Latest news with #Basim
Campaign ME
22-04-2025
- Business
- Campaign ME
Landor appoints Basim Asaad as Managing Partner, KSA
Landor, has announced the appointment of Basim Asaad as Managing Partner, KSA. Based in Riyadh, Asaad will focus on strengthening and expanding Landor's relationships with clients across the Kingdom. Working closely with teams in Dubai and London, Basim will play a pivotal role in establishing optimal structures and processes to effectively serve key clients. Mariagrazia De Angelis, Landor's General Manager for the Middle East and Africa said, 'Basim is a smart, results-oriented leader who embodies the spirit of collaboration and innovation. As a proud Saudi national from Madinah, Basim's insights into the local landscape and creative industry will be invaluable as we continue to strengthen our presence in the Kingdom. We are thrilled to welcome him to the team.' Commenting on his appointment, Asaad said: 'I am honored to join Landor, a global leader in branding, at such an exciting time for Saudi Arabia's transformation. I look forward to working alongside the talented teams in Riyadh, Dubai, and London to deliver impactful solutions for PIF, Vision 2030 programs, and other key clients across all sectors in the Kingdom. Christian Schroeder, Landor's Global President, said, 'Saudi Arabia is undergoing an extraordinary transformation, driven by Vision 2030 and its ambition to become a global leader in economy, technology, and culture. This market presents unique opportunities for brands to create meaningful impact by understanding local nuances and delivering tailored solutions. Landor's commitment to the Kingdom reflects our focus on empowering clients to navigate this dynamic landscape with clarity and purpose. By appointing Basim Asaad as a Managing Partner in Saudi Arabia reinforces investment in the region and ensures we are well-positioned to support our clients' growth and success in this pivotal market.' Asaad continues, 'Beyond brand-building, we are committed to empowering and nurturing Saudi talent, sharing our expertise to develop the next generation of branding leaders who will drive the Kingdom's creative and economic evolution. Together, we will create brands that inspire, innovate, and resonate deeply with audiences across the region.' With over 15 years of experience spanning both agency and client-side roles, Basim brings expertise in project management, marketing, communications, and branding. His career highlights include his involvement in the launch of NEOM during his tenure at VML (formerly known as VMLY&R at the time). Basim has held leadership positions at global and regional agencies such as Havas, Extend the Ad Network, and Ways Marketing Solutions, where he served as Chief Operating Officer.
Euronews
07-04-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
‘Ruled by warlords eating from rubbish bins': Yemenis reflect on one decade of devastating civil war
ADVERTISEMENT As Ramadan ended and Eid celebrations kicked off in Egypt's capital at the end of March, a group of Yemenis gathered on a Nile felucca — a wooden sailing boat typically encountered across the Mediterranean — for revelry and respite from their troubles. They are just a fraction of the estimated 600,000 Yemeni citizens now resident in Cairo. Before war in their home country broke out in March 2015, that number stood at just 70,000. In the corner of the boat sat businessmen Tawfiq and Basim, chatting over mint tea, reflecting on what life must be like for those still in Yemen. 'Children are being deprived of the joy of Eid,' lamented Basim. 'They are deprived of smiling and the happiness of childhood.' Since a Saudi-led coalition started launching airstrikes a decade ago to fight off an insurgent and increasingly radical militia called Ansar Allah – better known as the Houthis – over 230,000 people have been killed or died because of hunger and lack of access to medicine. According to the UN, around half of Yemen's 40 million inhabitants are in dire need of humanitarian assistance and protection services. The war has also caused an economic crisis with prices for basic goods skyrocketing out of reach for most due to hyperinflation, exacerbated by a breakaway currency in the Houthi-controlled north. One of the most expensive things now, complains Tawfiq, are flights. 'Yemenia Airlines is the most expensive airline in the world, and why is that? There's no competition. War is the cause and war is the basis.' A man glanced over disapprovingly, but refrained from joining the conversation. He later admitted to Euronews that he was a senior figure at the airline. Tawfiq and Basim discuss the war in Yemen Euronews/Gregory Holyoke However, even in Yemen, the patchwork of competing authorities and militias makes travelling within the country a massive challenge. Before the war, driving from the capital Sana'a to the southern port of Aden would take a few hours. Now it often takes a full day. 