LONDON: IMI has appointed Nakhle Elhage as chief transformation officer as the UAE-based media group pushes ahead with efforts to sharpen its news brands and deepen its digital reach.
Elhage, who helped build some of the Arab world’s best-known news operations, will oversee the transformation of IMI’s core platforms, including Sky News Arabia, CNN Business Arabic and Al Ain News.
His remit includes editorial direction, content, talent, production and product development, with a focus on improving performance and strengthening each platform’s market position.
“The group’s ambition, scale and commitment to innovation create a strong foundation for transformation,” Elhage said, adding that he was delighted to join the group at “a pivotal moment in its growth.”
The appointment comes as IMI draws fresh attention for its expanding media footprint, including its role in The Telegraph deal and the ongoing development of Sky News Arabia as the group reshapes its portfolio across English- and Arabic-language media.
Elhage brings more than three decades of experience in regional news and content. He was a founding member of MBC Group and a key figure in the launch of Al Arabiya, where he served as director of news and current affairs for more than 16 years.
More recently, he founded Blinx, a digital-first storytelling platform aimed at younger, mobile-first audiences in the region.
IMI said the transformation effort would focus on how its platforms engaged audiences across both linear and digital formats, with an emphasis on more distinctive storytelling, stronger analysis and content that reflected changing audience expectations across the region and beyond.
Elhage said he hoped to establish “new standards across the industry.”
The move underscores IMI’s push to position itself as a major cross-platform media player, with ambitions spanning Arabic news, business coverage and international publishing interests.
The appointment comes as the company navigates scrutiny over its Sky News Arabia partnership. It said last month that it was in discussions with Sky UK about renewing the brand license, after reports suggested Sky intended to withdraw its name from the Abu Dhabi-based channel when the agreement expired next year.
IMI said there had been no decision on the partnership and that the talks were unrelated to editorial policy.
