Skip to content
  • Image
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Youtube
  • Podcasts
  • Email
  • Subscribe to Ray’s Columns
  • Contact
The Arab Daily News

The Arab Daily News

Original news, features, opinions from Chicago to Jerusalem

  • About
    • About
    • Our Writers
    • Subscribe to Ray’s Columns
    • Book Store
    • Contact
    • Submit Book Reviews, Press Releases
    • Advertise
    • Privacy Corrections Policy
    • Profile on Ray Hanania
    • Submit Press Release
  • Features
    • Food
    • Book Review
    • Humor
    • Movies
    • Travel
  • Arab Stores Targeted
  • Arab Community Network Page
    • Arab Community Network Page
    • Arab Heritage America resources
    • Directory
      • Groups & Organizations
      • Mosques, Churches
      • Restaurants
      • 2008 & 2014 Arab Media Directories
    • National Arab Heritage Month
    • Video: Chicago Arab History
    • Video: Photo Array of Chicago Arabs
    • Overview of Arabs in America
    • Hanania standup comedy
    • Arabs on the Titanic
    • Obituaries
  • Podcasts
    • Ray Hanania on Politics Podcast
    • Arab News Ray Hanania Radio
    • Arab Radio Podcast intro
    • Radio Baladi Detroit
  • Hanania on Tiktok
  • Subscribe to Ray’s Columns
  • Toggle search form
  • US Senator Bernie Sanders
    Sanders: Trump Welcomes War Criminal to White House American Arabs
  • Al-Haq
    War crimes probe urged against two Israeli snipers who intentionally killed civilian women, children Christian & Muslim
  • CAIR Executive Director and co-founder Nihad Awad
    CAIR Says Israel Turns Gaza into ‘Human Slaughterhouse’ as Killing of Civilians Continues Arab World
  • photo credit author Nehemia Gershuni-Aylho www.NGPhoto.biz and Wikipedia
    Emergency Court Motions to Stop Elbit Drone Parts Shipment via Frankfurt Airport  Activism
  • American Journalist Shireen Abu Akleh murdered by Israeli soldiers May 11, 2022
    Documentary names soldier it says killed Shireen Abu Akleh in 2022 American Arabs
  • Committee to Protect Journalists, CPJ
    Jordan bans 12 news sites for ‘spreading media poison’ following corruption report Arab World
  • CAIR Logo. Council on American Islamic Relations
    CAIR Condemns MIT for banning Class President from Graduation Ceremony over Anti-Genocide speech Activism
  • ADC creates emergency fund to defend people who are being punished for expressing views on the American-sanction violence by Israel in the Gaza Strip. Photo courtesy of ADC
    ADC Condemns ADL, Rep. Torres’ Defamation of Dr. Lara Sheehi Activism
  • UN Special Committee on Israeli practices in occupied territories warns of a second Nakba  Arab World
  • Arab American community liaison Hassan Nijem, Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas and Bolingbrook Mayor Mary Basta at the Arab American Heritage Month event hosted by Pappas’s office.
    Pappas honors Arab American business and community leaders for Heritage Month Activism
  • 04-28-25 Pappas Arab Heritage Month
    Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas recognizes Arab American Heritage Month by honoring business and community leaders American Arabs
  • Stuffed Grape Leaves. Photo courtesy of Ray Hanania
    A recipe on how to make Stuffed Grape Leaves with lamb, ox tail and rice American Arabs
  • Andrew Boutros, interim US Attorney Northern District of Illinois. Photo courtesy of the US Attorney's Office
    Andrew S. Boutros Takes Oath of Office as United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois American Arabs
  • Israeli massacres of Palestinian civilians March 18 2025
    Palestinians demand investigation of Israeli war crimes in Gaza Strip Arab World
  • Illinois Muslim Action Day April 9 2025
    Illinois Muslim Action Day Policies at April 9 Statehouse News Conference American Arabs

Middle East Arts Supporter Sees Kennedy Center Recognition as “Bridge to the Rest of the World”

Posted on March 31, 2014September 24, 2018 By rayhanania No Comments on Middle East Arts Supporter Sees Kennedy Center Recognition as “Bridge to the Rest of the World”
SHARE ...
          