'It is as if you are a stranger in your own country,' Basim told Euronews. 'I hope for the end of the war and that we become one people, far from regionalism, partisanship, sectarianism.' Tawfiq jumped in: 'All countries have wars.' 'In Egypt, Tunisia, and Algeria, there is at least change. But for more than 10 years, we are now under the rule of warlords who eat from rubbish bins,' he retorted morosely. 'Where is our government? Where is the United Nations?' 'Dancing on the heads of snakes' Rising out of the Arabian Sea and giving way to craggy mountains and desert, Yemen is seen as one of the likely birthplaces for the Arabic language and civilization. It was also one of the first Silk Road trading routes, making it an important economic and cultural hub. However, it was seldom ruled as one consolidated entity. Before unification under Ali Abdullah Saleh in 1990, Yemen's south was for decades a Marxist-Leninist republic, while the north was ruled by a Zaydi Shi'a imamate – the sect from which the Houthis hail – supported by Saudi Arabia. Even after unification, Saleh's regime was plagued by the constant threat of civil strife, especially with early incarnations of the Houthis in the north. The president fought six wars with them in the early 2000s. As Saleh himself said, he was constantly 'dancing on the heads of snakes'. ADVERTISEMENT When revolutionary fervour swept across the Arab world in 2011, Yemen was ripe for change. Saleh's forces reacted violently, once shooting and killing 45 protestors in what became known as the Friday of Dignity. For protestors like Tawakkol Karman, this only spurred them on. Karman won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011 for her work and became known as 'the mother of the revolution'. Speaking to Euronews from the US, she was quick to push back against the idea that the revolution led to the chaos Yemen now finds itself in. 'This is completely untrue,' she said. 'The fact is that the war in Yemen came as a result of the 'counter-revolution' by the Houthis usurping power in Sana'a in 2014, after three years of transitional democracy.' ADVERTISEMENT A boy joins in traditional dancing as Yemenis celebrate Eid in Cairo Euronews/Gregory Holyoke For others, even the Houthi takeover itself wasn't cause for immediate alarm. Campaigner and analyst Nadwa al-Dawsari explained that, back in 2014, 'many of us Yemenis did not realise how dangerous the Houthis are and what they're capable of.' 'We had no idea that the Houthis were already in charge, and we didn't realise that they had an entire IRGC and Hezbollah expertise machine behind them,' al-Dawsari told Euronews. What ensued became infamous. A lightning expansion by the Houthis, with the transitional president Hadi bundled out of the country at night to Saudi Arabia, who – in late March 2015 – launched the first of thousands of airstrikes to repel the Houthis. A country redivided The following years saw fierce fighting, with the Houthis laying millions of landmines across Yemen and the Saudi-led coalition launching over 25,000 airstrikes, killing almost 20,000 people, including 1,400 children, according to researchers. ADVERTISEMENT Edmund Fitton-Brown, the British ambassador to Yemen from 2015 to 2017, explained to Euronews that internal political changes in Saudi Arabia may have affected the coalition's decision to intervene. 'Mohammed bin Salman at that time was still emerging as a power in Saudi Arabia. And this was really his sort of first chance to make a big statement as a leader,' he said. 'Of course, it hasn't worked out particularly well for him … but I think they were conducting the campaign in reasonably good faith.' Meanwhile, retired Saudi Major General Abdullah Al Qahtani contended that his country wasn't involved enough, despite being intimately entangled in Yemeni affairs for decades and now housing the partially exiled Internationally Recognised Government. ADVERTISEMENT Saudi Arabia also hosted ousted President Saleh, until he returned to Yemen to form an ill-fated alliance with the Houthis, who later killed him. 'If I have anything to say about Saudi Arabia's mistakes in Yemen, it is that it did not impose, for a very long time, on our brothers in Yemen the importance of establishing an institutional state,' the major general told Euronews from Riyadh. Related Who are Yemen's Houthi rebels who are attacking Red Sea ships? The Houthis are the epitome of 21st-century non-state actors However, many inside Yemen felt very different about Saudi involvement, even if they disliked or opposed the Houthis. The devastation on the ground had a profound effect on Yemenis. Back on the felucca stood Ahmed in traditional Yemeni dress, including the jambiya dagger. 