Before sunrise Beneath the hot summer sun, very few people go to Abu Simbel Temple in Luxor. As he sat in the shade to relax, the poor guard at the gate of Nefertari's tomb was surprised by a Japanese tourist who popped out of nowhere. Sherif Sonbol captured the moment with his camera. A private screening was held at Nile City cinema for the new blockbuster Ehki Ya Shahrazade (Tell It, Shahrazade), starring gifted actress Mona Zaki, rising actor Hassan El-Raddad, veteran actor Mahmoud Hemeida and the promising Mohamed Ramadan. The film witnessed the first cooperation between controversial scriptwriter Wahid Hamed and gifted director Yousri Nasrallah. The screening was attended by an extensive media presence and a galaxy of celebrities, among who were actress Nadia El-Guindi, actress and producer Esaad Younis as well as filmmaker Sherif Arafa. photos: Abdel-Hamid Eid On the occasion of celebrating the 77th anniversary of Al-Kawakeb magazine, a prestigious celebration was held at the Cairo Opera House. The celebration honoured a bevy of celebrities and media figures including actor Hisham Selim, Syrian actress Raghda, maestro Selim Sehab, veteran music composers Helmi Bakr and Ammar El-Sherei, cinema and TV directors Mohamed Fadel and Nader Galal as well as veteran theatre director Hassan Abdel-Salam. The powerful voices of Ali El-Haggar and Angham enlivened the party. Under the auspices of Moroccan King Mohamed VI, a lavish inaugural ceremony for the 15th Rabat Film Festival was held in Morocco. The festival, presided over by Abdel-Haq Montorosh, honoured veteran Egyptian actor Mahmoud Abdel-Aziz who was welcomed in a formal reception, usually reserved for senior state officials, during his arrival to the Mohamed V theatre. The inaugural ceremony included the screening of the Egyptian film Dokkan Shehata (Shehata's Store) in the presence of the cast including actor Amr Saad, sultry Lebanese singer-cum-actress Haifaa Wahbi, film producer Kamel Abu Ali and filmmaker Khaled Youssef. Moroccan scriptwriter Youssef Fadel and Palestinian director Maye Masri were also honoured at the opening ceremony. The Cairo Rotary Club, presided over by Daniel Loro, donated an ambulance vehicle to the Samu Social International Association as part of its contribution to the association for providing street children with appropriate healthcare. The vehicle is equipped with the latest medical equipment. French Ambassador to Egypt Jean Félix Paganon, President of the International Union of Muslim-Christian-Jewish Dialogue and Peace Education Ali El-Semman and his wife Brigitte as well as a representative from the Samu Social International Association in Egypt took part in the event. photos: Ayman Barayez Under the auspices of the Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa and Minister of State for Environmental Affairs Maged George, the Arab Organisation for International Cooperation presided over by Hanan Youssef and Yemeni Ambassador to Egypt Abdel-Wali Al-Shamani held a lavish ceremony under the title "The Green Life" at the Arab League headquarters. The celebration applauded the efforts of Egypt and Switzerland, represented by its ambassador to Egypt Charles-Edouard Held, along with the Arab League for protecting the environment. The celebration was attended by a plethora of ambassadors and media figures. An exquisite exhibition was inaugurated by Al-Ahram back page editor Mona Ragab at the Picasso gallery in Zamalek, showcasing 60 oil paintings by five plastic artists: Nermine Hakim, Amany Abdel-Bary, Amany Zahran, Gihan Raouf and Nadia El-Tatawi. An array of luminaries in the fields of art and media attended the inaugural ceremony including Zahran Salama, Samir Fouad, Heba Handousa, Hala Fawzi, Ayman Hagawi, Ahmed Heikal and his wife Sahar El-Salab, Ibrahim Abdel-Malak, Laila Zulfiqar, Al-Ahram theatre critic Amal Bakir, Nisf Al-Donia magazine Editor-in- Chief Afkar El-Kharadli, Al-Ahram plastic art critic Nagwa El-Ashri as well as Rotary members Gihan Halawa and Tahani Zaher. ( see Listings p.5 ) At the Cairo Opera House Music Library, newly named Indian Ambassador to Egypt R. Swaminathan, along with director of the opera art galleries Fayza Abdel-Moneim and director of the Indian Cultural Centre Suchitra Durai inaugurated the exhibition of photographer Coucla Refaat. Born in Cairo, Refaat studied commercial, studio and portrait photography at the famous Speos, Paris photographic institute in Paris. She specialises in portrait photography of the rituals and ceremonies of indigenous people. Her outstanding style and ability to capture the soul of her subjects have won Refaat numerous awards. The exhibition showcased two styles of ritual dancing from the state of Kerala in South India -- Kathakali and Theyyam. President of the American University in Cairo (AUC) David Arnold has been elected president of the Association of American International Colleges and Universities (AAICU). AAICU is an association of American universities established to promote American standards of education, cultural exchange, research and development, as well as serving to bridge cultures and foster dialogue within the framework of the American liberal arts tradition. The AUC has been member of AAICU since its foundation in 1972. Arnold 's election took place at AAICU's annual meeting of the association's presidents and provosts held in Yerevan, Armenia. Arnold has been the president of AUC since September 2003. During his tenure, Arnold has overseen the construction of the university's new campus, which opened in September 2008. Academic initiatives launched during Arnold 's presidency include the reform of the university's liberal arts core curriculum, establishment of a post-doctoral teaching fellows programme, and the creation of a new School of Public Affairs and a Graduate School of Education. General Manager of Ahli Club captain Moharam El-Ragheb invited members of the Special Needs and Disabled Talents Friends Association, directed by author Sami El-Begermi to visit the club. The association's children, ageing from 10 to 15 years, toured the club and acquired a good idea about its various activities. They seized the opportunity to present Ragheb with gifts which they created themselves and then took together a memorial picture with the club's shield. A glamorous press conference was held at the Fairmont Towers in New Cairo to celebrate the launch of a new campaign for one of the leading gold stores in the Middle East after the successful launch that took place in Dubai last month. The event was graced with the presence of the stunning Lebanese singer Elissa, who is the front of the company's advertising campaign. The press conference was attended by representatives from the World Gold Council and connoisseurs and opened with a speech by company General Manager Ayman Al-Haffar, who said that over the past few years the company has created "the most refined and high quality jewellery designs that express excellence and quality," a thing, Al-Haffar believes, that has helped the company acquire "high status and fame".
