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Moroccan Anis Arafai Wins 'Multaqa Prize for Arabic Short Story'

Taleb al-Refai handing out the prize to Anis Arafai
Taleb al-Refai handing out the prize to Anis Arafai
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Moroccan Anis Arafai Wins 'Multaqa Prize for Arabic Short Story'

Taleb al-Refai handing out the prize to Anis Arafai
Taleb al-Refai handing out the prize to Anis Arafai

The Multaqa Prize for the Arabic Short Story announced Monday that the winner of its 5th edition is the “Circus of Delusional Animals” novel written by Anis Arafai (Morocco), and published by Dar Khoutout.

The Multaqa Prize for the Arabic Short Story is one of the most esteemed awards of its kind in the region, and it worth $20,000.

The winner was announced in a ceremony held under the sponsor of the American University of the Middle East (AUM). The Moroccan novelist was one of five shortlisted Arab storytellers including Al-Azhar Al-Zinad (Tunisia), Diaa Jubaili (Iraq), Mohamed Rafie (Egypt) and Yousef Damra (Jordan). The competition saw the participation of 241 writers from 23 countries.

Fahad al-Othman, chairman of the Board of Trustees of the American University of the Middle East (AUM), said he is grateful for the turnout the 5th edition of the prize witnessed, adding that it indicates that Kuwait has marked a remarkable presence in the Arabic prizes landscape.

Othman noted that the Kuwaiti efforts have successfully emphasized the presence of the country as a supporter of Arabic creators and literary productions.

Dr. Abdullah Ibrahim, head of the prize’s jury, said the award-winning speech “should praise the winning work, and highlight its narrative and semantic value. The book met the highest writing standards and managed to rival 240 story collections.”

“The jury believed that this work would enrich the history of the prize, and would make its writer proud of widely accessing the readers. The book is characterized with a coherent style, fine language, and wide imagination. It features unexpected situations and stories that prompt deep thinking. The stories of the book defy the logic of the reader and disturb the reception habits emphasized by the traditional storytelling art,” he added.

“The winning novel, ‘Circus of Delusional Animals’ by Moroccan Anis Arafai, was inspired by the patience of the Moroccan people, and their creative thinking and writing skills,” he noted.

The winner receives $20,000 with a shield and a certificate, and each of the other four short-listed writers receive $5,000, with a shield and certificate as well.

The award was founded in October 2015 following a memorandum of understanding signed by the Cultural Forum, represented by its founder and director, writer Taleb al-Refai and the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the American University of the Middle East in Kuwait, with the aim to encourage and support Arab writers in the field of short stories.

After he received the prize, ARafai, born in Casablanca in 1976, said “my message to all the writer is to believe in their creative projects, and to use their works to express the world and existence.”

“In this book, I wanted to find my own metaphor, as international writers do. I wanted to create a picture of life and existence in a circus in which the roles are switched between man and animal. This circus ends with a big fire and ashes that are eventually sold by ash merchants,” he explained.

“It is a great honor to win this international award, in which many prominent Arabic writers partake,” he added.

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Varieties

New Post Box with King Charles III Cypher Delivered to Antarctic

Kirsten Shaw (left) and Aurelia Reichardt with the new postbox (BAS) 
Kirsten Shaw (left) and Aurelia Reichardt with the new postbox (BAS) 
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New Post Box with King Charles III Cypher Delivered to Antarctic

Kirsten Shaw (left) and Aurelia Reichardt with the new postbox (BAS) 
Kirsten Shaw (left) and Aurelia Reichardt with the new postbox (BAS) 

Scientists working at a remote British research station in Antarctica have received a new Royal Mail post box in time for Christmas – thanks to the King.

Kirsten Shaw, a station support assistant who runs the British Antarctic Territory Post Office at Rothera Research Station, wrote to the monarch asking for a replacement for the base’s previous hand-painted replica box.

The Royal Household was “touched by the story of the team working in one of the most remote places on earth” and teamed up with Royal Mail to arrange the gift of one of its famous red lamppost boxes, featuring the King’s cypher.

The post box was delivered by the UK’s polar research vessel RRS Sir David Attenborough, along with the first major drop of supplies to the base following the continent’s long, dark winter, the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) said.

Aurelia Reichardt, station leader at Rothera, described the present as “having a piece of home with us.”

“It’s such an honor for the station to be gifted a real Royal Mail post box,” she said. “It’s given the community here a real boost – and it’s a great reminder to take the time to reach out to loved ones, even when work gets hectic.”

Reichardt also said, “For our team, who are working in such a remote place, it’s like having a piece of home with us.”

Earlier this year, the King recorded a personal message for researchers in Antarctica, expressing the “greatest admiration for the critically important work you do,” to coincide with the 24 hours of darkness they experience on June 21 – the southern hemisphere’s shortest day.

Shaw, who is responsible for getting mail in and out of Rothera and also across to other BAS stations and science field camps, said: “Being in Antarctica is incredible, but it’s full of extremes.”

She added, “So I think it’s a special thing to send post back home, to communicate your experiences. It’s a moment of your life that you put down on paper and give to someone else.”

