Ali Jaber

Ali Jaber (Arabic: علي جابر) (born 1961) is a Lebanese journalist, media consultant, TV personality and the Group TV Director of MBC, the Arab world's largest satellite broadcaster. Mr. Jaber completed a bachelor's degree in business administration at the American University of Beirut in 1984 before going on to earn a master's degree in communications at Syracuse University in the US in 1986. In 2008, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum instructed Ali to set up a Communication School at the American University in Dubai. In July 2008 Ali was named Dean of Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Communication (MBRSC) and this year MBRSC graduates fifty students with degrees in Journalism and Digital Storytelling. One of the unique characteristics of the School is that it teaches all media writing courses in the Arabic language and its curricula focuses on Digital Media and Multi-platform Storytelling. He also serves on the Board of Directors of two non-governmental organizations: Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) and Young Arab Leaders (YAL). Ali Jaber was selected to the list of the 500 Most Influential Muslims in the world by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre, an independent non-governmental research entity. Ali Jaber was invited to be a speaker at the September 2011 TEDxBeirut conference for inspirational leaders. His address was about the official launch of The Global Classroom which he had established at the American University in Dubai in partnership with the U.S. company Cisco. It was the first initiative in the Arab world to give students access to the best professors, business leaders and guest lecturers located around the globe. Upon returning to Beirut, Ali joined the Fine Arts faculty of Beirut University College. There he helped set up their Broadcasting Department and for eight years taught a range of courses in television production. While working as a journalist in Beirut, Ali Jaber interviewed billionaire Rafik Hariri in 1992, months before he became prime minister of Lebanon. Ali Jaber was later asked to set up Future TV, a privately owned pan-Arab television station Hariri's television network, which is still in operation. He managed Future TV until 2003. While with Future, he also started and managed a youth-oriented sister channel, Zen TV, which he ran for five years.