Top breakthrough female journalists of 2021
Current occupation: Managing director and news anchor at the Saudi Broadcasting Authority
Former employers: Al-Arab news channel, CNBC Arabia, Al-Hayat newspaper
Education: Bachelor of Arts in journalism from the Lebanese American University, diploma in gender in development and humanitarian assistance from the Institute for Women’s Studies in the Arab World
Nationality: Saudi Arabian
As the first woman to anchor the main news bulletin in Saudi Arabia, Weam Al-Dakheel’s success story places her at the top of the list when it comes to the breakthrough female journalists of 2021.
Born in Morocco, raised in Jeddah and having studied in Lebanon, Al-Dakheel rose to prominence given her interesting and varied background, which featured both reporting and management positions. Alongside anchoring the main news bulletin on Saudi TV, Al-Dakheel is the managing director of the Saudi Broadcasting Authority, a governmental entity that operates almost all broadcasting outlets in the Kingdom.
Coming from a learned family, Al-Dakheel is fluent in Arabic, English and French and was an avid reader, always knowledgeable about current affairs.
Having moderated various significant events in 2021, Al-Dakheel’s presence in the media reflects the Saudi Vision 2030 initiative launched by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Before her work at Saudi TV, Al-Dakheel transitioned through many stages of journalism to find her passion.
Starting her career as an editor in chief of a student publication at the American University of Beirut, Al-Dakheel soon became an intern at Al-Hayat, the pan-Arab daily newspaper. She later worked as a news presenter at Al-Arab news channel in Bahrain and was also a TV reporter for CNBC Arabia for almost a year.
As a journalist, Al-Dakheel tries to shed light on significant issues in the world and couples her journalistic work with philanthropy. In 2016, she traveled to Jordan and volunteered in the Gaza camp for refugees at Jerash.