 
  

  • Tweet

Middle East Arts Supporter Sees Kennedy Center Recognition as “Bridge to the Rest of the World” 

By Ray Hanania

BadrJafarBadr Jafar, the CEO of Crescent Enterprises based on Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, is one of two recipients of this year’s Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts “Gold Medal” for is collaboration in launching a multimedia venture to promote opportunities for Middle East and North African artists.
Jafar and music producer Quincy Jones, who will also receive the award, collaborated in 2011 to launch the Global Gumbo Group to develop new multimedia opportunities for Middle East and North Africa artists, officials of the Kennedy Center announced this week.
An Arab social entrepreneur, Jafar said he wants the  honor from the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to draw attention to the power of “cultural diplomacy” to build closer ties with the United States.

“This could be a bridge between our region and the rest of the world,” said Badr Jafar, CEO of Crescent Enterprises, Sharjah, UAE. “Art and culture offer the best representation of a people, and are a healthy approach to generating cross-border dialogue.”

English: Quincy Jones attending an after-party...
English: Quincy Jones attending an after-party of a tribute to his work at Life Restaurant, Los Angeles, CA on October 1, 2008 – Photo by Glenn Francis of www.PacificProDigital.com (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Jafar and American music producer Quincy Jones are to be awarded the 2014 Kennedy Center International Committee on the Arts Gold Medal in the Arts April 2 in Dubai. Jafar and Jones

The Kennedy Center committee lauded their “extraordinary accomplishments and their long-lasting benefit for the international performing arts community.”

Jafar said Arabs “haven’t paid enough attention to the arts” in educational institutions. “We need to start catching up on that front – embracing culture and arts as life tools, not just entertainment, and as a means to generate economic value.

“We need to develop sustainable business models to generate a sustainable cultural economy. The Global Gumbo Group I created in partnership with Quincy Jones is an east-west collaboration doing just that.”

Last year the group staged Dubai Music Week, the Middle East’s first music industry convention, attracting more than 35,000 attendees.

is the Managing Director of the Crescent Group, President of Crescent Petroleum, the Crescent Group’s oil and gas company; and Chief Executive Officer of Crescent Enterprises, the Crescent Group conglomerate’s operating across multiple industry sectors. He is also the Chairperson of Gas Cities – a joint venture between Crescent Petroleum and Dana Gas; a member of the International Advisory Board of Dana Gas PJSC, the Gulf region’s first and largest listed private sector natural gas company; Chairperson of Pearl Petroleum – a joint venture between Crescent Petroleum, Dana Gas, OMV, and MOL Group; and Vice-Chairperson of Gulftainer. Jafar serves as a board member for Enshaa, an UAE real estate company, The Abraaj Group (UAE), and GrowthGate Capital in Bahrain.

Jafar is a recipient of the Young CEO award in 2009 and the Middle East’s Energy CEO of the year award in 2010. In September 2010, Jafar launched the Pearl Initiative at the United Nations headquarters in New York, an initiative in collaboration with the United Nations Office for Partnerships to jointly promote corporate governance, accountability, transparency, and good corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices within the Middle East. In March 2011, Jafar was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum.

English: Kennedy Center seen from the Potomac ...
English: Kennedy Center seen from the Potomac River. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Sharjah, Jafar’s home emirate, is the third largest UAE member. It has a significant public commitment to the arts and was named the 2014 Capital of Islamic Culture by the Organization of Islamic Countries.

Jafar said recognition from the Kennedy Center “gets us in touch with the U.S. arts scene and adds international credibility to our efforts.”

Established in 2001, the Kennedy Center International Committee on the Arts supports the global arts community by convening in a new international location each year. This year’s Dubai summit occurs March 30-April 3, 2014.

Badr Jafar, Managing Director of the Crescent Group and Chief Executive Officer of Crescent Enterprises, was named 2013 Philanthropist of the Year in the Campden Wealth Middle East Philanthropy Awards.

Background: 

Badr Jafar is Managing Director of the Crescent Group, Chief Executive Officer of Crescent Enterprises and President of Crescent Petroleum.
Badr serves as Chairman of Gas Cities LLC, a joint venture between Crescent Petroleum and Dana Gas PJSC, and serves on the International Advisory Board of Dana Gas PJSC, the Gulf region’s first and largest listed private sector natural gas company. He also serves as Chairman of Pearl Petroleum, a partnership between Crescent Petroleum, Dana Gas, OMV of Austria and MOL of Hungary.

