DUBAI: Model, actress, humanitarian and entrepreneur, Jessica Kahawaty continues to add achievements to her ever-growing CV. For her latest endeavor, The Australian-Lebanese multi-hyphenate launched a food venture with her mother, Rita Kahawaty. The duo’s food delivery business, Mama Rita, uses high-quality ingredients and focuses on healthy, home-cooked meals such as beetroot hummus, vegetarian lasagne and mloukhieh. Meanwhile, Jessica handles the company logistics, focusing on branding, content, photography, copywriting and website design. Despite launching less than one year ago, the food delivery platform has managed to expand across the country, and now offers deliveries around the capital so Abu Dhabi residents can enjoy the company’s beef stroganoff, traditional kebbe bi laban and oriental rice with lamb. Arab News asked Jessica about the launch of Mama Rita, her favorite dishes on the menu, and what it was like launching a business during the pandemic. How did Mama Rita come about? “For years, people would tell my mother that she should share her food with the world — a restaurant, a food delivery business, anything. When the pandemic started last year, mum got stuck here as she was on a two-week trip from Australia. She stayed with me due to the uncertainty and we finally decided to make the Mama Rita dream come true.” What are some of your favorite dishes that your mom makes? “I’ve curated the menu in a way that includes all my favorite dishes. I love her kebbe bi laban, vegetarian lasagna, homemade shawarma. For dessert, the fresh fruit paradise is my absolutely favorite and the cheesecake is the best I’ve ever had.” What does a typical day look like for you? “We don’t have typical days and each day is completely different which I love. One day could be filled with back-to-back meetings with our PR, social media teams, new projects or the kitchen operations team. Other days could be full of photoshoots or videoshoots. Some days could be in the kitchen working on new recipes.” Have you picked up any cooking skills since launching the business? “I’ve never tried to cook, but somehow I instinctively know what should go where. I am the daughter of a chef, after all, so I can’t be completely oblivious. But I’m definitely not the one behind the pots and pans.” What was it like launching a business during a pandemic? “The pandemic was a very challenging time for all, however we found many positive aspects. I wasn’t traveling for work at that time, so it was the perfect opportunity for me to sit and focus in Dubai. We decided to launch a food delivery business that is democratically priced as we were sensitive to the social and economic climate around us. People were getting furloughed and had lots of uncertainty in their lives, and what they needed most was a homey meal that was reasonably priced. So for us, the pandemic was an opportunity to enter other people’s homes and bring some comfort.” How do you balance your fashion career with Mama Rita? “I am a very meticulous and organized person. If you plan and organize well, you’ll have time to do everything you want to do. I am also very lucky to have a very well-rounded and organized team around me which helps to ease some of the workload.” You’re a self-proclaimed foodie. Did you always have a healthy relationship with food? “I’ve always had a very healthy relationship with food. It’s everything to me. I’ve never been on a diet in my life or followed a certain fad. I believe in eating the same way our ancestors ate: Simple, good food made with good ingredients. Keeping the cooking process simple is also very important without any preservatives or heavy/fatty ingredients. We were raised with my mother cooking daily in the cleanest way so it was exciting to see what she had prepared for us daily after school.” What has been the highlight so far? “It’s only been seven months since we launched Mama Rita. We have had many milestones, including delivering over 100,000 meals, exploring geographic expansion and introducing new menu items regularly. We just joined Deliveroo, which is fantastic as it allows us to reach people faster and appeal to a wider clientele.” Are you working on anything exciting at the moment? “We have a very big announcement on May 31. It’s something we could never have dreamed of so soon into our very young brand. We’re really grateful and can’t wait to share more.” إعلان Topics: JESSICA KAHAWATY Two new museums open at Cairo airport Two new museums open at Cairo airport Updated 19 May 2021 MOHAMMED ABU ZAID May 19, 2021 17:35 2309 The two museums display an extensive collection spanning nearly all eras of Egyptian civilization. CAIRO: Egypt on Tuesday inaugurated two new museums in two terminals of the Cairo International Airport. “On the occasion of International Museum Day, which falls on May 18 every year, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and the Ministry of Civil Aviation have inaugurated two new museums at the Cairo International airport,” said Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Khaled Al-Anany. The museum in Terminal 2 displays 304 artifacts in an area of 100 square meters, while the other in Terminal 3 houses 59 exhibits, the minister said. The two museums display an extensive collection spanning