Latest news with #MinaAl-Oraibi
Mid East Info
08-05-2025
- Business
- Mid East Info
Mina Al-Oraibi Receives May Chidiac Foundation Excellence in Media Award 2025 - Middle East Business News and Information
The National's Editor-in-Chief Awarded at the 13 th Annual May Chidiac Foundation (MCF) Media Awards held last night in Dubai. Mina Al-Oraibi recognised for exemplifying exceptional leadership and journalistic excellence and her commitment to in-depth reporting, integrity, and insightful coverage of regional and global issues. Dubai, UAE: Mina Al-Oraibi, Editor-in-Chief of The National, an IMI company and the leading English-language news outlet from the Middle East, has been awarded the Excellence in Media Award at the Annual May Chidiac Foundation Media Awards held last night in Dubai. Throughout her distinguished career, Mina has and continues to play a pivotal role in elevating news coverage regionally and internationally, conducting exclusive interviews with prominent global figures and consistently upholding the highest standards of professional journalism. Al-Oraibi has been recognised for a career spanning more than two decades, marked by exceptional achievements and leadership in journalism. Each year, the May Chidiac Foundation honours outstanding media professionals who have significantly influenced the industry at the international, regional, and local levels, while contributing to peacebuilding and social change. Al-Oraibi received the award during a ceremony attended by ambassadors, senior officials, political figures, media leaders, artists, and business personalities. Rani R. Raad, CEO of IMI, said: 'We are proud to see Mina Al-Oraibi recognised with this prestigious award, which honours her outstanding leadership, journalistic excellence, and lasting impact on the media industry. Mina's dedication to high-quality, responsible journalism has strengthened The National's influence regionally and globally, while also advancing regional journalism and enhancing the quality of English-language news coverage across the Middle East. Her achievements continue to set the standard for excellence across our profession, and we are proud to have her among IMI's leadership.' On receiving the Excellence in Media Award, Mina Al-Oraibi, Editor-in-Chief of The National, said: 'It is an honour to receive this award from the May Chidiac Foundation, an institution that champions principles we hold dear: integrity, courage and a commitment to journalism. Throughout my career, I have been driven by the belief that journalism can be a force for positive change. This recognition is a tribute to The National and the opportunities IMI has given me and my team.' A Career of Excellence and Impact: Mina Al-Oraibi is one of the most prominent figures in the regional and international media landscape. She has served as Editor-in-Chief of The National since 2017, becoming the first woman to hold the position. Her career spans more than twenty years, including senior roles such as Assistant Editor-in-Chief at Asharq Al-Awsat and Head of its Washington Bureau. Throughout her career, Al-Oraibi has conducted exclusive interviews with world leaders, including Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' Al-Sudani, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde, and former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, among many others—cementing her stature as a leading journalist. Beyond journalism, she has also served as a research fellow at the Institute for State Effectiveness and as an international fellow at Yale University, where she focused on governance and institutional reform in the Middle East. Rooted in Global Experience, Dedicated to Regional Impact: Born in Sweden to a proud Iraqi family during the Iraq-Iran war, Mina's life was shaped by seismic political events, including the invasion of Kuwait and the 2003 Iraq war. Raised in Saudi Arabia and later in the United Kingdom following her family's exile, she pursued Modern History at University College London (UCL), earning both her Bachelor's and Master's degrees. Starting as an intern at Al Hayat newspaper in London, Al-Oraibi quickly rose through the ranks, covering the corridors of power in London and Washington, and reporting from frontline humanitarian crises, such as the plight of the Rohingya in Myanmar. At just 28 years old, she became the youngest and first female Washington, DC Bureau Chief for Asharq Al-Awsat, covering the Obama White House and major global developments. In 2017, she assumed leadership of The National, relaunching it under IMI ownership and transforming it into a leading, award-winning digital-first platform. Al-Oraibi continues to report on major global events, from the devastation at Rafah Crossing to the high-level gatherings at Davos. She has long been one of the few Arab women reporting from major international events and is committed to paving the way for future generations of journalists. Under her leadership, The National has prioritised building a diverse, dynamic newsroom. Beyond journalism, Al-Oraibi serves on the Board of Trustees of the American University of Iraq, Sulaimani, and actively promotes cross-cultural dialogue through advisory roles and international forums. She has been named a Yale World Fellow and a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum. About: The National, an IMI company, was founded in 2008, setting a new standard for quality journalism in the Middle East. Each day The National reaches an influential, English-speaking audience from our headquarters in Abu Dhabi to deliver the latest in news, business, arts, culture, lifestyle and sports, while leading the region in analytical content and commentary. The National is committed to serving the local UAE community while delivering a strong international perspective to a growing audience beyond. With bureaux in Beirut, Cairo, London and Washington, and correspondents in key cities in the Mena region and worldwide, The National has developed a reputation for providing in-depth coverage and a window into the region. The National has been extensively awarded for its design, reporting, photography and video work. Publishing across all digital platforms – reaching millions of readers, listeners and viewers each month – The National harnesses the latest multimedia tools while continuing to produce a print edition five days a week, distributed in the UAE. The National was originally launched as part of Abu Dhabi Media, before being acquired by International Media Investments and relaunched in 2017. The National is the destination to understand the Middle East at a time when the region has never been more important. About IMI: IMI is a privately-owned, leading global media conglomerate headquartered in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, with operations across 15 countries. Established to enrich lives and connect communities through innovative storytelling, IMI oversees an extensive portfolio of prestigious media brands including The National, Sky News Arabia, Al-Ain News, CNN Business Arabic, and Euronews. Committed to digital innovation and journalistic excellence, IMI operates state-of-the-art facilities, including the IMI Media Academy at IMI HQ in twofour54's Yas Creative Hub, dedicated to nurturing the next generation of media professionals. IMI continues to set industry standards, driving impactful content creation and engagement across diverse audiences worldwide. IMI's investment arm, RedBird IMI—a joint venture with RedBird Capital Partners—focuses on global investments in media, entertainment, and sports. Some of Redbird IMI's most prominent investments include All3Media, Media Res Studio, EverWonder Studio, Hidden Pigeon Company, Front Office Sports, and UFL.