Additionally, Badr has a variety of international and commercial interests, including aviation, serving as a board member of Gama Aviation (UK); shipping, serving as Vice-Chairman of the Board for Gulftainer Ltd. (the world’s largest private container port operator); and real estate, serving as a Board Member of Enshaa PSC (UAE). He plays an active role in private equity initiatives, serving as a member of the boards of The Abraaj Group (UAE) and GrowthGate Capital (Bahrain).

Badr founded the Pearl Initiative, a Private-Sector venture between the Gulf Region of Middle East and the United Nations Office for Partnerships to promote a corporate culture of transparency and accountability. He sits on the Global Board of Education for Employment (EFE), is a member of the Synergos Arab World Social Innovators (AWSI) Program Board of Governors and is a Founding Board Member of Endeavor UAE, an initiative encouraging entrepreneurship in the Gulf Region.

Badr is also actively involved in higher education, chairing the Alumni Advisory Council of the Cambridge University Judge Business School and serving as Board Member of their International Advisory Board. He is also a member of the Business Advisory Council of the American University of Sharjah, and a member of the Research and Innovation Advisory Council for The Centre of Excellence for Applied Research & Training (CERT) at the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) in Abu Dhabi.

Badr is a keen patron of Middle Eastern Arts; he is an appointed member of the Guggenheim Middle Eastern Circle and the Artistic Director’s Circle of The Old Vic Theatre Trust, and Founder of the Middle East Theatre Academy. He is an active member of the Young Presidents’ Organisation, serving as Ex-Officio Chair of the YPO Emirates Chapter. Badr was honoured as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum and is Vice-Chair of their Global Agenda Council on Energy Security.

Badr attended Eton College and studied Engineering in Cambridge University (Churchill College) graduating with a Master’s Degree. He also holds an MST from Cambridge University’s Judge Business School.

(Ray Hanania is an award winning former Chicago City Hall reporter and managing editor of the Arab Daily News www.TheArabDailyNews.com.)

Related articles
  • Middle East Arts Supporter Sees Kennedy Center Recognition as “Bridge to the Rest of the World”
  • Crescent Enterprises CEO Badr Jafar Issues Warning On ‘A Time Bomb On The Verge Of Exploding’
  • Women Should Be An Integral Part of World Progress
  • Quincy Jones Helps Dubai’s Music Scene Find a Groove
[subscribe2]

newswire info
  • About
  • Latest Posts
rayhanania
rayhanania
Op-Ed writer, author, radio host, podcaster at The Arab Daily News
Ray Hanania is an award-winning columnist, author & former Chicago City Hall reporter (1977-1992). A veteran who served during the Vietnam War and the recipient of four SPJ Peter Lisagor Awards for column writing, Hanania writes weekly opinion columns on mainstream American & Chicagoland topics for the Southwest News-Herald, Des Plaines Valley News, the Regional News, The Reporter Newspapers, and Suburban Chicagoland.  

His award winning columns can be found at www.HANANIA.COM Subscribe FREE today

Hanania also writes about Middle East issues for the Arab News, and The Arab Daily News criticizing government policies in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Hanania was named "Best Ethnic American Columnist" by the New America Media in November 2007, and is the 2009 recipient of the SPJ National Sigma Delta Chi Award for column writing.

Email Ray Hanania at rghanania@gmail.com.

Follow RayHanania at Twitter
rayhanania
Latest posts by rayhanania (see all)
  • Israelisnipers shooting and killing hospital workers in Gaza - December 11, 2023
  • CAIR Condemns Israeli Executions of Wounded, Unarmed Palestinian in West Bank   - December 11, 2023
  • Arab and Muslim American voters face a “simple choice” between Biden’s inhumanity and Trump’s edgy politics - December 9, 2023

  • Tweet

SHARE ...
          
 
  
 
          
 
 Tweet 
American Arabs, Business, Entertainment, News, Ray Hanania Tags:Badr Jafar, Crescent Enterprises, Crescent Petroleum, Dana Gas, Jafar, Middle East, United Arab Emirates, United States

Post navigation

Previous Post: Press Release: Palestinians & Israelis Take Matters into Their Own Hands
Next Post: Free Pollard, Free Vanunu and Reevaluate Allies

Related Posts

  • Strawberry harvest continues in Gaza Strip, Palestine Arab World
  • Dubai Stars Walk of Fame
    Dubai launches Walk of Fame that will be four times more than Hollywood Arab World
  • AADC Endorsements for April 2 election Activism
  • Of Land and Bread B'Tselem documentary
    B’Tselem-produced documentary “Of Land and Bread” premieres at IDFA Arab World
  • US Arab Radio expands to include evening broadcasts Arab Radio
  • President Obama Support a FREE Vanunu END Israel’s Nuclear Deceptions American Arabs

