Emirates Press

His Excellency Field Marshal Mahdi Al-Mashat, Head of the Supreme Political Council, met today ,Tuesday, the Head of the National Documentation Center, Abdullah Al-Sayyani.

During the meeting, the head of the center presented a detailed report to the President on what was accomplished during the past six months, and the importance of the center’s role in preserving, classifying and restoring documents according to modern practical methods, ensuring easy access to them.

President Al-Mashat confirmed that he would pay special attention to the National Documentation Center, and directed to redouble efforts, benefit from modern technologies, automate work in the center, , develop the preservation and archiving of documents.

He praised the efforts made by the center’s workers despite the difficulties it faces and the weak capabilities in light of the American-Saudi aggression.

Source: Yemen News Agency

SHARJAH: ‘Believing in yourself can take your far; the more I was getting rejected the more I wanted to find success,’ vouched Nayla Al Khaja, pioneering filmmaker from the UAE during her talk ‘How I went from making films for Netflix to world cinemas’ at the Xposure International Photography Film Festival in Sharjah on Tuesday, March 5.

Khaja, whose debut feature film Three was released in cinemas in February 2024 across the Gulf and major MENA territories – 120 theatres in 7 countries – in English and Arabic, looked back at her career hurdles, the initial bottlenecks to her business at the age of 26, and the rejections that preceded her ultimate recognition and success. She currently has two shorts streaming on Netflix: ‘The Shadow’ and ‘Animal’ while her upcoming project, Baab, a fantasy realism horror scheduled for shooting in 2024, will have two-time Oscar winning Indian music director A R Rahman set the musical score for the film.

The 46-year-old, who has chosen the genre of psychological thrillers as
opposed to rom-coms that are stereotypically considered women’s favourites, said she had grown up watching film cassettes in Russian, French, Indian and English.

Commenting on the generational gap that prevented her parents accepting her choice of profession, the eminent director noted that there is a huge gap in the ways of thinking. She elaborated: ‘The idea of a sticky floor is that you have to break the ceiling but you have to learn to walk on sticky floor. The journey itself is extremely difficult, it will break you so many times and every time it breaks, new skin will come out, new ideas will emerge and you will be in a much more powerful position than when you were broken. So in my process of making my film I had to be patient, resilient and a person of action.’

Khaja, who blends horror and beauty in her films, observed that perception is key to everything one does and the richer the experiences of life, the more tolerant one becomes. She added that the film Three, shot in Thailand for financial reas
ons, took her four years with Covid lockdown and her own pregnancy making it a big struggle while her short film Animal was initially snubbed but was picked up by Netflix six years later.

The feature film, which was launched by HE Noura Al Kaabi, UAE’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, will use artificial intelligence to study the voices of the actors for the first time in the history of Arab cinema and produce a Mandarin release.

The filmmaker pointed out that she had wanted to showcase the beauty of her city with the ‘360 degrees of its nuances’ in a movie for the world to see. Khaja called Dubai’s amazing metamorphosis in less than 40 years ‘one massive Botox exploded over time’.

The director called the calibre of actors from Sharjah ‘mind-blowing’, and recalled how her lead actor in Three, Jefferson Hall of Oppenheimer fame, was floored by the histrionic skills of the child actor-protagonist.

Al Khaja remarked it was absolutely incredible to see 400 photographers in one place under one roof, and
was excited to see film as one of the components of Xposure 2024.

The seven-day festival wrapped up on March 5.

Source: Emirates News Agency

Amman: Speaker of the Lower House of Parliament, Ahmed Safadi, and United Arab Emirates Federal National Council Speaker, Saqr Ghobash, underlined the strong historical ties, emphasizing the leadership of His Majesty King Abdullah II and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates.

During their meeting at the Federal National Council headquarters, Safadi emphasized the importance of enhancing bilateral cooperation for mutual benefit, stressing continued parliamentary coordination to address regional challenges, notably the Palestinian cause.

Regarding the war on Gaza and events in the West Bank, Safadi reiterated Jordan’s steadfast stance, advocating for an end to the conflict and swift humanitarian aid delivery to civilians. He underscored the imperative of establishing a Palestinian state for lasting peace and emphasized Jordan’s custodianship over holy sites in Jerusalem.

Safadi called for increased economic ties, recognizing the United Arab Emirates’ remarkable progress.
He emphasized the need for unity and cooperation to overcome regional challenges and advance mutual development goals.

