Reports and social media posts have circulated saying that Lebanese media executive Ali Jaber informed MBC Group’s board and the employees working with him of his decision to leave the group during a meeting reportedly held on 8 September 2026, without any official confirmation of the move that could be verified.
The information in circulation did not include details on when Jaber’s duties would end or who would assume his responsibilities. It also did not clarify administrative arrangements linked to his possible departure or the nature of his next professional move.
About 15 years managing the group’s channels
The reports come about 15 years after Jaber joined the group’s television management. MBC announced in June 2011 that it had appointed him general manager of its channels, effective September of the same year, replacing Tim Riordan, who chose to retire from his management position.
Jaber’s responsibilities included overseeing content planning, acquisition and programming for the group’s entertainment channels, placing him directly involved in managing their programming strategies and selecting the content shown on their screens.
Alongside his management work, Arab audiences knew him as a judge on the talent show “Arabs Got Talent,” in which he took part in its first season in 2011. His appearance on the programme broadened his public profile beyond the professional and academic circles with which his name had previously been associated.
From media studies to journalism and war coverage
After returning to Beirut, he helped establish the broadcasting department within the College of Fine Arts at Beirut University College and taught television production courses for eight years, combining teaching with media practice.
Between 1987 and 1999, he worked in journalism and covered wars in Lebanon and Iraq. He served as chief correspondent for the German Press Agency “DPA” in Lebanon and Syria, and worked as a correspondent for the US newspaper “The New York Times” and the British newspaper “The Times” between 1989 and 1994.
Founding Future Television and launching a youth channel
The year 1992 marked a transition in his career from journalism to establishing and managing television institutions, when Rafik Hariri tasked him with creating a private television station. Jaber helped establish Future Television and managed it until 2003, overseeing the development of its satellite broadcasting during that period. He also launched and managed the youth-oriented Zain channel, running it for five years.
Developing and restructuring Dubai channels
In 2004, Jaber moved to work as a consultant at Dubai Media Incorporated, where he helped restructure its channels and develop their content, television identity and administrative organisation. According to his biography published by the American University in Dubai, he became the organisation’s editorial director in 2006, after two years spent developing the channels and reorganising their management.
His professional ties to Dubai Media Incorporated continued before he moved to MBC. In a 2011 press interview, he spoke about leaving his consultancy at the organisation to join the group and about his interest in developing high-quality television production and keeping pace with new viewing platforms.
An academic career alongside television work
Alongside managing channels, Jaber helped establish the Mohammed bin Rashid School for Communication at the American University in Dubai in 2008, at the request of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. He was appointed its dean in July of that year, about three years before joining MBC.
The university still identifies him on his official page as the school’s dean. His biography says the school’s academic programme focuses on teaching media writing in Arabic, while also addressing digital media and storytelling across multiple platforms.
During his deanship, the school’s activities included cooperation with the Dubai Press Club on the “Influencers Diploma” programme, whose launch was announced in September 2019. The programme aimed to develop the skills of content creators and social media figures through courses covering strategic communication, content production, audience understanding and ethics on digital platforms.
