Ibrahim Helal has been appointed Deputy Managing Director News and Programmes of the soon to launch global English language news and current affairs channel.
Helal is a former editor-in-chief at Al Jazeeras Arabic language channel and most recently served as a project director on the Middle East North Africa Dialogue Programme for the BBC World Service Trust. Prior to his joining Al Jazeera International, he worked in London for the BBCs Arabic service.
Having Ibrahim join us at the English-language channel not only further professionalises our staff with a top-flight newsman, it also solidifies us as a family built around the core spirit of Al Jazeera, said Managing Director Nigel Parsons.
Helal will oversee the Middle East desk and ensure close working relations with the Arabic news channel. Ibrahim will have a quality-control responsibility to assure that news content across the channels is consistentand consistently good, said Parsons.
Al Jazeeras English-channel promises agenda-free news from every corner of the globe carried across fibre-optic HDTV technology. Both firsts, said Parsons. The channel plans a launch later this year.