team working on widening the section of the canal where the ship became stuck, as part of an expansion plan announced by authorities after the incident.
While Mr Abdel Gawad was part of the rescue operations on land, there were dozens of other workers on marine units that were working on tugging the 400-metre vessel out of its stuck position.
For Ahmed El Zoz, whose image also became a top trend on Egyptian social media channels in March last year, the Ever Given incident transformed his workplace and its operations.
“An incident of that size had never taken place in the canal. It wasn’t just a small ship that got stuck either, no one can really imagine the sheer size of the Ever Given,” Mr El Zoz told The National.
“The part of our training that pertains to ships running aground was mostly theoretical until last year when we got a chance to test it out. What we learnt was that a lot has to change.”
He said in addition to fine-tuning a long list of rescue procedures, teams are now being stationed at different, more strategic points on the canal. Better signalling systems are being used and communications have become much more effective than they used to be.
Mr El Zoz was born and raised in Ismailia and educated from his early teens at the canal authority’s training centre.
Mr Abdel Gawad, on the other hand, is employed by a private company commissioned by the SCA to carry out repairs on the waterway.
Mr El Zoz says that for him and his fellow SCA co-workers, the Ever Given incident was a test of their unity as a team and how much humans can accomplish when they co-operate to such a degree.
“There is a saying in Ismailia, that the whole city is a one-bedroom apartment,” said Mr El Zoz, “Down here most people work for the canal authority. It's a great career that many would kill for.”
He said he is personally connected, away from work, with all of his colleagues. He said this communal harmony is the reason it took the rescue teams only six days to refloat the Ever Given, a fact that is still celebrated by many Egyptians today.
“How else can you explain the fact that it took us under a week and it’s taking American rescue workers longer to refloat its sister vessel?” said Mr El Zoz emphatically.
But despite being proud of their involvement in the rescue, both men told The National that their day-to-day lives are largely the same now as they were before the incident. Others involved in the affair witnessed more drastic changes.
As she reflects back on the past year, Egypt’s first female ship captain Marwa El Selehdar remembers being shocked by the misogyny of the maritime sector in Egypt when the Ever Given ran aground.
“When I heard news of the incident, it was at the same time that I became aware of a rumour that I was captaining the ship and so was somehow responsible for what happened,” said Ms El Selehdar, who was in Alexandria on board a commercial vessel at the time. She had just been promoted to first mate and had been subjected to sexism from men in her field.
Doctored images of Ms El Selehdar created by a popular Arab news website were spread online, alleging that she was the captain on board the Ever Given at the time it ran aground.
Ms El Selehdar had faced adversity all her life because of her desire to follow a career in the maritime sector, a notoriously male-dominated field, so she brushed off the negative comments she received at the time. She has even joked that the attention made her more famous.
She has since moved to Dubai, where she works as a marine operations manager for shipping giant Hapag-Lloyd.
She said the Ever Given incident gave a lot of Egyptians a chance to see how important the Suez Canal is to global trade. It made many of them proud that their country could have such an impact on the global landscape.
"I think the most important thing to take away from the Ever Given is that when people co-operate to solve crisis, it is a beautiful thing," she said.