 

Varieties

Egypt Reveals Restored Colossal Statues of Pharaoh in Luxor

Visitors watch the two giant reassembled alabaster statues of Pharoah Amenhotep III, in the southern city of Luxor, Egypt, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)
Visitors watch the two giant reassembled alabaster statues of Pharoah Amenhotep III, in the southern city of Luxor, Egypt, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)
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Egypt Reveals Restored Colossal Statues of Pharaoh in Luxor

Visitors watch the two giant reassembled alabaster statues of Pharoah Amenhotep III, in the southern city of Luxor, Egypt, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)
Visitors watch the two giant reassembled alabaster statues of Pharoah Amenhotep III, in the southern city of Luxor, Egypt, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)

Egypt on Sunday revealed the revamp of two colossal statues of a prominent pharaoh in the southern city of Luxor, the latest in the government’s archaeological events that aim at drawing more tourists to the country.

The giant alabaster statues, known as the Colossi of Memnon, were reassembled in a renovation project that lasted about two decades. They represent Amenhotep III, who ruled ancient Egypt about 3,400 years ago.

“Today we are celebrating, actually, the finishing and the erecting of these two colossal statues,” Mohamed Ismail, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, told The Associated Press ahead of the ceremony.

Attempts to revive a prestigious temple Ismail said the colossi are of great significance to Luxor, a city known for its ancient temples and other antiquities.

They’re also an attempt to “revive how this funerary temple of king Amenhotep III looked like a long time ago,” Ismail said.

Amenhotep III, one of the most prominent pharaohs, ruled during the 500 years of the New Kingdom, which was the most prosperous time for ancient Egypt.

The pharaoh, whose mummy is showcased at a Cairo museum, ruled between 1390–1353 BC, a peaceful period known for its prosperity and great construction, including his mortuary temple, where the Colossi of Memnon are located, and another temple, Soleb, in Nubia.

The colossi were toppled by a strong earthquake in about 1200 BC that also destroyed Amenhotep III’s funerary temple, said Mohamed Ismail, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities.

They were fragmented and partly quarried away, with their pedestals dispersed.

Some of their blocks were reused in the Karnak temple, but archaeologists brought them back to rebuild the colossi, according to the Antiquities Ministry.

In late 1990s, an Egyptian German mission, chaired by German Egyptologist Hourig Sourouzian, began working in the temple area, including the assembly and renovation of the colossi.

“This project has in mind ... to save the last remains of a once-prestigious temple,” she said.

The statues show Amenhotep III seated with hands resting on his thighs, with their faces looking eastward toward the Nile and the rising sun. They wear the nemes headdress surmounted by the double crowns and the pleated royal kilt, which symbolizes the pharaoh’s divine rule.

Two other small statues on the pharaoh’s feet depict his wife, Tiye.

The colossi — 14.5 meters (48 feet) and 13.6 meters (45 feet) respectively — preside over the entrance of the king’s temple on the western bank of the Nile.

The 35-hectare (86-acre) complex is believed to be the largest and richest temple in Egypt and is usually compared to the temple of Karnak, also in Luxor.

The colossi were hewn in Egyptian alabaster from the quarries of Hatnub, in Middle Egypt. They were fixed on large pedestals with inscriptions showing the name of the temple, as well as the quarry.

Unlike other monumental sculptures of ancient Egypt, the colossi were partly compiled with pieces sculpted separately, which were fixed into each statue’s main monolithic alabaster core, the ministry said.

Sunday’s unveiling in Luxor came just six weeks after the inauguration of the long-delayed Grand Egyptian Museum, the centerpiece of the government’s bid to boost the country’s tourism industry. The mega project is located near the famed Giza Pyramids and the Sphinx.

“This site is going to be a point of interest for years to come,” said Tourism and Antiquities Minister Sherif Fathy, who attended the unveiling ceremony. “There are always new things happening in Luxor.”

A record number of about 15.7 million tourists visited Egypt in 2024, contributing about 8% of the country’s GDP, according to official figures.

Fathy has said about 18 million tourists are expected to visit the country this year, with authorities hoping for 30 million visitors annually by 2032.

Varieties

National Wildlife Center Launches 2nd Phase to Regulate Unlicensed Species in Saudi Arabia

National Wildlife Center Launches 2nd Phase to Regulate Unlicensed Species in Saudi Arabia
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National Wildlife Center Launches 2nd Phase to Regulate Unlicensed Species in Saudi Arabia

National Wildlife Center Launches 2nd Phase to Regulate Unlicensed Species in Saudi Arabia

The National Center for Wildlife (NCW) has launched the second phase of its initiative to regulate the status of unlicensed wildlife species in the Kingdom, representing one of the most prominent national efforts to control wildlife possession, document ownership, and ensure that all practices related to housing, breeding, and trading comply with the Environmental Law and its implementing regulations, according to SPA.

The regularization period extends until the end of February 2026 and targets those who keep or handle wildlife on a large scale, including private collections (farms) containing more than 10 species, facilities engaged in breeding and housing wildlife, and businesses involved in selling wildlife products or derivatives.

This phase follows the success of the first, which focused on regulating the status of falcons, and reinforces the Kingdom's role in curbing illegal practices that could harm natural environments or threaten the survival of wildlife species. The initiative reflects a growing national commitment to protecting biodiversity and developing a more regulated system for managing wildlife within the Kingdom.

The regulation aims to build an accurate database of wildlife, enhance monitoring, and improve housing standards in accordance with environmental and health considerations.

The NWC emphasizes that this step aligns with national efforts to protect wildlife, support ecosystem sustainability, and address the challenges of illegal wildlife trafficking. It calls on all owners and relevant facilities to take advantage of the grace period, review the regulations through the "Fitri" platform, and contribute to a safer and more balanced ecosystem