Arab News | Renowned TV executive Ali Jaber transitions to an advisory role

DUBAI: Arab News has learned that renowned television executive Ali Jaber has reached an agreement with leading Arab broadcaster, MBC, to step down from his current responsibilities and transition into an advisory role.

While MBC is yet to make a formal announcement, Arab News learned that the mutual agreement was reached only a few days ago after Jaber visited MBC chairman and regional broadcasting guru, Sheikh Waleed Al-Ibrahim at his London residence in what was described as a “warm and cordial” meeting.

It is well known that Jaber suffered tremendously healthwise in recent years, and while he has been recovering well since, Arab News understands that the decision was purely related to Jaber’s health.

Arab News also understands that Jaber will no longer handle any executive duties and will be taking on advisory roles in the near future.

With a career spanning four decades, the former war correspondent for the New York Times has overseen the creation and launch of Lebanon’s Future Television in the 1990s and the relaunch and expansion of Dubai TV in the 2000s, before becoming content chief officer and group director at MBC in 2011 to date, where he has massively contributed to the success of several shows and formats, including Arabs Got Talent, where he makes an appearance himself and is often referred to as the region’s Simon Cowell.

He is also the dean of the Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Communication at the American University of Dubai and won the 2025 MCF Special Recognition for Pioneering Leadership in the Media Industry Award. Jaber was also selected to the list of the 500 Most Influential Muslims in the world by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre, an independent non-governmental research entity.

He serves on the board of directors of the Young Arab Leaders and the advisory board of the American University of Beirut, School of Architecture and Design, in Lebanon.

Jaber graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the American University of Beirut and earned a Master’s degree in Communications from Syracuse University and a Master of letters in Mass Communication/Media Studies from the University of Cambridge. Between 1987 and 1999, he worked as a war correspondent in Lebanon and Iraq, reporting for major international press agencies including the German Press Agency, The New York Times, and The Times of London.