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Jaber al-Ahmad al-Sabah

(Encyclopedia)Jaber al-Ahmad al-Sabah jāˈbĕr är-äkhˈmäd ä-säbäˈ [key], 1926–2006, emir of Kuwait (1977–2006). A member of Kuwait's ruling Sabah family, he was the third son of Sheikh Ahmad al-Jaber a...

Abu al-Ala al-Maarri

(Encyclopedia)Abu al-Ala al-Maarri äˈbo͞o äl-äläˈ äl-mä-är-rēˈ [key], 973–1057, Arab freethinking poet. He was born and lived most of his life in Maara, S of Aleppo. He was blind from childhood. Brill...

Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah

(Encyclopedia)Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah (Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah), 1929–2020, emir of Kuwait (2006–20). He held a number of government posts, including foreign minister (1963–2003) and deputy prime min...

Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Sabah

(Encyclopedia)Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Sabah, 1937–, emir of Kuwait (2020–). He was governor of the Hawalli region (1962–78), then served as interior minister (1978–88), defense minister (1988–91), minister of l...

Bashir, Omar Hassan Ahmed al-

(Encyclopedia)Bashir, Omar Hassan Ahmed al- ōˈmär häˈsän äˈmĕd äl-bäshērˈ [key], 1944–, Sudanese military and political leader, president of Sudan (1994–2019). He graduated from the Sudanese milita...

Bukhari, Muhammad ibn Ismail, al-

(Encyclopedia)Bukhari, Muhammad ibn Ismail, al- bo͞ok-härēˈ [key] (c.810–70), Arabic scholar, b. Bukhara. He traveled widely over Muslim regions and made an authoritative collection of the hadith, the traditi...

Kitab al-Aghani

(Encyclopedia)Kitab al-Aghani kētäbˈ äl-ägänēˈ [key] [Arab.,=book of songs], collection of poems in many volumes compiled by Abu al-Faraj Ali of Esfahan. It contains poems from the oldest epoch of Arabic li...

Abu al-Fida

(Encyclopedia)Abu al-Fida äˌbo͞o äl-fēˈdä, –fĭdäˈ [key], 1273–1331, Arab historian, b. Damascus. He fought against the Christians in the last period of the Crusades and later became (1310) governor of...

Munkhafad al-Qattarah

(Encyclopedia)Munkhafad al-Qattarah, basin, Egypt: see Qattara Depression. ...

Abraj Al-Bait

(Encyclopedia)Abraj Al-Bait, complex of seven government-owned, mixed-use buildings in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The most impressive structure, the Makkah Royal Clock Tower, is the tallest building in Saudi Arabia, at 1...