Afnan Al Zayani facts for kids

Afnan Rashid Al Zayani is a famous chef from Bahrain. She made history by publishing the first cookbook in Bahrain in 1983. She also hosted the country's first cooking show, called السفرة الخليجية (which means "Gulf Dining"), starting in 1986. In 2004, a magazine called Hayatouki recognized her as the top businesswoman in the Middle East. She was one of 100 people who helped women become more successful in business.

Early Life and Education

Afnan Al Zayani was born in Manama, Bahrain. She grew up in a loving, traditional family. In 1976, she earned a degree in Food Processing Technology from Texas Tech University in the United States.

A Career in Business

Afnan Al Zayani started her career in her family's business. She took on important leadership roles. In 1999, she even bought one of the family companies.

Soon, she became involved with groups of businesswomen in the region. From 2002 to 2004, she led the Bahrain Businesswomen's Association. She had big plans for the group. These included teaching businesswomen how to use the Bahrain–United States Free Trade Agreement to their advantage. She also supported small and medium-sized businesses.

In 2006, she helped create the Middle East and North Africa Businesswomen's Network. This was a group of similar organizations from different countries. She got help from the United States Department of State for this project. Today, she owns Al Zayani Commercial Services, a company that sells office equipment. She also continues to be part of the Businesswomen's Association Board. From 2005 to 2013, she was the Chairwoman of the Businesswomen's Committee for the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Supporting Women in Work

Afnan Al Zayani was always interested in helping women join the workforce. She worked with community groups and the government to make changes. One important change was helping to create the first family law in Bahrain.

Her Passion for Cooking

Afnan Al Zayani loves to cook! She has shared her passion through many cookbooks and TV shows. She even had special cooking shows during Ramadan for iftar meals. She focuses on healthy food that also tastes great. In 2009, her cookbook Afnaniyat won a prize for "Best Arabic Cookbook" at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards. This book had 60 recipes in both Arabic and English. It was the only entry from the Gulf states. After that, she started writing cookbooks especially for children.

Sharing Her Knowledge

Afnan Al Zayani has taken part in many book fairs. She has also done live cooking shows with famous chefs from around the world. She uses these chances to promote her books and have them translated into other languages.

Becoming a TV Star

Afnan Al Zayani first appeared on TV in 1986 with her show السفرة الخليجية. She then hosted several other programs, including one in English called Gulf Delights. In 1988, she published A Taste of the Arabian Gulf. This was the first Gulf cuisine cookbook written in English.

In 1992, she received the National Merit Award for her efforts to protect Bahrain's cooking traditions. She published ما لذ وطاب ("What Is Good") in 1994. This was followed by TV shows like الأكل بذكاء ("Smart Eating Show," 1996) and طيبات ("Good Things," 1997). In 2004, she released لذائذ أفنان ("So This Is Afnan"). This book included recipes from her show لذائذ 5,4,3,2,1 ("So This Is 5,4,3,2,1").

In 2007, she presented a special iftar show called أطيب من ("My Best") for MBC. She has also hosted several shows on Qatar Television. These include وعوافي ("Emotions," 2005), صحة وعافية ("Health and Wellness," 2006), and a TV show based on her book Afnaniyat in 2008. In 2012, she started hosting يلا نطبخ مع أفنان ("Let’s Cook with Afnan") on Bahrain Television.

Her Book Eish wa Malh

On June 25, 2014, Afnan Al Zayani released her sixth cookbook, called Eish wa Malh. This title means "Bread and Salt" in Arabic. The book has 75 recipes across 205 pages, in both Arabic and English. She explained that she chose the title because salt is used in many recipes. Also, in Egyptian Arabic, "bread and salt" describes the friendly feeling when family and friends share a meal. It took her two years to edit the book in two languages, take photos, and choose the recipes.

New and Healthy Recipes

Eish wa Malh included new information about nutrition. It also featured meals for people with health issues like Hypercholesterolemia (high cholesterol), hypertension (high blood pressure), and diabetes. Her previous book, Afnaniyat, was praised for connecting different cultures through simple recipes. In 2014, she entered Eish wa Malh into the Gourmand competition as well.

Judging Cooking Contests

Afnan Al Zayani often judges cooking competitions in Bahrain. These include food festivals organized by community groups. She also led a special group that focused on Bahraini women who own restaurants and cafes. This group looked at their challenges and how to help their businesses last.

International Recognition

Afnan Al Zayani is well-known around the world. In 2005, Forbes Middle East magazine named her one of the "50 Most Powerful Women in the Middle East." In 2007, Arabian Business magazine included her in their Power 100 list. In 2010, she was one of six women to receive the "Leadership in Public Life" Prize from the Vital Voices Foundation. She earned this award for her work in helping women become leaders in the Middle East and North Africa region. She was also the first president of the Middle East and North Africa Businesswomen's Network.