Manakeesh nominated to be on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list

Manakeesh is a type of soft dough that is topped with thyme, cheese or ground meat. Similarly to a pizza, it can be sliced or folded. (Shutterstock)
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Updated 17 December 2022
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Manakeesh nominated to be on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list

  • Manakeesh is a type of soft dough topped with thyme, cheese or ground meat
  • Sahar Baassiri, Lebanon’s permanent representative to UNESCO in Paris, shares news

DUBAI: Just like the French baguette and the Italian pizza, Lebanon’s manakeesh has become synonymous with its Middle Eastern country of origin — so much so that it has been nominated to be on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list. 

Sahar Baassiri, Lebanon’s ambassador and permanent representative to UNESCO in Paris, revealed the news on her Twitter account on Thursday. 

Manakeesh is a type of soft dough that is topped with thyme, cheese or ground meat. Similarly to a pizza, it can be sliced or folded.

“Congratulations Lebanon,” Baassiri wrote on Twitter, adding that the application was submitted on Wednesday. 

Twitter users quickly celebrated the news, commenting on her post. 

“Thank you! We need more Lebanese dishes to be registered as Lebanese,” tweeted one user, while another wrote: “Congratulations, to me, manakeesh was always ranked first.” 


Repossi taps May Calamawy for latest campaign

Updated 08 February 2026
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Repossi taps May Calamawy for latest campaign

DUBAI: Italian jewelry label Repossi has tapped Egyptian-Palestinian Hollywood star May Calamawy to star in its Ramadan 2026 campaign.

The campaign, which was shot in Sharjah in the UAE, features Calamawy showing off pieces by the Paris-headquartered label that is known for taking inspiration from architecture and modern art.

Shot inside Zaha Hadid Architects’ BEEAH Headquarters in Sharjah, Calamawy can be seen wearing signature pieces from the Blast and Serti Sur Vide collection, as well as other classic collections by the brand.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by May Calamawy (@calamawy)

“Celebrating Repossi Savoir-Faire, Heritage and Architectural Poetry (sic),” the actress captioned the campaign video, which she shared with her 354,000 followers on Instagram.

Calamawy is known for her roles in the US Netflix series “Ramy” and “Moon Knight” (2022), where she plays dual characters Layla El-Faouly and the Scarlet Scarab.

She made headlines in late 2024 when almost all her scenes were cut from Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator II,” with fans taking to social media to complain.

Her casting in the film was first announced in May 2023.

At the time, Deadline reported that Scott had cast Calamawy after a lengthy search, writing: “While many of the leading roles were straight offers, Scott wanted to do a similar search he did for the (Paul) Mescal part for the role that Calamawy ultimately landed.”

In January, the star took to Instagram to promote her latest project, which hits theaters in April.

“The Mummy,” a new feature from award-winning Irish writer and director Lee Cronin, will be released on April 17 and features Calamawy alongside Mexican actress Veronica Falcon, Jack Reynor, and Laia Costa. 

The film is produced by Blumhouse, Atomic Monster, and New Line Cinema.

“The young daughter of a journalist disappears into the desert without a trace. Eight years later, the broken family is shocked when she is returned to them, as what should be a joyful reunion turns into a living nightmare,” the film’s official logline reads.

Calamawy is also known for her activism and regularly takes to social media to support charity initiatives raising money and awareness for Gaza.

In December, she promoted the song “Lullaby,” which the Together for Palestine charity is trying to propel to the Christmas No. 1 spot in the UK chart to raise money for the people of Palestine.