الأهواس

The inner world of a person who has experienced displacement and loss due to wars, along with their family, forms the backdrop of the novel "Al-Ahwas" by writer Halima Al-Sitrawi. The novel recounts the events while adding the story of "Najid," who finds himself in a land far away from his homeland, family, and companions, a constant visitor to the Alhambra Palace in Andalusia, enchanted by the Lion Fountain that adorns the palace courtyard. Driven by a strong feeling of responsibility to restore it, he becomes obsessed with it and passionate about seeing its twelve lions surrounding it, to the point that everyone who saw him would say: "And the thirteenth is Najid."

"Najid," who lost his family members one after another, took the "Lion Fountain" as a safe haven for his soul. Whenever he got close to it, he imagined that there was a complete life beneath it—a vibrant life gathering people from the past and present, some he knew and others he did not. He would lie on his back, lift his eyes trying to direct his gaze into the basin, then move his head to press his ear against the marble ground until a security guard informed him of the necessity to get up and move away.

These features become evident in the text through a series of events experienced by the protagonist in the "past," which are summoned and expressed narratively through a hallucinatory and psychological state he lives in the "present." This is textually realized through hallucinations and internal dialogue, consciousness and unconsciousness, or diving into the turbulent inner self, culminating in the final lines of the novel where the author intensifies this vision and condenses it into the moment of revelation about "Najid," facing his psychiatrist, receiving treatment while on a sickbed, suffering from a disconnect from reality.

"I am Najid the obsessed, I am Sultan the self-tormentor, I am Hazem the whorehouse owner, I am Farqad the pimp, I am Liliana the soprano, I am Asil the adopted, I am the caring grandfather. This is what my psychiatrist, whom I was referred to for treatment following a bizarre attempted act against the lions, told me when he caught me embodying the author of this novel. I am Najid the writer."

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has announced its sponsorship of the “Innovation and Sustainable Technology Solutions Competition (GU - IST Solutions), hosted by Gulf University at its main campus.
This strategic sponsorship reflects BENEFIT’s active role in advancing technological innovation and fostering sustainable solutions to future challenges. It also seeks to empower Bahraini youth by enhancing their skills, capabilities, and competitiveness in innovation and solution development—contributing meaningfully to the broader goals of sustainable development across all sectors.
As part of BENEFIT’s active involvement in the competition, the company has announced that Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager of Public Relations and Communication, will serve on the competition’s supervisory committee. Her upcoming participation reflects BENEFIT’s forward-looking commitment to championing academic and professional excellence.
Commenting on the occasion, Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager of Public Relations and Communication at BENEFIT, said, “We are privileged to support this pioneering initiative, which aligns seamlessly with BENEFIT’s enduring commitment to fostering innovation and nurturing the potential of Bahrain’s youth. Our participation is rooted in a deep sense of social responsibility and a firm belief in the pivotal role of innovation in shaping a sustainable future. Through such platforms, we seek to empower the next generation with the knowledge, skills, and foresight required to develop impactful solutions that address future challenges, in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030.”
Dr. Aseel Al Ayash Dean of the College of Engineering in Gulf University commented, “We extend our sincere gratitude to BENEFIT for their generous sponsorship and support of the Innovation and Sustainable Technology Solutions Competition. This contribution plays an instrumental role in helping us achieve the strategic goals of this initiative, namely, cultivating a culture of innovation and sustainability, encouraging efforts that address the imperatives of sustainable development, and enhancing the practical and professional capabilities of our students and participants.”
The event will bring together a diverse spectrum of participants, including secondary school students, university undergraduates, engineers, industry professionals, entrepreneurs, academic researchers, and subject matter experts representing a wide range of disciplines.
The competition seeks to inspire participants to develop and present innovative, sustainable technologies aimed at addressing pressing environmental, social, and economic challenges. It encourages the formulation of business models that integrate advanced technological solutions with core principles of sustainability. Moreover, it serves as a platform for emerging leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators to contribute to the advancement of the Sustainable Development Goals, promote the ethos of responsible technology, and demonstrate its transformative potential across various sectors.
Attendees will have the opportunity to view a series of project presentations submitted by participants, covering diverse areas such as eco-friendly product design, smart and sustainable innovations, renewable energy technologies, water conservation and management, waste minimisation and recycling, green architectural solutions, and sustainable transportation systems. Outstanding projects will be formally recognised and awarded at the conclusion of the event.