Latest news with #Safaa
Gulf Today
15-02-2025
- Automotive
- Gulf Today
Meet the passionate Emirati woman driver who owns all types of driving licences
Mira Al Rashdi, Staff Reporter Safaa Al Mahri is an Emirati businesswoman who has achieved a historic feat as the first woman in the UAE to obtain licences for all seven categories: motorcycles, light vehicles, heavy vehicles, light buses, heavy buses, light tractors and heavy tractors. Safaa also owns a project specialising in serving traditional Emirati cuisine. She told Al Khaleej about her experience that driving was initially a hobby, which soon turned into a passion and a challenge that led her to involve herself in unusual experiences, such as driving heavy vehicles and equipment which require high skill in control. In addition to being heavy in weight, they also require full awareness of the surrounding environment and precision in dealing with all the details. Safaa expressed her pride in her accomplishment, especially as it is rarely done by woman. Safaa added that driving a motorcycle was a big challenge because it requires a great deal of balance and high concentration, as it is not protected and requires great control over movement and speed. The second challenge which Safaa faced was driving a bus due to its height, length, and large size, which requires precision and caution while driving, besides the large mirrors which require a great skill in terms of vision and control. Al Mahri says, "I do my best to help women overcome their fears of driving, especially those who suffer from driving phobia. I strive to enhance their confidence and teach them how to deal with vehicles, because I believe that woman is capable of overcoming any obstacle in the UAE. We are fortunate to have a developed infrastructure and well-studied traffic laws which help us drive safely, and these are very encouraging factors for developing driving skills among women." "My message to every Emirati young woman who aspires to achieve similar accomplishments is to believe in her abilities and discover her talents, because women in the UAE are supported by our wise leadership and the support of Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak, Mother of the UAE," Safaa added.
Yahoo
10-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
'I miss my school': BBC launches programme for children in war zones
Tareq, 10, from Gaza, and Safaa, 14, from Sudan live about 2,000km apart. They have never met, but they share a harsh reality - war has stolen their education. "When I saw my school in ruins, a deep sadness overwhelmed me. I long for it to return to what it once was," Tareq tells the BBC from Gaza. "Despite everything, I haven't stopped learning. I study at home, making sure not to waste a moment so when I do go back to school, I will be ready," he adds. In Sudan, Safaa dreams of becoming a heart surgeon. "I'm still holding on to hope," she says, but she has traumatic memories of the country's civil war. "Bodies were scattered everywhere, which deeply moved me and made me want to save lives instead of seeing them being lost." Tareq and Safaa are among the 30 million children who, according to the United Nations children's agency Unicef, are out of school in the Middle East and North Africa. It estimates that more than half - 16.5 million - are in Sudan alone. In response, the BBC World Service has launched an Arabic edition of its award-winning educational programme Dars - or Lesson. In the past year in Gaza, "over 600,000 children - that's all the school-aged children in Gaza - didn't get education", says Saleem Oweis, a spokesperson for Unicef. "We're seeing a pattern of how conflicts, insecurity and crises are inflicting real harm on children's education and learning," he adds. In Sudan, nearly two years after a civil war erupted between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, millions of children are living in refugee camps where education is only available through local initiatives. In an interview with the BBC, Sudan's education minister, Ahmed Khalifa, highlights the scale of devastation. "No state was spared," he says. "Sudan has approximately 15,000 public schools. Between 60% and 70% of these schools have been completely damaged, losing their foundations, infrastructure and books. "Even in safer states, schools have suffered damage due to systematic destruction by militias." Dars was first launched in 2023 for children in Afghanistan, including girls barred from secondary school, with the United Nations describing it as a "learning lifeline" for children unable to attend classes. Designed for children between the ages of 11 and 16, Dars Arabic has weekly lessons on a range of subjects including maths, technology, climate and mental health. It also features the stories of children, such as Tareq and Safaa, who despite war and other obstacles, are still determined to learn. The first episode aired on Sunday 9 February, on BBC News Arabic TV. New episodes are broadcast weekly on Sundays at 05:30 GMT (07:30 EET), with repeats at 10:05 GMT (12:05 EET) and throughout the week. The programme is also available on digital platforms, including BBC News Arabic YouTube, as well as lifeline radio services in Gaza and Syria.
BBC News
10-02-2025
- General
- BBC News
'I miss my school': BBC launches Arabic programme for children in war zones
Tareq, 10, from Gaza, and Safaa, 14, from Sudan live about 2,000km apart. They have never met, but they share a harsh reality - war has stolen their education."When I saw my school in ruins, a deep sadness overwhelmed me. I long for it to return to what it once was," Tareq tells the BBC from Gaza."Despite everything, I haven't stopped learning. I study at home, making sure not to waste a moment so when I do go back to school, I will be ready," he Sudan, Safaa dreams of becoming a heart surgeon. "I'm still holding on to hope," she says, but she has traumatic memories of the country's civil war."Bodies were scattered everywhere, which deeply moved me and made me want to save lives instead of seeing them being lost." Tareq and Safaa are among the 30 million children who, according to the United Nations children's agency Unicef, are out of school in the Middle East and North Africa. It estimates that more than half - 16.5 million - are in Sudan alone. In response, the BBC World Service has launched an Arabic edition of its award-winning educational programme Dars - or Lesson. In the past year in Gaza, "over 600,000 children - that's all the school-aged children in Gaza - didn't get education", says Saleem Oweis, a spokesperson for Unicef."We're seeing a pattern of how conflicts, insecurity and crises are inflicting real harm on children's education and learning," he Sudan, nearly two years after a civil war erupted between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, millions of children are living in refugee camps where education is only available through local an interview with the BBC, Sudan's education minister, Ahmed Khalifa, highlights the scale of devastation."No state was spared," he says. "Sudan has approximately 15,000 public schools. Between 60% and 70% of these schools have been completely damaged, losing their foundations, infrastructure and books."Even in safer states, schools have suffered damage due to systematic destruction by militias." Dars was first launched in 2023 for children in Afghanistan, including girls barred from secondary school, with the United Nations describing it as a "learning lifeline" for children unable to attend for children between the ages of 11 and 16, Dars Arabic has weekly lessons on a range of subjects including maths, technology, climate and mental also features the stories of children, such as Tareq and Safaa, who despite war and other obstacles, are still determined to learn. The first episode aired on Sunday 9 February, on BBC News Arabic TV. New episodes are broadcast weekly on Sundays at 05:30 GMT (07:30 EET), with repeats at 10:05 GMT (12:05 EET) and throughout the programme is also available on digital platforms, including BBC News Arabic YouTube, as well as lifeline radio services in Gaza and Syria.