nearly all eras of Egyptian civilization. Al-Anany said: “It will be very interesting for tourists departing from Cairo and those who transfer at the airport to see Egyptian civilization and antiquities. “In the two museums, new attractions and distinctive services are provided inside the airport for travelers...who have not had the opportunity to visit Egypt and its tourist and archaeological sites.” He said the two museums contribute to achieving one of the strategic objectives of the ministry’s sustainable development plan. The plan aims to raise the competitiveness of Egypt’s tourist destinations by enhancing marketing and promotion activities to attract the largest possible number of tourists. Al-Anany said there will be no entrance fees at the museums. Minister of Civil Aviation Mohammed Manar said that Egyptian airports are the country’s first gateway to the world and that having museums at airports will soon become the norm at other Egyptian airports. According to a statement, the pieces at the museums reflect the ancient Egyptians’ interest in the otherworld and highlight the artistic features of the ancient Egyptian, Roman, Greek, Coptic and Islamic cultures. Egypt has been working hard to preserve its rich archaeological treasures and historical heritage, which significantly contribute to its tourism industry. Topics: EGYPT CAIRO MUSEUMS RELATED 169King Tut’s bed, chariot moved to new Cairo museum OFFBEAT King Tut’s bed, chariot moved to new Cairo museum SPECIAL 3949Grand Egyptian Museum receives 2,000 artifacts MIDDLE-EAST Grand Egyptian Museum receives 2,000 artifacts French-Algerian model Younes Bendjima launches charity T-shirt for Palestine French-Algerian model Younes Bendjima launches charity T-shirt for Palestine Younes Bendjima designed a charitable t-shirt to benefit Palestine. File/AFP Updated 19 May 2021 ARAB NEWS May 19, 2021 16:11 1272 DUBAI: French-Algerian model and boxer Younes Bendjima has launched a charity T-shirt through his Paris-based design agency, Studio Fy7, to raise funds for the Palestinian families affected by the ongoing Israeli airstrikes in Gaza. All the profits from the T-shirt will be donated to Lifeblood Foundation and Middle East Children’s Alliance, two organizations working to deliver medical aid, supplies and food to children and families in conflict zones. The limited-edition $45 garment comes in black and white colorways and bears the word Palestine in red, green and white – the colors of the Palestinian flag. The design was created in partnership with A$AP Rocky’s creative agency AWGE’s creative director Kamil Abbas, who previously teamed up with Bendjima on Yemen-branded T-shirts to aid Yemeni charities last June. “After raising $80,000 for Yemen, let’s try to raise even more for Palestine - they need us more than ever,” Studio Fy7 posted on Instagram. “100% of the profits from this t-shirt will go to Lifeblood Foundation and Middle East Children’s Alliance. They deliver not only aid and resources to kids in need but also help with food, medical bags for hospitals and all the supplies needed by homeless families whose homes have been destroyed.” Bendjima, who is 28 and was born in Algeria, is among the celebrities who have taken to social media to express their solidarity with the Palestinian families being bombarded by Israeli airstrikes and facing forced evictions in the Jerusalam neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah. Topics: YOUNES BENDJIMA PALESTINE Claustrophobic Netflix drama ‘Oxygen’ takes the breath away Claustrophobic Netflix drama ‘Oxygen’ takes the breath away Updated 19 May 2021 GAUTAMAN BHASKARAN May 19, 2021 15:25 631 CHENNAI: Director Alexandre Aja returns to French-language cinema with “Oxygen,” made during the height of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic last year. Now streaming on Netflix, it has a not-to-be-missed message. There is a strong subtext about how human manipulations against nature could make Earth unlivable and force the need to seek other places in the galaxy to inhabit. After grand English films such as “The Hills Have Eyes,” and “Maniac,” the director chooses a virtual coffin-like chamber to shoot his latest flick, a thriller, with an actress as brilliant as Melanie Laurent (Quentin Tarantino’s “Inglorious Basterds”), who plays Elizabeth Hansen, trapped with oxygen levels running perilously low. Scripted by first timer Christie LeBlanc, the plotline adds to the eeriness of the 101-minute runtime. It unfolds inside a cryogenic chamber, slightly larger than a coffin. Waking up from hyper-sleep, after what seems like a malfunction, Hansen tries to wriggle out of the unit. But with her body plugged to wires, beeping buttons, and a belt holding her firmly down, she is a nervous wreck when help arrives – or apparently so – in the form of artificial intelligence called M.I.L.O. (Mathieu Amalric). We only hear his voice, his terse, unfeeling replies. Hansen’s state resembles what many people may have experienced during the long COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, a distressing sense of claustrophobia worsened by little or no social interaction. A single character and an unbelievably confined set could not have been easy to handle. But Laurent carries it with magnificent