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Khaleej Times
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Khaleej Times
From K-Drama to Clubhouse: How The Open sparked a Korean superstar's golf passion
It all started with a quiet Sunday at The Open Championship, but for South Korean superstar Song Joong-ki, it was the beginning of something much bigger. Known across the Middle East thanks to hit dramas like Descendants of the Sun and the global Korean Wave, which has captured hearts here alongside K-Pop sensations and Korean cultural hits like Squid Game, Song's journey into golf is inspiring new fans across the UAE and Arab world. What began on a day as a spectator quickly turned into a passion. Today, Song isn't just a fan, he's The R&A's first Asian Global Ambassador, using his star power alongside sports icons like NBA's Stephen Curry to grow golf across Asia and beyond. Song confessed that he didn't know much about The R&A at first. 'I asked a friend who knows golf well, and they told me to say yes without hesitation. My wife and father-in-law were proud that I joined The R&A,' he said. Song is married to Katy Louise Saunders, a British citizen and former actress and model. With golf booming in the UAE, a melting pot where Korean expats, mingle with local enthusiasts, Song's story connects with this vibrant scene, showing how golf transcends cultures and unites diverse communities, just like K-Dramas and pop culture from the dynamic East Asian powerhouse. Song's path from national-level short-track speed skater to global actor to golf advocate reflects a spirit of resilience and passion admired by fans in the Middle East. He's also actively supporting junior golf initiatives, making the game accessible to all, a message that resonates in the UAE's growing golf ecosystem. For golf fans who already cheer for Korean players, Song Joong-ki's ambassadorial role brings a fresh connection between entertainment, sport, and regional enthusiasm. One Sunday at The Open changed everything. Now, Song is helping reshape golf for a new generation, including those in the Arab world who are discovering the joy of the game, whether through a TV drama or a first swing on the fairway.
Asharq Al-Awsat
2 days ago
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Arab Parliament Speaker Condemns Israeli Escalation in Gaza, Calls for Immediate Action
Arab Parliament Speaker Mohammed Al Yamahi strongly condemned Israel's dangerous and bloody escalation against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, the Saudi Press Agency said on Sunday. In a statement, Al Yamahi described the systematic starvation and deadly siege in Gaza, leaving vulnerable populations to face death, as a full-fledged crime occurring before a silent world. He voiced calls on the international community to shirk its moral, legal, and humanitarian responsibilities towards a people facing annihilation through mass starvation, a scenario deemed unbearable to human conscience. Al Yamahi also condemned the Israeli occupation forces' bombing of places of worship in Gaza, describing it as a war crime and holding the occupying forces fully responsible for the attack. He urged the international community to take immediate and effective action to halt the aggression, open urgent and sustainable humanitarian aid corridors, and hold occupation leaders accountable as war criminals.
The National
3 days ago
- General
- The National
From candy to zero: 20 English words with Arabic origins
The Middle East's cultural influence on the world is vast and enduring – evident not only in food, fashion, mathematics and medicine, but also in the global lingua franca, the English language that millions around the world use everyday. If you ordered a coffee this morning, you were – perhaps unknowingly – speaking Arabic, or at least a version of it. Some of the most common English words, including lemon, sofa, giraffe and, US president Donald Trump's favourite buzzword, tariff, all trace their roots back to Arabic. Here are 20 such words – and the fascinating stories behind them. Admiral The naval term entered English via the Anglo-French 'amiral', meaning commander, which came from the Arabic 'amir al-bahr' – 'amir' meaning commander and 'bahr' meaning sea. Algebra This mathematical term stems from the Arabic 'al-jabr', which originally referred to the surgical setting of bones. It was adopted into mathematics by ninth-century Persian scholar Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi in his influential book Al-Kitab al-Mukhtasar fi Hisab al-Jabr wal-Muqabala (The Compendious Book on Calculation by Completion and Balancing). Candy This sweet-sounding word originates from the Arabic 'qandi', meaning sugar. It likely entered English via the Old French çucre candi – 'sugar candy'. Checkmate The final move in chess comes from the Persian 'shah mat', meaning the king is helpless. As the game spread through the Arab world into Europe, it evolved into chequemate, and later checkmate in English. The Arabic 'mat' also means died. Coffee Coffee culture began in 15th-century Yemen, and the word itself derives from qahwa. The chocolate-infused cafe mocha takes its name from the Yemeni port city of Mocha, once a hub for the global coffee trade. Elixir Meaning a magical or medicinal potion, elixir comes from the Arabic 'al-iksir', which itself was derived from the Greek 'xerion', meaning powder for drying wounds. Giraffe The long-necked animal's name evolved from the Arabic 'zarafa'. It entered European languages in the 13th century, likely after giraffes were transported from Cairo to Italy. Hazard Today associated with danger, hazard originates from 'al-zahr', the Arabic word for dice – an object once used in games of chance. It entered English via the Old French 'hasard'. Jar From the Arabic 'jarra', meaning earthenware vessel, the term appeared in medieval European texts referring to containers for oil or preserves. Jasmine This fragrant flower, prominent in traditional Arabic medicine, entered western texts in the 13th century from the Arabic 'yasmin', and became widely known across Europe by the 16th century. Jumper The cosy pullover's etymology leads back to the Arabic 'jubba', a loose outer garment. It passed through Latin (iuppa), then French (jupe), before arriving in English as jump or jumper in the 17th century. Lemon Though now strongly associated with the Mediterranean, lemons were introduced to southern Europe by Arabs in the Middle Ages. The Arabic 'limun' or 'al-lamun' referred to a citrus fruit that was larger and thicker-skinned than those known in classical antiquity. Magazine From the Arabic 'makhazin' (plural of makhzan), meaning storehouse, the word entered English via Italian and French. In early English usage, a magazine referred to a place where ammunition or supplies were kept, before evolving into its current meaning as a printed periodical. Today it is used to refer to both, written publications and an ammunition storage device for a firearm, more commonly known as mag. Mattress Derived from the Arabic 'matrah', meaning place where something is thrown down – such as a mat or cushion. It reflects the traditional practice of sleeping on floor cushions. Orange The English word comes from the Persian 'naranj' after the word was adopted in Arabic, introduced to Europe via Arabic-speaking traders around the 10th century. The Spanish word 'naranja' retains this older form. Safari From the Arabic ' safar ', meaning journey, the word entered English in the 19th century via Swahili, where it described long overland expeditions. Serendipity Coined in 1754 by English writer Horace Walpole, the word has its roots in Sanskrit, and was then inspired by the Persian folktale The Three Princes of Serendip – a reference to Sri Lanka's old Arabic-language name Serendip. The story's heroes were known for their knack for making unexpected discoveries. Sofa Sofa entered English through Turkish in the 16th century, describing a cushioned bench or seat. The Turkish word came from the Arabic 'soffa', meaning a raised platform or long bench. Tariff A word frequently in the headlines, tariff stems from the Arabic 'tarif', meaning notification or definition. It passed into European languages through Latin and Italian, often used in shipping and trade contexts. Zero A cornerstone of modern mathematics, zero comes from the Arabic 'sifr', meaning empty or nothing. The concept reached Europe through Latin translations of Arabic texts, although the term didn't appear in English until the 17th century.
