What to expect from the Post-Pan-Arab Media

A few weeks ago, the Saudi founder and Chairman of the media giant Middle East Broadcasting Center (MBC), Waleed Al-Ibrahim, announced the appointment of Nabil Al-Khatib as the new General Manager of the Dubai-based Al-Arabiya and Al-Hadath transnational news channels. Al-Ibrahim, a multi-millionaire businessman who affirmed his confidence in Khatib’s ability to push the news network to ‘new heights’ has himself experienced an unprecedented career low in the past year. Arrested and detained at the Riyadh Ritz-Carlton in November 2017 as part of Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman’s alleged anti-corruption drive, Al-Ibrahim was never charged but nonetheless persuaded to hand over 60 percent of MBC’s holdings to the Saudi government last January.