LONDON: Following a slew of new appointments, the board of the Saudi Journalists Association now has more women than at any time in its 21-year history.
While the organization is headed by two men — Independent Arabia editor Adhwan Alahmari as chairman and Arab News editor-in-chief Faisal J. Abbas as his deputy — here are the women who are helping raise the profile of the media industry in the Kingdom:
Bushra Alrabiah: Association treasurer and secretary of the Preparatory Committee for the Governmental Press Conference, Alrabiah is a former teacher who also chaired the student advisory council at King Saud University.
Noor Nugali: Newly appointed as deputy editor-in-chief at Arab News, Noor has conducted high-profile interviews with Saudi and foreign officials and has experience of managing award-winning news coverage. Formerly employed at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, she has written for the Saudi Gazette and The National, among others, and played a key role in the launch of the French edition of Arab News.
Mai Alsharif: Assistant editor-in-chief at Independent Arabia and supervisor of its Riyadh office since March 2023, Alsharif previously worked as creative content manager, contributing to documentaries and cultural programs. She has also worked at Riyadh Municipality, MBC’s cultural program and the Makkah newspaper.
Fatima Aloufi: Recently appointed head of media at the Ministry of Sport, Aloufi has extensive experience in the field. She was formerly managing editor at SRMG and helped found the Saudi-based daily Makkah. As well as a notable career at Elaph, Asharq Al-Awsat and Alarbiya TV, where she contributed to launching the first bulletin from Riyadh, Aloufi was one of the founders of the digital communication center of the Kingdom’s General Authority for Meteorology and Environment.
Lama AlShethry: Since December 2020, AlShethry has served as editor-in-chief of Sayyidaty magazine. With a master’s degree in marketing and communication from Middlesex University Dubai and a bachelor’s degree in translation from King Saud University, she brings a diverse skill set to the board. Previously, she worked as digital content manager at Hia magazine and co-founded the digital magazine Bintnet Network and worked as a business journalist at Arab News.
Thekra Alatiwi: An expert in media and public relations, Alatiwi has extensive experience in forming media committees and coordinating radio and TV programs, and currently occupies the role of senior managing editor at the Saudi Broadcasting Authority. In the past she has worked in the production of TV shows covering everything from the economy to politics and sport. She is also the coordinator for Hajj season coverage and visits of the king and crown prince, and editor-in-chief of Fan Tashkili.