The National
02-05-2025
- Politics
- The National
UAE and Lebanon talk travel, and fires ravage Israel
The UAE and Lebanon are working on lifting travel restrictions, which include a UAE-imposed ban on Emiratis travelling to Lebanon, following a meeting of their Presidents. Washington has reportedly been planning deportations to Libya. Firefighters in Israel are battling what authorities said might be the largest wildfire in the country's history. On this episode of Trending Middle East: This episode features Mina Al-Oraibi, Editor-in-Chief, and Thomas Helm, Jerusalem correspondent.
The National
22-04-2025
- Politics
- The National
Pope Francis dies and US strikes on Yemen intensify
Pope Francis has died at his residence in the Vatican. US air strikes on Sanaa killed at least 12 people and wounded 30 overnight into Monday. Adnoc has signed new supply agreements with Chinese companies. On today's episode of Trending Middle East: US air strikes on Sanaa kill at least 12, Yemen's Houthis say This episode features The National's Editor-in-Chief, Mina Al-Oraibi.
The National
12-02-2025
- Business
- The National
IFC's Makhtar Diop on AI, investments and emerging markets
Global leaders, policymakers and industry experts came together in Dubai this week at the World Governments Summit to discuss the most pressing challenges shaping the future. With a focus on sustainability, AI governance and global finance, this year's conversation set the stage for collaborative action in an evolving world, from economic resilience to technological innovation. On this episode of Business Extra, we take you to the World Governments Summit, where The National's Editor-in-Chief, Mina Al-Oraibi, hears from Makhtar Diop, managing director of the International Finance Corporation.
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Abu Dhabi's The National newspaper cuts jobs in restructuring
Abu Dhabi's The National laid off 28 journalists Thursday, a spokesperson confirmed, amid a restructuring of the English-language publication. The cuts included employees on the multimedia, digital, and foreign desks, the people said. Editor-in-chief Mina Al-Oraibi delivered the news during a company-wide meeting but did not elaborate on the reason for the layoffs. One person said the cuts were part of a broader restructuring at parent company International Media Investments (IMI), which is owned by UAE Vice President Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Al-Oraibi declined to comment. The National was first published in 2008, and since then has gone through several iterations as the leading English-language news source in the UAE, and employed dozens of journalists who went on to work elsewhere (including the authors of this article). IMI acquired The National from state-backed firm Abu Dhabi Media in 2016. The company also owns Sky News Arabia, CNN Business Arabic, and a minority stake in Euronews. Since then The National, like every print publication, has followed a bumpy road into digital media. Al-Oraibi described the publication at the World Economic Forum in Davos last week as 'a legacy newspaper that's very quickly become an online platform,' and cited growing podcast and newsletter businesses. 'I'm really optimistic because we're building communities,' she said. 'At The National we have 300,000 subscribers of our newsletters. There's no way you'd be able to sell 300,000 newspapers in the population of 10 million in the UAE.' Since 2008, The National aimed to be the Middle East's most influential English-language newspaper. It hired editors and reporters from top publications like The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and The Daily Telegraph for its launch and served as a springboard for journalists who went on to major careers, including Project Brazen co-founder Bradley Hope, WSJ's Keach Hagey, The New Yorker contributor Rania Abouzeid, me, and my colleague Kelsey Warner, who covered business and tech during her five-year stint. As for me, I only worked there for eight weeks, two of them before the paper went live. It was the summer of 2008, and the dominant story was the mounting debt weighing down Dubai Inc. When it became clear that we needed to tiptoe around it, I left. The limitations were a result of the country's media laws and, perhaps, some self-censorship. But the publication remains a must-read and attracts a sizable audience. Its stories provide an important service to readers in the UAE and beyond, and indeed its reporting appears frequently in Semafor newsletters.
