Engy Anwar Reports Live From the Hajj for Alhurra’s Al Youm
Engy Anwar will take her Al Youm co-hosting duties to Saudi Arabia as she anchors Al Youm live from the Hajj. This is one of the first times a woman has reported live from the pilgrimage to Mecca. Al Youm viewers will have live updates throughout the program from the scene during this important event.
“Engy is a respected and professional journalist,” stated Al Youm’s Executive Producer Fran Mires. “The Hajj is an essential part of any Muslim’s life and of keen interest for our audience. In addition to reporting on the events each day, Al Youm’s coverage will focus on the personal stories of the people participating in the Hajj.”
Al Youm’s coverage will include a profile of an American family as they prepare for the Hajj, preparations undertaken by the Saudi government, the story of an Afghani couple’s pilgrimage after nearly dying at the hands of the Taliban and an interview with a tour guide as he prepares to lead 2000 people to Mecca as they take this personal journey. In addition to Al Youm, Alhurra’s newscasts will also have live updates and in-depth reports from the Hajj, including an examination of the preparations, health precautions being taken as well as the security situation and the financial impact of the Hajj. Alhurra’s overage will begin on Monday, Nov. 23rd and continue through Saturday, Nov. 28th.
Al Youm (Arabic for “Today”) is Alhurra’s ground-breaking live television magazine show originating simultaneously from five countries in three continents including Cairo, Beirut, Dubai, Jerusalem and from Alhurra’s headquarters in Springfield, Va. Al Youm provides viewers the latest information on topics such as health, entertainment news, sports, technology, social and cultural issues as well as the headlines from the Middle East and around the world. Al Youm presents viewers with a new opportunity to learn about events from around the world and information related to tackling challenges of everyday life. Ms. Anwar co-hosts Al Youm with Ahmed El Naggar in Dubai. They are joined by Mona Wehbi in Beirut, Amr Khalil in Cairo and Eman Haddad in Jerusalem.
Recent surveys of the Middle East by research companies such as ACNielsen show that Alhurra has a weekly reach of an estimated 27.7 million adults. Alhurra is broadcast on the Nilesat and Arabsat satellites in the Middle East and the Hotbird satellite system in Europe. Alhurra is operated by the non-profit corporation “The Middle East Broadcasting Networks, Inc.” (MBN). MBN is financed by the U.S. Government through a grant from the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), an independent federal agency. The BBG serves oversight and as a firewall to protect the professional independence and integrity of the broadcasters. For more information on Alhurra go to www.alhurra.com.
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Contact:
Deirdre Kline
Director of Communications
Middle East Broadcasting Networks, Inc.
703-852-9250
dkline@alhurra.com