Malay Mail
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Malay Mail
Beethoven at 100km/h? Fujairah's ‘Musical Road' plays ‘Ode to Joy' as you drive
FUJAIRAH (United Arab Emirates), July 19 — No radio? No problem. The emirate of Fujairah has installed rumble strips along a 750m stretch of highway that play the Ode to Joy melody from Ludwig van Beethoven's Ninth Symphony as cars roll over — part of a project to integrate music into daily life. Similar so-called Musical Roads have already been installed in places like the United States, Japan and Hungary. However, this is the first permanent road in the Arab world according to Ali Obaid Al Hefaiti, director of the Fine Arts Academy in Fujairah, a lesser-known emirate roughly 120km from the global tourism hub of Dubai. The technology works by carving strategically-spaced grooves into the asphalt on Fujairah's Sheikh Khalifa Street. Then, as tyres hit the ridges at roughly 100 km/hr, the resulting vibrations produce a melody audible inside the vehicle. Beethoven's Ode to Joy, a tune known to almost every ear on earth, was a natural choice, Al Hefaiti said. Mohammad Al Matrooshi, an Omani resident traveling from Sharjah, said the music relaxed him after a long journey. 'The music gives you a different mood, especially because the music is by Beethoven.' — Reuters
Al Bawaba
4 days ago
- Politics
- Al Bawaba
No way out but a deal: Hamas warns Israel of prolonged war and new captive attempts
Published July 18th, 2025 - 04:37 GMT ALBAWABA - Abu Ubaida, the military spokesman for the Al-Qassam Brigades (Hamas' armed wing), gave his first public speech since March. It was a recorded speech in which he talked about the group's military strategy, its views on current talks, and harsh criticism of players in the region and within Palestine. Abu Ubaida said that the resistance is still fully ready for a long war. He accused Israel of breaking a deal by starting its attack on Gaza again four months ago. He said that the resistance killed a lot of Israeli troops during this time and that Israeli soldiers were also suffering from more mental health problems. He said that Hamas's current operations are focused on "strategic attrition," which includes new military strategies, high-impact operations, and efforts to take Israeli soldiers, some of which he said had happened in the past few weeks. Arab and Islamic leaders are being criticized. According to Abu Ubaida, the Arab and Islamic worlds are very frustrating him. In a strong message, he criticized governments and leaders for not doing anything about what he called Israel's "genocide" in Gaza. He said that tens of thousands of innocent Palestinians had been killed and that the leaders of the area should take moral responsibility. He praised the Houthis in Yemen for setting up a strong front and thanked people around the world who are still taking chances to stand with the Palestinian people. Abu Ubaida said that Hamas fully supports the group that is currently in informal talks with Israel. He said that the resistance had offered to trade all of Israel's prisoners for Palestinian ones several times as part of a full prisoner swap deal. But he said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu turned down the plans, which led people to think that the prisoners might be dead. ⭕️ Abu Ubaidah: 'We say to history, with all bitterness and pain, and in front of all the sons of our nation: O leaders of this Islamic and Arab nation, and its elites and major parties, and its scholars, you are our adversaries before Allah Almighty, you are the adversaries of… — MenchOsint (@MenchOsint) July 18, 2025 He said that if Israel doesn't change its mind, Hamas might back out of limited or staged deals, like the earlier offer to trade 10 prisoners. Abu Ubaida told those working with Israel in a direct message to turn away from their actions and return to their communities. He praised Palestinian families and groups that had officially turned their backs on traitors. He said that working with Arabs would not work and that anyone who did would be "burnt cards" in the eyes of the Palestinian people. Final Thoughts and Background Abu Ubaida ended by praising the strength and honor of the Palestinian people, saying that their unwavering determination to stay strong despite pain and lack continues to annoy their enemies. In a linked statement, Hamas said that since Israel had failed to use force to free the prisoners, the only way forward is to arrange a swap of prisoners. The group said that its changing strategies have caught Israel off guard many times, making the Gaza war a turning point in the conflict and showing what it called the "increasing fragility of the Israeli state." © 2000 - 2025 Al Bawaba (
