Category Archives: Uncategorized

Since July 2008, bassemkurdi.com has been visited over 40’000 times. Not bad, eh?! I posted this when it was first launched.

I have been blogging since 2003 under an alias and then I think back in 2005, I have assumed my real name online. I remember in those early years how the blogging scene was about to explode with the expanding number of Saudi youth following the trend and creating their own blogs. Needless to say, Facebook has been kicking blogging’s ass and now Twitter is the new trend that’s suffocating blogging, in the Saudi atmosphere, at least, I might say. I don’t have any concrete data. It’s just my own impression of what’s going on.

So, in the end, I’d like to say thank you to all those 40’000 readers (I know it’s hits, not individual readers but I’m entertaining myself) especially those who were there from the start.

I don’t want to promise you anything but I’m planning something big that I hope can be realized very soon. You pray for me.

There are so many events and incidents taking place those days that I don’t even know which to address first so I’ll leave you with things I’ve been following up and thinking about in hopes that they might interest you as well.

• Tunis. Say no more! I believe that what’s going on in Tunis is the biggest evolving story these days and if not, here’s the wikipedia page on Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, the former President of the Tunisian Republic who resigned after the still continuing Tunisian protests. Ben Ali fled to my Jeddah of Saudi Arabia generating wide spread upset among its residents and Saudi citizens. My own views on this are still conflicted so I hope I get to address this in a future lengthier post once we see how everything turns out in the end.
• Prince Sultan bin Fahd, the now previous President of the Saudi General Presidency of Youth Welfare is relieved from his post following the shameful exit of the Saudi national football team from the 2011 AFC Asian Cup following 2 consecutive losses from Syrian and Jordanian national teams who once were not considered a match for the Saudi one. Prince Nawaf Bin Faisal, the previous deputy president has now replaced Prince Sultan. There was public outrage following the disgraceful performance of the team that eventually lead to those results.
• Jeddah city, as always, has drowned in this year’s winter season rains. Nothing as dramatic as 2009 Black November floods but it just demonstrated the weak infrastructure of the city and that we basically haven’t learned much since last time. Anger is the citizens’ natural reaction.
• Sheikh Jaber Khaled Al-Sabah, Kuwait’s Interior Minister, submitted his resignation from his post following the death of a detainee allegedly due to police torture.
• The Lebanese political scene is ever in turmoil after the assassination of the former Primer Minister of Lebanon Rafic Hariri back in 2005. Now Hezbollah elected ministers have resigned from the Lebanese Unity Government in a way to overthrow the current government and its current primer minister Saad Hariri, son of Rafic. It’s not easy to explain the complicated dynamics of Lebanese Politics. Short story here.
• We concluded a national Folic Acid Awareness campaign this past Saturday. More information in the next post inshallah.

I hope you’re staying safe out there !

So the 7th Scientific Conference for Medical Students in the GCC Countries (a.k.a. GCC7) came to an end. I personally believe and hopefully most attendees will agree with me, it was a great success.

Now I’m sure there were a lot, and let me say it again, A LOT of mistakes and miscommunication throughout the entire preparatory stage and the days of the conference, but I still do maintain that it all turned out well in the end.

Over 400 students from KAU Medical School with the help of their fellow students at UQU worked very hard for over a year in making this conference happen. I remember the first meeting back in Feb 2009. We had a lot of expectations and hopes for the conference and thankfully we managed to achieve most of them.

Nearly 1500 students from the GCC countries and a few places far beyond too attended the conference. 110 Oral and Poster research projects were presented. 94 workshops took place.

I came back from NYC one week before the conference and needless to say, didn’t sleep or rest till it was over.

I still have this bittersweet taste in my mouth. We shared a lot of laughs and some tears. We got upset and angry and yelled sometimes. We were proud and happy and gave plenty of hugs! Met a lot of wonderful people. Can we say that the future of our college is in safe hands? I guess only the future can tell.

On a personal note, I have decided that GCC7 was going to be the final student activity I participate in. After a long history of being involved in many volunteer and student activities throughout the years, I have decided that this was going to be the cherry on top of what I hope is a big and lasting cake! Now I need to turn my focus towards other things. I’ll be around of course to assist anyone who needs anything, just not in the lime light anymore. Good luck to all the new guys and girls taking over!

At the closing ceremony, being honored by Prof. Mahmoud Shaheen    Al-Ahwal, Dean of Faculty of Medicine, and Dr. Abdullmonem Al- Hayani, VD for Basic Medical Sciences. (By Ziad Siyam)

At the opening ceremony, giving the scientific committee speech and an overview of the conference’s program. (By Asma’a Mohurji)

KAU Medical School Newsletter released a special edition for GCC7 that was distributed on the attendees at the closing ceremony documenting the conference and the activities that took place. It was distributed at the KAU Uni. Hospital too in the week afterwards.

The online version should be available on KAU’s website next week inshallah.

As usual, I apologize for not posting as regularly as I would like. Hence, I added the Twitter widget on the side bar in hopes that at least there would be some sort of an “update” whenever you visit this place!

Thank you and wish me luck!

I’m going to perform as an opening act for Ahmed Ahmed next Friday the 20th of February inshallah!

Many of you may be familiar with the Axis of Evil Comedy Tour that included the Iranian Maz Jobrani, the Egyptian Ahmed Ahmed and the Jordanian Aron Keder. It got great reviews and if you don’t know it, then I advice you to go and YOUTUBE it ! It’s hilarious. 

Anyhow, Ahmed Ahmed is on his own now and he’s doing a show here in Jeddah next Friday. The location is yet to be assigned. Tickets are still available. All you have to do is check the event’s page on Facebook HERE. 

Last night, the production company held auditions for local comedians interested in performing on stage as a warm up for Ahmed Ahmed’s show. I went and gave it a shot. I learned today that I was chosen among others to open up for him. 

So, go buy tickets! Tell your friends and come see the show because I tell you, it’s worth it!