Women in Egypt’s restive Sinai makes Bedouin face masks

Now with the pandemic, Naglaa Mohammed has been designing face masks showcasing her Bedouin heritage. (AFP)
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Updated 04 June 2020
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Women in Egypt’s restive Sinai makes Bedouin face masks

CAIRO: In El-Arish, the provincial capital of Egypt’s North Sinai, a group of women sew colourful Bedouin designs on masks to combat coronavirus, as an insurgency simmers in their restive region.

Egypt’s toll from the COVID-19 pandemic has reached over 28,600 cases, including more than 1,000 deaths, while North Sinai itself remains the bloody scene of a long-running Islamist insurgency.

“I learnt how to embroider when I was a young girl watching my mother,” homemaker Naglaa Mohammed, 36, told AFP on a landline from El-Arish, as mobile phone links are often disrupted.




Naglaa Mohammed lives in El-Arish. (AFP)

A versatile embroiderer, she also beads garments and crafts rings and bracelets.

Now with the pandemic, she has been designing face masks showcasing her Bedouin heritage.

Bedouins are nomadic tribes who traditionally inhabit desert areas throughout the Arab world, from North Africa to Iraq. Many have now integrated into a more urban lifestyle.

Egypt’s Bedouin textile tradition of tatriz – weaving and beading rich geometric and abstract designs on garments, cushions and purses – has been passed down from generation to generation for centuries.

It has survived in the Sinai Peninsula, whose north has been plagued by years of militant activity and terror attacks spearheaded by a local affiliate of the Islamic State (IS) group.

Security forces have been locked in a battle to quell an insurgency in the Sinai that intensified after the military’s 2013 ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi.

In February 2018, authorities launched a nationwide operation against militants, focusing on North Sinai.




The beading process takes about two days for each mask, Gharib said. (AFP)

Around 970 suspected militants have since been killed in the region along with dozens of security personnel, according to official figures.

Local and international media are banned from entering heavily militarised North Sinai.

But for Amany Gharib, who founded the El-Fayrouz Association in El-Arish in 2010, the violence has not dissuaded her from keeping Bedouin heritage alive while at the same time empowering local women.

She now employs around 550 women like Mohammed – many of them casually or part-time – as part of a textiles workshop.

“The masks are composed of two layers – one inner layer directly on the face which is disinfected, and the colourful, beaded one outside,” Gharib explained to AFP.

All the women take the necessary precautions while working, including wearing gloves and masks while using sewing machines.

The finished products are washed, packed and shipped off to distribution centres in Cairo, where they are sold online in partnership with Jumia – Africa’s e-commerce giant – for about 40 pounds ($2.50) each.

The beading process takes about two days for each mask, Gharib said.




The finished products are washed, packed and shipped off to distribution centres in Cairo. (AFP)

Amid the volatile security situation, Mohammed has been able to eke out a meagre living with her embroidery skills.

“We work and are given our dues depending on the orders we get... with the masks it has been a new challenge we've tackled,” she said.

Dire economic conditions in Egypt have been even tougher for women of the Sinai since the pandemic began.

“Times are really tough for the women but we have adjusted,” Gharib said.

And while militant attacks on security checkpoints have continued, Gharib expressed confidence in the army.

“We feel a sense of security and stability with the military presence. We trust them,” she said.

The region witnessed the deadliest terror attack in Egypt’s modern history when militants killed more than 300 worshippers in a mosque in November 2017.

Gharib said that in North Sinai’s tight-knit community, each family knew someone who had been killed in an attack.

“Anyone of us who is killed, we consider them a martyr,” she said.

“We are in a war with terror... but the people have learnt to live with it.”


Sofia Boutella promotes BBC drama ‘SAS Rogue Heroes’

Updated 16 November 2024
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Sofia Boutella promotes BBC drama ‘SAS Rogue Heroes’

DUBAI: French Algerian actress Sofia Boutella took to social media to promote her latest project, season two of the BBC’s “SAS Rogue Heroes.”

The trailer for season two was released by the BBC this week, and Boutella took to Instagram to re-post a clip of the military drama that follows the exploits of the special forces unit of the British Army.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Sofia Boutella (@sofisia7)

Created by Steven Knight (“Peaky Blinders”), series two rejoins British troops in spring 1943 during World War II.

Returning for series two are actors Jack O’Connell, Connor Swindells, Dominic West and Boutella, who plays French intelligence agent Eve Mansour.

Commissioned by the BBC, the show is based on Ben Macintyre’s best-selling book of the same name, with season two having been directed by Stephen Woolfenden.

Boutella most recently starred “The Killer’s Game,” which hit cinemas in September, and Netflix’s “Rebel Moon — Part 2: The Scargiver.”

