From a Yemeni human rights activist who escaped two child marriage pacts to an Abu Dhabi women’s sport advocate and a Kuwaiti eco campaigner, the Arab Women of the Year 2022 event in London was packed with talented and inspiring females.
Royalty, politicians, diplomats, show business stars and leading figures from the Arab business community filled the ballroom at the five-star Carlton Tower Jumeirah in London’s Knightsbridge for the glittering event, which was hosted by the London Arabia Organisation, which celebrates the close ties between Britain and the Arab world, and The Bicester Collection.
In the first incarnation of the awards ceremony — which started in 2014 — since the start of the pandemic, the talents of women from across the Arab world were recognised.
The LAO also used the occasion to unveil its Unlock Her Future campaign which strives to ensure young girls can have access to basic education and healthcare and are protected from violence such as honour killings and child marriage.
“No one can deny that our culture gives woman great respect. Women are highly respected in the Arab world but at the same time, we often overlook their struggle, as well as their success,” Omar Bdour, chief executive of the LAO, told guests at the event.
“At the Arab Women of the Year Awards, we have always tried to give them a platform where their achievement is recognised.”
Star guests included Sophie, Countess of Wessex, as well as Egyptian actress Yasmine Sabri, Manar Dabbas, Jordan's Ambassador to the UK, Fahy Afana, the founder of the UAE-based Fast Building Contracting Company, and Lord Purvis of Tweed, a member of the House of Lords.
Guests dined on Scottish salmon and avocado tacos, followed by sea bass cooked with harra sauce and warm walnut brownies as they listened to the inspiring stories from across the Arab world.
At the event, the LAO unveiled its Unlock Her Future campaign which strives to ensure young girls have access to basic education and healthcare and are protected from violence in the form of honour killings and child marriage.
Egyptian star Sabri, the LAO ambassador for the campaign, said the initiative aims to empower Arab girls and help them gain the skills and confidence to achieve their full potential. She stressed that change is needed to ensure all females have access to basic rights and education and to prevent child marriage and violence against women.
“This is a year-long initiative aimed at providing a better future for every young girl and presenting her with opportunities for success,” Sabri told delegates at the event.
“Regardless of her background, we believe in addressing the harsh obstacles young Arab girls face in the world.”
The campaign's focus on child marriage was lauded by award winner Nada Al-Ahdal, a human-rights activist from Yemen, who escaped two child marriage pacts arranged by her parents for her.
Ms Al-Ahdal came to international attention in 2013 when she posted a video on YouTube telling the world her story of child marriage and exposing the practice in Yemen.
The young campaigner has since set up the Nada Foundation with the support of the Yemen’s prime minister. It has taught 400 girls English as well as offering educational scholarships and raising awareness of child marriage.
“I would like to dedicate this prize to His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman [of Saudi Arabia] for putting rules to prevent child marriage and prohibit the stealing of girls under the age of 18 and the president of Egypt for also protecting girls from being victims in child marriage,” Ms Al-Ahdal said, ripping up a piece of paper on stage with the words “Stop Child Marriage” on them, as she accepted the award for Achievement in Social Awareness.
“I hope this will pave the way for other countries to do the same.”
Other award winners included Abu Dhabi’s Sheikha Fatima bint Hazza, an ambassador of cultural development in the UAE and patron of art.
As chairwoman of the Fatima bint Hazza Cultural Foundation and the Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Ladies Sports Academy, she empowers women to be successful in sport and in their communities — work that secured her the prize for Achievement in Culture.
Meanwhile, Jordanian journalist Caroline Faraj, the CNN vice president and editor in chief for Arabic Services, was awarded the Achievement in Media prize. Bahrain’s Shaikha Rana AlKhalifa secured the Achievement in Social Leadership award for her role as secretary general of the country’s Higher Education Council.
The Achievement in Business award went to Oman’s Areej Mohsin Darwish, the chairwoman of the Automotive, Construction Equipment and Renewable Energy cluster of Mohsin Haider Darwish LLC.
And 25-year-old Fatema Al Zelzela, the founder of the Eco Star Project in Kuwait, was given the Youth Achievement in Environmental Impact accolade for her efforts to boost recycling and sustainability in the Gulf state.
The Achievement in Community Service trophy went to Magi Gobran, known affectionately as 'Mama Maggie', for her dedication to helping needy children gain access to education and lead dignified lives through the Stephen’s Children’s Foundation, which she set up in Egypt in 1988.
Separately, Morocco’s Dr Leila Benali, a former Saudi Aramco energy policy leader and now the Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development in the African nation, was awarded the Achievement in Sustainable Development Leadership, while Sheika Alanoud al-Thani, the chief executive of Qatar Financial Centre, received the Achievement in Financial Services accolade.
Company%20profile
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Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
ATP RANKINGS (NOVEMBER 4)
1. Rafael Nadal (ESP) 9,585 pts ( 1)
2. Novak Djokovic (SRB) 8,945 (-1)
3. Roger Federer (SUI) 6,190
4. Daniil Medvedev (RUS) 5,705
5. Dominic Thiem (AUT) 5,025
6. Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE) 4,000 ( 1)
7. Alexander Zverev (GER) 2,945 (-1)
8. Matteo Berrettini (ITA) 2,670 ( 1)
9. Roberto Bautista (ESP) 2,540 ( 1)
10. Gaël Monfils (FRA) 2,530 ( 3)
11. David Goffin (BEL) 2,335 ( 3)
12. Fabio Fognini (ITA) 2,290
13. Kei Nishikori (JPN) 2,180 (-2)
14. Diego Schwartzman (ARG) 2,125 ( 1)
15. Denis Shapovalov (CAN) 2,050 ( 13)
16. Stan Wawrinka (SUI) 2,000
17. Karen Khachanov (RUS) 1,840 (-9)
18. Alex De Minaur (AUS) 1,775
19. John Isner (USA) 1,770 (-2)
20. Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) 1,747 ( 7)
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
Company%20profile
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UFC%20FIGHT%20NIGHT%3A%20SAUDI%20ARABIA%20RESULTS
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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
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What's in the deal?
Agreement aims to boost trade by £25.5bn a year in the long run, compared with a total of £42.6bn in 2024
India will slash levies on medical devices, machinery, cosmetics, soft drinks and lamb.
India will also cut automotive tariffs to 10% under a quota from over 100% currently.
Indian employees in the UK will receive three years exemption from social security payments
India expects 99% of exports to benefit from zero duty, raising opportunities for textiles, marine products, footwear and jewellery
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA
Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi
Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser
Rating: 4.5/5
Series result
1st ODI Zimbabwe won by 6 wickets
2nd ODI Sri Lanka won by 7 wickets
3rd ODI Sri Lanka won by 8 wickets
4th ODI Zimbabwe won by 4 wickets
5th ODI Zimbabwe won by 3 wickets
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
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Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
Company Profile
Company name: Yeepeey
Started: Soft launch in November, 2020
Founders: Sagar Chandiramani, Jatin Sharma and Monish Chandiramani
Based: Dubai
Industry: E-grocery
Initial investment: $150,000
Future plan: Raise $1.5m and enter Saudi Arabia next year
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs: 2019 BMW i8 Roadster
Price, base: Dh708,750
Engine: 1.5L three-cylinder petrol, plus 11.6 kWh lithium-ion battery
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power: 374hp (total)
Torque: 570Nm (total)
Fuel economy, combined: 2.0L / 100km
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