ease, conveying deep anguish contrasted, now and then, by a faint ray of hope. She does not remember who she is or how she got in there in the first place and her highly emotive expressions draw viewers into her terrible predicament, willing her to find a way out. The Netflix feature was to have had Anne Hathaway and then Noomi Rapace with Franck Khalfoun in the director’s chair before he was replaced by Aja, who roped in Laurent for his first French work in two decades. Apart from Laurent’s excellence, “Oxygen” had an imaginative crew that was able to keep adrenal levels high with all the elements of a mysterious science-fiction thriller playing out. Even an hour in, the suspense never flags as more is learned about Hansen, and while the short diversions the movie makes outside the box may seem like a relief, there is a want to get quickly back into the cryogenic chamber. Credit must also go to the highly dynamic director of photography, Maxime Alexandre, who tries out an endless number of mesmerizing angles. French musician Robin Coudert’s score, and the stylishly pulsating editing by Stephane Roche, add to the dark atmospheric mood. Topics: OXYGEN Beauty mogul Huda Kattan donates to Indian COVID-19 relief efforts Beauty mogul Huda Kattan donates to Indian COVID-19 relief efforts Updated 19 May 2021 ARAB NEWS May 19, 2021 13:06 2109 DUBAI: As India grapples with a deadly second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, many celebrities have pitched in to help. US-Iraqi beauty mogul Huda Kattan is the latest celebrity to help raise funds for India, which is in dire need of medical oxygen equipment. The Dubai-based entrepreneur and her family donated $100,000 to Help India Breathe, a COVID-19 relief fundraiser launched by former monk Jay Shetty and his wife Radhika Devlukia-Shetty. The Kattan family’s donation helped the virtual fundraiser exceed $5,000,000 in donations. “A big thank you to @monakattan and @hudabeauty for their generous $100k donation that takes us over $5M! Your family is so caring and compassionate always. We love you! (sic),” Shetty wrote on Instagram. “Thank you so much Jay for giving people an easy way to help and support! God bless you,” responded Mona. Shetty, a 33-year-old British podcaster, has raised about $5,069,922 via the initiative. Other celebrities to donate include Will Smith, Shawn Mendes, Camella Cabello and Ellen DeGeneres, among others. India"s total COVID-19 case count stands at over 25 million, with just over 3 million current active cases. Kattan is an avid humanitarian and has a well-documented track record of stepping up and helping those who need it most. Just last month, the 37-year-old took part in a food drive campaign launched by the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, donating one million meals to those less fortunate via her cosmetics company Huda Beauty. Meanwhile, in June, her cosmetics brand donated $500,000 to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, a civil and human rights organization that provides legal assistance to low-income African Americans, during the height of the Black Lives Matters protests that swept through the US last year. And when she’s not donating money, she’s using her massive platform to help raise awareness about important humanitarian and social issues. The beauty maven took to Instagram this week to express her solidarity with the Palestinian people who are being bombarded by Israeli airstrikes in Gaza and facing forced eviction from their homes in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah. Topics: HUDA KATTAN British Oscar nominee Riz Ahmed wins Webby Award for best actor British Oscar nominee Riz Ahmed wins Webby Award for best actor Updated 19 May 2021 ARAB NEWS May 19, 2021 11:55 1222 DUBAI: British actor Riz Ahmed this week won a Webby Award in the best actor category for his role in the Oscar-nominated film “Sound of Metal.” Ahmed, who recently made history by becoming the first Muslim to be nominated in the Best Lead Actor category at the Oscars, was among other celebrities, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, Oprah Winfrey, Ava DuVernay, Dua Lipa, Andra Day and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who all won honors on Tuesday at the event, which recognizes the best internet content and creators. The Webby Person of the Year went to Fauci for using digital and social media to reach the masses with credible and factual COVID-19 information. DuVernay won the Film and Video Person of the Year trophy for her efforts to create a database to diversify Hollywood. Topics: RIZ AHMED WEBBY AWARDS Latest Updates 35 Republicans buck Trump, back study of Jan. 6 Capitol riot 35 Republicans buck Trump, back study of Jan. 6 Capitol riot 1009 Antarctica gives birth to world’s largest iceberg Antarctica gives birth to world’s largest iceberg 658 Saudis mourn death of Abdul Khaleq Al-Ghanim, creator of hit show ‘Tash Ma Tash’ Saudis mourn death of Abdul Khaleq Al-Ghanim, creator of hit show ‘Tash Ma Tash’ 1791 In devastated Gaza, fear of bombs outweighs coronavirus risk In devastated Gaza, fear of bombs outweighs coronavirus risk 1427 Top US, Russia diplomats spar firmly but politely in Iceland Top US, Russia diplomats spar firmly but politely in Iceland 647