'I just hope that instead of supporting Yemen with missiles, they would support it with money. They would support it with things that benefit the country,' he sighed. ADVERTISEMENT 'Under existential threat' As Ahmed goes off to dance on the top deck, Leila Lutf Al-Thawr comes over. After the revolution, she created the centre-left, non-aligned Arab Hope Party. She hails from the capital and is desperate to return, but fears the consequences. 'I want to go back, but of course I'm worried that if I do, the Houthis will take me as a hostage,' Lutf Al-Thawr told Euronews. Since taking over Sana'a, the Houthis have imposed an increasingly authoritarian state. They have been accused by the UN and human rights organisations of widespread use of arbitrary detention and execution. The group has particularly targeted women and children, recruiting child soldiers and an all-female morality police force called the Zainabiyat, who have been documented as using vicious, often sexual violence against women. ADVERTISEMENT Yet people like Leila worry that the Saudi-led campaign may have played into the Houthis' hand. She shouts over the increasingly loud music that 'the Houthis are so smart'. 'They know how and to manipulate their opposition's actions,' she explained. 'The Yemeni government, all of them, do not understand the situation in Yemen and how to move Yemenis. The Houthis know. They studied Yemeni society.' Members of the Yemeni community in Cairo gathered on a Nile boat for Eid celebrations Euronews/Gregory Holyoke A scholar who used to be close to the Houthi family but wanted to remain anonymous for their and their family's safety, agreed, adding that the group play on the historical trauma felt by many Shi'a Muslims. 'Shi'ism arose from the marginalisation and killing of Imam Ali and the martyrdom of Hussein ibn Ali at the Battle of Karbala. Such events have provided long-lasting sources of grievance and mobilisation,' they explained. ADVERTISEMENT In the year 680, Imam Husayn ibn Ali – grandson of the Prophet Muhammad and son of the fourth caliph Ali – and his small group of soldiers were outnumbered and massacred by an army sent by the Umayyad caliph Yazid I at the city of Karbala in northern Iraq. The fallout caused a religious schism between what are now known as the Sunni and Shi'a branches of Islam. Speaking on the war itself, the scholar concluded that 'it hardened (the Houthis') ideological stance, reinforcing their sense of being under existential threat.' From ceasefire to speedboats In 2022, a more sustainable, if fragile, ceasefire was agreed by the parties in Yemen and the country uneasily relaxed into stalemate. The looming threat of gunfire and airstrikes somewhat receded. It led some to question the Houthis' durability and ability to govern when there was no one to actively fight. Then in November 2023, the Houthis launched a series of drone and missile attacks on commercial shipping they claimed was connected to Israel, in response to the latter's campaign against Hamas in Gaza. ADVERTISEMENT In the year that followed, they attacked over 90 vessels, hijacking one and sinking another. A US-led coalition responded with its own airstrikes on areas inside Yemen. For ordinary Yemeni citizens, the spectre of violence at any moment returned. It has also given the Houthis a new enemy that jeopardised peace with old ones. Major General Al Qahtani said that, although Saudi Arabia wasn't involved in the current strikes, it seemed like negotiations between his country and the Houthis had stalled. Despite this, Tawakkol Karman is adamant that all is not lost. 'I do not regret the revolution, nor am I pessimistic about the future, nor have I lost my revolutionary faith,' she says defiantly. 'I have always believed that revolutions will ultimately triumph.' As the felucca approached the dock, a smaller vessel bobbed past, two frayed and discoloured Saudi flags limping in the light breeze. ADVERTISEMENT A shy young man sidled up. When asked about the situation in his homeland, quietly, he said, 'The Houthis' power is the Yemeni people. When they bomb and attack Israel or ships, the Yemeni people think they are protecting them.' Leila Lutf Al Thawr drives back after the celebration Euronews/Gregory Holyoke As Layla drives back from the celebrations, she shrugs and laughs sadly at the young man's comment. 'It's so silly, actually. They should have learned from before. From the Saudis, from everything that happened in Yemen for 10 years.' 'Ten years and nobody understands what was going on. It's really insane,' she ponders as she steers the car away from the bright Nile corniche and into the warren of Cairene streets. ADVERTISEMENT
