Waleed bin Ibrahim Al-Ibrahim

Waleed bin Ibrahim Al Ibrahim is a Saudi Arabian businessman and Chairman of MBC Group. Born in 1962 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Al Ibrahim pioneered modern Arab media as founder and chairman of the Middle East Broadcasting Center, known as MBC Group.

After completing his university and higher education in the US, Al-Ibrahim founded ARA Productions and Television Studios (ARAvision) in Saudi Arabia as his first media enterprise. He founded MBC in London in 1991 with fellow business entrepreneur Saleh Kamel, and it became the first independent Arabic satellite TV station. In 1992, MBC acquired United Press International, a bankrupt news agency at the time, for $3.95 million, significantly expanding its news-gathering capabilities. Al-Ibrahim launched Al Arabiya in March 2003 as Al Jazeera's main competitive news channel. MBC Group is a Saudi media conglomerate and the leading media group in the Middle East and North Africa, currently operating 13 satellite-broadcast channels including Al Arabiya.

Al-Ibrahim has received numerous awards for his contributions in the field of Arab media. He was chosen as the 27th most influential Arab among 100 Arab personalities by Arabian Business in 2007, and was named Media Man of the Year at the 4th MENA Cristal Awards held in Lebanon in 2008. He also received the King Abdulaziz Order of Merit, the highest civilian honor in the Kingdom, for his success in the media and broadcasting world. In late 2018, the Saudi government acquired 60 percent of MBC; Al Ibrahim retained a 40 percent stake and currently maintains a 36% stake following the company's public listing in late 2023.

Career History

• Founder and Chairman, ARA Productions and Television Studios (ARAvision)
• Chairman, Board of Directors at United Press International (1990s)
• Founder and Chairman, MBC Group (launched 1991)

What Waleed bin Ibrahim Al Ibrahim could bring to MBC Group as Founder and Chairman:

With over three decades of experience founding and scaling the region's leading media conglomerate from a single London-based satellite channel to a multi-platform pan-Arab broadcaster, Al Ibrahim brings unparalleled expertise in pioneering digital and broadcast media innovation, strategic acquisition and integration (as demonstrated by the MBC-UPI acquisition), and building brands that achieve continental reach. His track record of launching competitive news networks and expanding MBC's portfolio across entertainment, news, and streaming platforms positions him to continue driving growth in an evolving media landscape while maintaining MBC's position as the Arab world's premier broadcaster.