In the sci-fi adventure — a sequel to last year’s “Rebel Moon — Part One: A Child of Fire” — a peaceful colony on the edge of a galaxy finds itself threatened by the armies of a tyrannical ruling force.

Kora, played by Boutella, has assembled a small band of warriors — outsiders, insurgents, peasants and orphans of war from different worlds.

Boutella drew on her history as an immigrant. She grew up in Algeria during its civil war and later moved to France and found herself navigating the complexities of adapting to a different culture.

“Having left Algeria young, when I go back there I don’t feel like I belong to Algeria. And then, in France, I don’t feel like I belong to France because I didn’t grow up there,” she told Arab News in a previous interview.

Boutella has learned to embrace her rootlessness, though. “I feel like I belong to this planet. I have the freedom to travel wherever I want, without any limitation,” she said. “But sometimes, I miss the proximity and attachment that people have to their country.”

Kora was not Algiers-born Boutella’s first role as a sword-wielding extraterrestrial. The actress, who at the age of 10 fled to Paris with her family during the Algerian civil war, is known for her breakout performance in the Oscar-nominated film, “Star Trek Beyond,” in which she portrayed the fierce alien warrior, Jaylah.

 


Miss Universe Bahrain Shereen Ahmed wins Voice for Change Silver award in Mexico

Updated 16 November 2024
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Miss Universe Bahrain Shereen Ahmed wins Voice for Change Silver award in Mexico

DUBAI: Miss Universe Bahrain Shereen Ahmed was announced on Thursday as one of the seven Silver winners of the Voice for Change competition at the 73rd Miss Universe beauty pageant in Mexico.

“This is for all the hardworking single moms out there,” she wrote to her followers on Instagram after the announcement was made.

Joining Ahmed as Silver winners of the Voice for Change competition were Anouk Eman of Aruba, Saran Bah of Guinea, Opal Suchata Chuangsri of Thailand, Matilda Wirtavuori of Finland, Snit Tewoldemedhin of Eritrea, and Raegan Rutty of the Cayman Islands.

 

 

The award was presented after the preliminary round, which featured 126 contestants from around the world showcasing swimsuits, evening gowns, and national costumes.

The Gold winners of the competition were Juliana Barrientos of Bolivia, Ana Gabriela Villanueva of Guatemala, and Davin Prasath of Cambodia.

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Logina Salah (@loginasalah)

 

Besides Ahmed, there are two other Arabs representing their countries: Logina Salah from Egypt and Nada Koussa from Lebanon. Miss Universe UAE is Emilia Dobreva, a Kosovo-born model who has lived in Dubai for 10 years. 

For the National Costume competition, Ahmed donned a flowing green gown featuring gold embellishments and a structured shoulder cape. She also wore a gold headpiece and held a large gold incense burner prop.

 

 

Salah opted for a Cleopatra-inspired ensemble in shades of blue, gold, and bronze, designed by Simeon Cayetano. The cape featured hand-painted pyramids and the Sphinx, framed by protective wings. Hieroglyphic scripts adorned the lower portion of the cape.

Koussa wore a rich purple ensemble with intricate silver embroidery. The outfit included a tall, cylindrical, metallic headpiece and a full-length cape with pronounced shoulders, adorned with leaf-like motifs that extended down the back. The dress underneath was composed of a lighter, shimmery fabric.


Ayman Al-Zubaidi: Bringing authentic Saudi flavors to London’s culinary scene

Updated 15 November 2024
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Ayman Al-Zubaidi: Bringing authentic Saudi flavors to London’s culinary scene

  • The founder of London’s Hijazi Corner was hopeless in the kitchen, but his move abroad sparked a desire to recreate the cuisine of his homeland 

LONDON: Ayman Al-Zubaidi — the acclaimed chef behind Hijazi Corner, London’s first Saudi Arabian restaurant — has cooked for dignitaries, diplomats, celebrities and even the Kingdom’s royal family. But his most discerning critics were waiting for him much closer to home. 

In 2021, after several years living in London, Al-Zubaidi came home to Jeddah. But instead of the football shirt his family had pictured him wearing after his UK studies in sports science, he returned in chef whites. It was a transformation that no one saw coming — least of all him. 

Growing up in Jeddah’s Al-Sabeel district with his sister and three brothers, Al-Zubaidi could barely boil his own water. The kitchen was strictly his mother’s territory, and his late-night culinary ventures didn’t go far beyond packets of instant noodles. But now, the tables had turned, and his mother was seated as his guest. 

