AN editor in chief Al-Harthi gets global media award

Mohammed Fahad Al-Harthi, editor in chief of Arab News and Sayidaty magazine, received the international media excellence award for 2014 during a colorful ceremony in Beirut on Sunday.
Al-Harthi, who also hosts the “Bidoun Shak” talk show on MBC channel, won the prestigious award instituted by MC International thanks to his continuous successes in media activities.
Apart from being the chief editor of Arab News English daily and Sayidaty weekly magazine for women, Al-Harthi has left his imprints on the social media through Sayidaty’s website, which has won the first place in the Arab world. Through his weekly program “Bidoun Shak,” Al-Harthi has been taking up major social issues.
In his acceptance speech, Al-Harthi emphasized the role of the media as the voice of the voiceless. “The message of the different media is the same as it represents the voice of people and highlights their issues and problems,” he said.
Al-Harthi said the changes in the media industry should not be considered a threat but opportunities. He dedicated the award to all those who work with him. “They deserve this award as they are the makers of success.”
Al-Harthi, who has a bachelor’s degree in architectural engineering, began his career at Asharq Al-Awsat international Arabic daily. In 2002, he won a Gulf Excellence Award in Journalism. Two years later he was named editor in chief of Sayidaty and Al Jamila magazines.
A founding member of the Arab Youth Leaders Forum at Davos Middle East conference, Al-Harthi was also a member of Gulf 2000 project at Columbia University in New York. He holds memberships of the Journalists Union in the UK and WAN-IFRA, a world association of journalists and news publishers.