More Related Articles

I Am Not Charlie Hebdo: I Am Not the Terrorists Either American Arabs
Book Review: “The Lowland” by Jhumpa Lahiri Entertainment
Yitzhak Rabin and Yasir Arafat shake hands at 1993 White House peace signing with President Clinton. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia Americans for Peace Now urges support of Two-State Solution American Arabs
Children join in the celebration of Eid al Adha prayers in Saraya Square in Gaza City in the Gaza Strip. Photos by Ahmad Hasaballah Muhammad among the top 10 baby names in 2019 American Arabs
Graphic commemorating the 45th Anniversary of the Arab News Newspaper. Photo courtesy of the Arab News Newspaper. Arab News newspaper celebrates 45th year anniversary Arab News
The Kaabah, Saudi Arabia, Photo Courtesy of Wikipedia Should we put Israel in charge of the Kaaba? Arab World

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Ray Hanania's 4 times a week columns at https://RayHanania.com at Substack

Enter Your Email to Subscribe to Ray Hanania’s Columns

  • OPINION COLUMNS
  • Photo courtesy of Journalist Abdennour Toumi
    France: Political Compromise vs Political Instability
    August 28, 2024
  • Zakia Restaurant in Atlanta, Georgia
    Arabs eat Middle East food like they are making love
    June 27, 2024
  • Zwar lamb kabob and kufta with white and yellow rice
    Zwar ranked the Best Middle East restaurant in Chicagoland suburbs
    June 8, 2024
  • Pictured: Rahm Emanuel, Afghan activist Salman Aftab who was co-chair of the Iftar dinner, and several non-Arab Muslim leaders. Also pictured is Ald. Joe Moore. Photo courtesy of Ray Hanania for Arab News
    Comprehensive look at the failings of former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel
    January 18, 2024
  • NEWSWIRE
  • CAIR Logo. Council on American Islamic Relations
    CAIR Condemns MIT for banning Class President from Graduation Ceremony over Anti-Genocide speech
    June 1, 2025
  • Arab American community liaison Hassan Nijem, Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas and Bolingbrook Mayor Mary Basta at the Arab American Heritage Month event hosted by Pappas’s office.
    Pappas honors Arab American business and community leaders for Heritage Month
    April 29, 2025
  • 04-28-25 Pappas Arab Heritage Month
    Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas recognizes Arab American Heritage Month by honoring business and community leaders
    April 27, 2025
  • Mike Ghouse
    Celebration of 500th Interfaith Marriage Ceremony
    February 14, 2025

Creative Commons License
All work on this website is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Do not edit original work. Give credit to the original source.

  • NEWS
  • US Senator Bernie Sanders
    Sanders: Trump Welcomes War Criminal to White House
    July 9, 2025
  • Al-Haq
    War crimes probe urged against two Israeli snipers who intentionally killed civilian women, children
    July 2, 2025
  • BOOK REVIEWS
  • Faisal Abbas Book Anecdotes
    Book Review: Arab author shares his anecdotes living in the United Kingdom
    October 22, 2024
  • Columnist Ray Hanania at the ADC Convention in Dearborn with the author Susan Abulhawa
    Book Review: Mornings in Jenin bySusan Abulhawa
    September 14, 2024
  • ENTERTAINMENT
  • Television set and remote. Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash
    MBC GROUP unveils MBCNOW, its brand-new groundbreaking entertainment service aggregator
    February 24, 2025
  • ArabCon 2024 Gala Program features Dr. Cornel West, Macklemore, and more
    September 6, 2024
  • New-iTunes-1400-x-1400-The-Ray-Hanania-Show-Podcast-Icon-300-x-300.jpg
  • terroristbookcover-300-x-300.jpg
  • Podcast-iTunes-Logo-Chi-City-Hall-1985.jpg
  • powerpr300x300ad.jpg
  • The-Kings-Pawn-Book-300-x-300.png
Arab News Newspaper Logo
Read the Arab News, the leading English language newspaper in the MIddle East

Follow Ray Hanania at
Twitter
Facebook
TitkTok
BlueSky
RayHanania Columns

Click here to get information on The Ray Hanania Radio Show and its podcasts

Copyright © 2025 The Arab Daily News.

Powered by PressBook Premium theme