Hijazi Corner is London’s first Saudi Arabian restaurant. (Supplied)

“When I first moved to the UK, I was clueless in the kitchen, so I called her for help,” Al-Zubaidi tells Arab News from his restaurant in London’s de facto Arab district of Edgware Road. It was her loving mentorship that laid the foundations for his culinary journey, shaping his path to becoming one of London’s most distinctive chefs. 

“When any chef starts to speak about food, they talk about their mum. Her chicken kabsa is a bit oily, a bit shiny and looks amazing — even just talking about it now I become hungry,” Al-Zubaidi says. “But even if I had the same ingredients and made it the same way, hers would always taste better.” 

Building on family recipes honed over decades by his ancestors in Yemen, Al Zubaidi’s Hijazi Corner is the only place in the UK capital where Saudis can find a true taste of home. 

Lined with thick carpets and ornate window paneling evoking the buildings of Jeddah’s Al-Balad historical district, its menu is full of comforting favorites drawn from across the Kingdom’s western coastal region — chicken seelag, slow-roasted lamb haneeth and delicate, flaky samboosek. 

Al-Zubaidi with Saudi Ambassador to the UK Prince Khalid and the latter's wife. (Supplied)

“From the richest person to the poorest person in Saudi Arabia, we eat the same food,” he says. “When we celebrate, when we grieve, when we are happy or sad, we get masoub (banana pudding) or motabbaq (thin layers of pastry stuffed with meat).” 

Al-Zubaidi’s path to the kitchen was anything but conventional. As a teenager eager to learn English, he set his sights on the UK, drawn by what he called “a love for the accent,” and made the leap in 2017. After completing his language course, he switched tracks to study sports. But somewhere between lectures and life abroad, homesickness hit in the form of a craving for the familiar flavors of Arabia. 

“In London, you can find plenty of Turkish, Kurdish, Indian, even Malaysian options — but nothing from Saudi,” he explains. “So I decided to make it myself.” He began recreating the comforting dishes of home in his small Clapham flat, selling them cash-in-hand to fellow Saudis in search of an authentic taste of the Kingdom. 

But the secret didn’t stay a secret for long. Soon, his passion found a new platform — Snapchat. 

Al-Zubaidi shared short videos of his cooking process, garnishing each clip with personal moments and mouth-watering close-ups of Saudi dishes. His humble videos quickly gained a loyal fanbase, and orders poured in from every corner of the city — particularly as COVID took hold in the early months of 2020. 

“People from the Saudi embassy added me, people from Aramco working in London added me. Saudis living here, working here, growing up here — plus lots of foreign people who had been to my country and tried this food before.” 

What started as a side hustle quickly evolved into a pop-up, and by 2023, into a brick-and-mortar restaurant where Londoners could finally experience the authentic flavors of Saudi Arabia. 

During the pop-up stage, Al-Zubaidi’s Snapchat followers became more than fans; they became enablers of his culinary vision, bringing a piece of Saudi Arabia to his London kitchen. Whenever one of his followers planned a trip from Saudi to the UK, they’d reach out, asking if he needed any hard-to-find ingredients. 

Al-Zubaidi’s requests were simple but essential — fragrant spices, fresh dill, and most importantly, the special pastry sheets that he just couldn’t source in London.   

“I’d say ‘I need the real pastry for samosa.’ And they’d bring it for me,” he says. 

The enthusiasm was mutual. His followers were just as eager to bring these reminders of home, knowing he’d transform them into the dishes they missed. 

Yet not everyone was as supportive. As he juggled his studies and the pop-up, criticism began to surface, especially from former friends back home. 

“They mocked me,” he recalls. “They’d say things like, ‘You went to the UK to study, and now you’re just selling food?’” 

Influencers he approached for social-media support brushed him off with dismissive remarks. But Al-Zubaidi was undeterred, finding new friends and switching his studies from sport to cooking. With a network of loyal clients and the backing of a few new investors he had met along the way, he began seriously considering a restaurant. 

One wealthy friend, who had seen the young chef’s determination, urged him to take the plunge. After months of hard work studying knife skills, mastering Saudi dishes, and learning the restaurant business inside out, Al-Zubaidi took the leap. 

Two years after opening its doors, Hijazi Corner is a definite success, becoming one of London’s top-rated Middle Eastern eateries. It’s perpetually packed with diners, and has become a go-to spot for celebrities, diplomats, and dignitaries from the Arab world and beyond, all seeking an authentic taste of Saudi Arabia. 

After showcasing Saudi cuisine at several festivals and events, on National Day this September, Al-Zubaidi received a special honor — an invitation to the Kingdom’s embassy in London. 