The National
05-02-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
Basim Khandaqji will continue to write despite difficulties he endures in Israeli prison, says brother
For the past 21 years, Palestinian author Basim Khandaqji has been a symbol of resistance, writing award-winning novels from an Israeli jail cell. Convicted of terrorism for allegedly helping plan a bombing that resulted in the killing of three people in Tel Aviv, and sentenced to serve three life sentences, Basim has been imprisoned since 2004. Those years have been prolific, however: he has written several novels and poetry collections and won the 2024 International Prize for Arabic Fiction for his 2023 novel A Mask, the Colour of the Sky, which triumphed over 133 other submitted titles. "This is a pride for Basim and for our family that he won the most prestigious international prize [in Arabic fiction]. This victory was a tribute to the souls of the martyrs, our Palestinian people in Gaza," Yousef Khandaqji, Basim's brother and literary agent, tells The National. The book won the $50,000 prize at a ceremony held in Abu Dhabi in April last year, and also qualified for funding for an English-language translation. Currently, two of the three volumes of the trilogy have been published by Lebanon's Dar Al Adab, with the third in progress. "This victory is also a huge moral boost for Basim, as a prisoner in the occupation's prisons, it pushes him to produce high-quality literary texts. We were taking his literary works out of prison, which was very complicated," he adds. Basim has endured many difficulties as a prisoner over the years. But the attention his most recent book received resulted in particularly harsh treatment, according to Yousef. "When the novel was shortlisted, the occupation forces did not appreciate that. They decided to punish Basim by placing him in solitary confinement and making him pay a fine of around $2000. He also endured a fierce incitement campaign from Israeli press. He was in solitary for a month and investigated and also fined when he won the prize. But Basim is used to these things as a prisoner for the last 21 years," Mr Khandaqji says. Despite the challenges he faces, Basim's dream is to continue writing and representing the Palestinian experience in his novels. "Basim was able to handle these things and with his patience and resilience, he was able to face these grievances. What's important is that his words leave the prison cells ... and indeed they did," Yousef adds. During the Israel-Gaza War, visits for prisoners from immediate family were halted - even Basim's lawyer was only able to see him after a seven-month wait. As for Yousef, the last time he had seen his brother up close was in 2019. "The last time I saw him, I felt it would be the last. I had a horrible feeling and unfortunately, that is what happened. It was the last visit. But it was one of the most beautiful visits too. We talked about his literary plans," he says. As Basim's agent, Yousef has been looking after the publishing and promotion of his brother's books, which has been a challenge. "God helped me take care of his children well and provide them with great attention, and hopefully, when he comes home, he will continue, because it is hard to talk about these novels when the author is absent," Yousef says. While he has gained international attention for the work he has produced while imprisoned, Yousef believes his brother would still be driven to produce powerful literary works if he were free, given that he wrote long before he was imprisoned. But Yousef does believe that detention has inspired Basim to produce literary works of this calibre. "If you asked me if Basim would produce this kind of work if he wasn't detained, I would say yes, because Basim comes from a progressive family that owns a library in Nablus, and he was a young reader of big novels," he says. He fondly recalls how a Palestinian poet met Basim when he was 12 years old, and was surprised by his knowledge of books. At the time, the poet predicted that Basim would have a great future in writing. "Truly that's what Basim reached because of the support from God, our family, and readers," he says. "I thank the people that come and watch the seminars on Basim's work and support him, I always say that Basim shall be present between us soon. He will be released free, happy and victorious, God willing." Yousef Khandaqji was a guest at this year's Emirates Festival of Literature, which concluded on Sunday, where he was warmly welcomed by the UAE's literary community. "I found great engagement and it is a great honour for us as a family, watching how people react to the novel," Mr Khandaqji says.