Ghobash acknowledged Jordan’s contributions to the United Arab Emirates’ development and highlighted strong bilateral relations, particularly in addressing the Palestinian cause.

He emphasized the United Arab Emirates’ diplomatic efforts and ongoing support for Palestine.

Source: Jordan News Agency

DUBAI: H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, said charitable and humanitarian initiatives are key to bolstering Dubai’s status and global presence, and a major contributor to its success and the progress of its development journey. This humanitarian ethos reflects the statement of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, that the emirate is blessed with an affinity for doing good.

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed’s remark came during a meeting with a group of Dubai businessmen who have made an impact through their support for the emirate’s humanitarian efforts, alongside their contributions to the emirate’s economy. The attendees are known for their partnerships with the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI), which has implemented quality projects and programmes over two decades to make a tangible difference in the lives of tens of mi
llions of people around the world.

‘His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum is our role model in governance, the economy, sport, and humanitarian work,’ Sheikh Hamdan said, highlighting the significant impact achieved by MBRGI across underprivileged communities through over 30 charitable and humanitarian entities that have benefited over 102 million people in 100 countries in 2022 alone.

He expressed his appreciation for the philanthropists’ efforts and support for charity initiatives. He also discussed with them Dubai’s humanitarian work and their role in alleviating the suffering of those in need.

The meeting was attended by Mohammed Al Gergawi, Secretary-General of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Global Initiatives (MBRGI); and Saeed Mohammad Al Eter, Assistant Secretary-General of MBRGI.

The businessmen attending the meeting included Marwan A Al Rostamani, Chairman of Al Rostamani Group; Abdulkader Sankari, Founder of Abdulkader Sankari and Sons Group; Mohamed Al Ansari, Chairman of Al Ansari Excha
nge; Mirwais Azizi, Founder and Chairman of Azizi Developments; Feroz, Irfan and Shiraz Allana, founders of IFFCO Group; Eng. Waleed Al Zoubi, Chairman of Tiger Group; Renuka Jagtiani, Chairwoman of Landmark Group; Nisha Jagtiani, Group Director of Landmark Group; Moafaq Al Gaddah, Chairman of MAG Group; Atif Rahman, Founder and Chairman of ORO24 Real Estate Development; Raghuvinder Kataria, Chairman of Pantheon Global; Nilesh Ved, Chairman of Apparel Group; Mohammed Al Hassan, co-Founder and co-CEO of Gulf Islamic Investment; Pankaj Gupta, co-Founder and co-CEO of Gulf Islamic Investments; Yousuf Saleem, Managing Director of Al Barakah Dates Factory; K. P. Basheer, Chairman of Western International Group; Naresh Bhawnani, Group Chairman of West Zone Group; Yusuffali MA, Chairman of LuLu Group International; Dr. Shamsheer Vayalil, Founder and Chairman of Burjeel Holdings; Mahdi Al Fardan, Vice President of Al Fardan Group and Adel Mardini, Founder and CEO of Jetex.

Commenting about the UAE’s unique model for
philanthropy, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed said that everyone in Dubai and the UAE contributes to charity: the government, the private sector and individuals alike. ‘Dubai is not merely an economic hub, it is a city with a spirit, and its spirit is ignited by good deeds. Great nations are not built by their economic and trade prowess alone, but by cohesive, united communities in which the strong help the weak.”

Participants at the meeting expressed their pride in contributing to the UAE’s culture of generosity, demonstrated by the country’s humanitarian initiatives and MBRGI’s work around the world.

Source: Emirates News Agency

Amman: His Royal Highness Prince Ali bin Al Hussein, Chair of the Royal Film Commission of Jordan, presided over an award ceremony for the fourth edition of the “Youth Empowerment Film and Song Competitions” on Monday evening at the King Hussein Business Park Theater.

The event, themed “The Power of Resilience,” organized by the “Mentor Arabia” Foundation in collaboration with the Royal Film Commission of Jordan, celebrated 20 talented young individuals aged 18-30 from various Arab countries who excelled in categories like Fiction Short Films, documentaries, entertainment films, and songs.

In attendance were Her Royal Highness Princess Rym Ali and His Royal Highness Prince Abdullah bin Ali, alongside Minister of Youth Muhammad Nabulsi. Four special prizes were also conferred upon young Palestinian talents under the theme “Mental Health of Youth.”

Concurrently, a symposium titled “Mental Health, Youth, Drama, and Songs,” organized by the Foundation in partnership with Zain Jordan, featured discussions invol
ving jury members.

Source: Jordan News Agency