When Mo Farah picked up an astonishing two gold medals at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, the Arab world was jubilant.

Newspapers and media outlets across the region celebrated his Arab heritage as the Briton completed victories over top-class opposition in the 5,000 and 10,000-metre finals.

Mohamed Farah was born in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia in 1983, and spent the early years of his childhood in Djibouti. He moved to the UK aged eight, and began running in earnest from 2005 onwards. He is considering upgrading to the marathon.

Farah is a sponsor of the UK-based Muslim Writers Awards and launched the Mo Farah Foundation after a trip to Somalia in 2011. He was awarded a CBE in the UK’s 2013 New Year’s honours list.

Honoured

Mo Farah was awarded a CBE in the UK’s 2013 New Year’s honours list.