MATCH INFO
Newcastle United 3
Gayle (23'), Perez (59', 63')
Chelsea 0
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
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%3Cp%3E-%20Diriyah%E2%80%99s%201.9km%20King%20Salman%20Boulevard%2C%20a%20Parisian%20Champs-Elysees-inspired%20avenue%2C%20is%20scheduled%20for%20completion%20in%202028%3Cbr%3E-%20The%20Royal%20Diriyah%20Opera%20House%20is%20expected%20to%20be%20completed%20in%20four%20years%3Cbr%3E-%20Diriyah%E2%80%99s%20first%20of%2042%20hotels%2C%20the%20Bab%20Samhan%20hotel%2C%20will%20open%20in%20the%20first%20quarter%20of%202024%3Cbr%3E-%20On%20completion%20in%202030%2C%20the%20Diriyah%20project%20is%20forecast%20to%20accommodate%20more%20than%20100%2C000%20people%3Cbr%3E-%20The%20%2463.2%20billion%20Diriyah%20project%20will%20contribute%20%247.2%20billion%20to%20the%20kingdom%E2%80%99s%20GDP%3Cbr%3E-%20It%20will%20create%20more%20than%20178%2C000%20jobs%20and%20aims%20to%20attract%20more%20than%2050%20million%20visits%20a%20year%3Cbr%3E-%20About%202%2C000%20people%20work%20for%20the%20Diriyah%20Company%2C%20with%20more%20than%2086%20per%20cent%20being%20Saudi%20citizens%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How it works
Each player begins with one of the great empires of history, from Julius Caesar's Rome to Ramses of Egypt, spread over Europe and the Middle East.
Round by round, the player expands their empire. The more land they have, the more money they can take from their coffers for each go.
As unruled land and soldiers are acquired, players must feed them. When a player comes up against land held by another army, they can choose to battle for supremacy.
A dice-based battle system is used and players can get the edge on their enemy with by deploying a renowned hero on the battlefield.
Players that lose battles and land will find their coffers dwindle and troops go hungry. The end goal? Global domination of course.
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Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
CONFIRMED%20LINE-UP
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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
How tumultuous protests grew
- A fuel tax protest by French drivers appealed to wider anti-government sentiment
- Unlike previous French demonstrations there was no trade union or organised movement involved
- Demonstrators responded to online petitions and flooded squares to block traffic
- At its height there were almost 300,000 on the streets in support
- Named after the high visibility jackets that drivers must keep in cars
- Clashes soon turned violent as thousands fought with police at cordons
- An estimated two dozen people lost eyes and many others were admitted to hospital
Five healthy carbs and how to eat them
Brown rice: consume an amount that fits in the palm of your hand
Non-starchy vegetables, such as broccoli: consume raw or at low temperatures, and don’t reheat
Oatmeal: look out for pure whole oat grains or kernels, which are locally grown and packaged; avoid those that have travelled from afar
Fruit: a medium bowl a day and no more, and never fruit juices
Lentils and lentil pasta: soak these well and cook them at a low temperature; refrain from eating highly processed pasta variants
Courtesy Roma Megchiani, functional nutritionist at Dubai’s 77 Veggie Boutique
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ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA
Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi
Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser
Rating: 4.5/5
Results
5pm: Warsan Lake – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 2,200m; Winner: Dhaw Al Reef, Sam Hitchcott (jockey), Abdallah Al Hammadi (trainer)
5.30pm: Al Quadra Lake – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Mrouwah Al Gharbia, Sando Paiva, Abubakar Daud
6pm: Hatta Lake – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: AF Yatroq, George Buckell, Ernst Oertel
6.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Ashton Tourettes, Adries de Vries, Ibrahim Aseel
7pm: Abu Dhabi Championship – Listed (PA) Dh180,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Bahar Muscat, Antonio Fresu, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7.30pm: Zakher Lake – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: Alfareeq, Dane O’Neill, Musabah Al Muhairi.
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
FINAL SCORES
Fujairah 130 for 8 in 20 overs
(Sandy Sandeep 29, Hamdan Tahir 26 no, Umair Ali 2-15)
Sharjah 131 for 8 in 19.3 overs
(Kashif Daud 51, Umair Ali 20, Rohan Mustafa 2-17, Sabir Rao 2-26)
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged V8
Power: 712hp at 6,100rpm
Torque: 881Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 19.6 l/100km
Price: Dh380,000
On sale: now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
NEW ARRIVALS
Benjamin Mendy (Monaco) - £51.75m (Dh247.94m)
Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur) - £45.9m
Bernardo Silva (Monaco) - £45m
Ederson Moraes (Benfica) - £36m
Danilo (Real Madrid) - £27m
Douglas Luiz (Vasco de Gama) - £10.8m
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
The five pillars of Islam
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
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