Waleed Al-Ibrahim to visit MBC in Dubai for first time since anti-corruption probe

  • 5/29/2018
  • 00:00
  • 72
  • 0
  • 0
news-picture

Al-Ibrahim, who is chairman of MBC, told the Wall Street Journal in March that he was never accused of wrongdoing in the anti-corruption drive, and that he was kept at the Ritz hotel as a witness. Al-Ibrahim has also been appointed as a member of a new culture council headed by Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Culture and Information Awwad Al-Awwad. Saudi Arabian media mogul Sheikh Waleed Al-Ibrahim is to visit the Dubai headquarters of his MBC television empire for the first time since being released after last year’s anti-corruption drive, Arab News had learnt. Al-Ibrahim is a major shareholder in the Middle East’s largest broadcasting company, but was held during an investigation late last year along with hundreds of others as part of an anti-corruption campaign spearheaded by the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Al-Ibrahim was released earlier this year, having been found innocent of any wrongdoing in the probe, and is said to retain his 40 percent stake in MBC, Reuters reported earlier this year. For the first time since his being held at Riyadh’s Ritz Carlton hotel, Al-Ibrahim is on Tuesday set to visit the MBC headquarters in Dubai, sources at MBC told Arab News. An email — which Arab News has seen — has been sent saying a VIP will be visiting the group building and greeting all employees. Arab News sources confirmed the VIP will be Al-Ibrahim. Al-Ibrahim, who is chairman of MBC, told the Wall Street Journal in March that he was never accused of wrongdoing in the anti-corruption drive, and that he was kept at the Ritz hotel as a witness. “I was treated with respect,” Al-Ibrahim told the WSJ. “I am sure if you ask anyone: ‘If you could go back would you do it the same?’ They would say no. It’s a new experience for everybody.” In April, MBC’s Group TV Director Ali Jaber said that MBC’s chairman was “enthused” about the media company’s future plans following a meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed. “After … Sheikh Waleed Ibrahim met with the crown prince, he is enthused about MBC and its future growth into an international organization,” Jaber said. “It will be responsible for important partnerships between Saudi Arabia and international organizations and Hollywood,” he added. Since, Al-Ibrahim has also been appointed as a member of a new culture council headed by Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Culture and Information Awwad Al-Awwad. MBC has recently also been involved in the emerging film market in the Kingdom, which this year reopened cinema theaters. The group is said to be involved in negotiations with Hollywood producers and international distribution companies for this purpose.

مشاركة :