The recognition came after HRH Prince Khalid Bin Bandar Al-Saud, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the UK, visited Hijazi Corner and was so impressed that he mentioned it by name in his National Day speech. Al-Zubaidi, overcome with pride, shed tears of joy.  

“I am proud of what I’ve achieved, but I haven’t finished yet,” he says. “This is just the beginning—there’s so much more of Saudi culture I want to share with the world.” 


Saudi fashion designer and founder of Pavone Shouq Almubarak talks inspiration and innovation

Updated 15 November 2024
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Saudi fashion designer and founder of Pavone Shouq Almubarak talks inspiration and innovation

  • ‘My designs are a heartfelt expression,’ says Shouq Almubarak

RIYADH: Saudi fashion designer Shouq Almubarak is dreaming big, both for the Kingdom’s fashion industry and for her own brand, Pavone.  

“The future holds endless possibilities, and I have ambitious plans aligned with the growth of the Kingdom’s fashion industry,” Almubarak told Arab News on the sidelines of Riyadh Fashion Week in October. “I aim to continue expanding my work with larger projects that seamlessly blend authenticity with modern creativity. My ultimate vision is to reach a global audience, sharing the beauty and pride of the Saudi identity.” 

The designer also expressed her gratitude at being selected as one of the designers to represent the Kingdom on a global stage at the event, which took place from Oct. 17 to Oct. 21. 

The designer also expressed her gratitude at being selected as one of the designers to represent the Kingdom on a global stage at the event. (Supplied)

“Being part of Riyadh Fashion Week is a true honor and a moment of immense pride,” she said. “It’s not just about presenting my designs, but about contributing to the rise of Saudi fashion on the global stage. It’s an opportunity to leave my mark and help shape the future of fashion in the Kingdom.” 

Almubarak established Pavone in 2016 in the Eastern province of Saudi Arabia with the aim of creating innovative designs that “meet the ultimate beauty and spirit of modern women.” She told Arab News that much of her inspiration — aside from seeing beautiful things that spark her imagination — comes from within. 

Almubarak established Pavone in 2016 in the Eastern province of Saudi Arabia. (Supplied)

“I draw from moments that leave a lasting impact — whether it’s an emotion, a scene, or just a quiet moment of reflection. I then transform these moments into tangible works of art that capture and reflect the essence of those experiences. My designs are a heartfelt expression,” she said. 

Those “artistic pieces” include her couture collection “Lina,” which she presented at last year’s Riyadh Fashion Week and which she describes as one of her greatest accomplishments as a designer. 

“This collection was a breakthrough for me, as it challenged me to explore new, unconventional ideas,” Almubarak said. “‘Lina’ is more than just a fashion line — it symbolizes the beginning of an exciting new chapter in my career, full of opportunities; a defining moment that has shaped my journey as a designer.” 

Almubarak established Pavone with the aim of creating innovative designs that “meet the ultimate beauty and spirit of modern women.” (Supplied)

The biggest challenge Almubarak has faced so far, she said, is finding partners who not only understand her vision but also share her commitment to exceptional quality. 

“Ensuring that every design was brought to life with meticulous attention to detail and delivering the level of excellence my clients deserve has always been the goal I strive to achieve,” she said. 

Discussing tips for aspiring designers, she said: “My key advice is to prioritize quality; you have to select the right factory and partners. Design isn’t just about the concept — it’s about translating creativity into a finished product with precision and craftsmanship that aligns with the customer’s expectations.” 


Highlights from the winning entries in the Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Photography Award 

Updated 15 November 2024
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Highlights from the winning entries in the Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Photography Award 

DUBAI: Here are three highlights from the winning entries in this year’s Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Photography Award.

Youmn Mohammed Almanla 

The Saudi photographer claimed second place in the ‘Color’ category of this year’s HIPA awards for this stunning image of horse riders firing rifles against a twilight sky — an example of the ancient Moroccan equestrian art known as ‘tbourida,’ which is included on UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage. It is, Almanla said in his statement, “a breathtaking display of skill, bravery, and the untamed spirit of the desert.” 

Liping Cao 

The Chinese photographer picked up the Grand Prize at this year’s awards (staged under the theme ‘Sustainability’) for this dramatic black-and-white shot he named “Quiet Power.” It shows an Australian wind farm. “The dry riverbed below the turbines adds depth, while serving as a reminder of the importance of sustainable practices,” a statement from HIPA reads. 

Fatma Alzahra Shbair 

The Palestinian photographer won first prize in the “Portfolio” category for a collection of scenes from the Gaza Strip taken over the months since Israel launched its assault on the enclave in October 2023. “Through telling the stories of others, the storyteller realized they were also sharing their own — an intertwined account of survival and collective suffering,” a HIPA statement reads.