JEDDAH, 3 May 2004 — The BBC World Service has appointed a new head of BBC Arabic, the oldest and largest of its 43 language services.
Hosam El Sokkari, the current head of BBC Arabic Online, is the first Arab to run the service since it began in 1938, according to a press statement.
El Sokkari starts his appointment on secondment to BBC News. While he is away, Liliane Landor, the current acting head of BBC World Service News and Current Affairs, will act as interim head of the Arabic service.
“Hosam El Sokkari has a strong track record of innovation in the Arabic Service,” said Nigel Chapman, the World Service’s acting director.
“He has led Arabic Online with great imagination and success. He recently introduced interactive radio programming, which caught the imagination of many in the Arab world. He played a vital role during the Iraq war in generating vibrant debate on radio and online and involving our audiences in the heart of our output.”
El Sokkari was born and educated in Egypt. He joined the Arabic service in 1994 and has an MSc from the London School of Economics.
