Sam Barnett will come back of Group CEO of MBC after retiring in December last year. Jeff Topping/The National
Sam Barnett will come back of Group CEO of MBC after retiring in December last year. Jeff Topping/The National
Sam Barnett will come back of Group CEO of MBC after retiring in December last year. Jeff Topping/The National
Sam Barnett will come back of Group CEO of MBC after retiring in December last year. Jeff Topping/The National

MBC Group reshuffles senior management


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Media conglomerate MBC Group has made three senior appointments, including a new chief executive and two board members.

Majid Al Ibrahim has been appointed board representative at MBC Group to assess, oversee and organise the implementation of new initiatives, the company said on Wednesday.

Mr Al Ibrahim has been on the board since September 2018 and has been a founding board member for the planned Saudi city of Neom’s media sector since March last year.

Sam Barnett has been reappointed group chief executive, succeeding Marc Antoine d’Halluin who was made an adviser to the board.

Mr Barnett, from the UK, spent more than 17 years at MBC Group and was previously chief executive until the end of December 2019, when he resigned.

In February, the MBC Group signed an agreement to set up new headquarters in Riyadh and plans to begin operations from Saudi Arabia’s capital within five years.

The company offers TV and broadcast channels to about 180 million viewers across the Middle East and North Africa.

Its online platforms offer content ranging from news to entertainment. It owns news channels including Al Hadath, Al Arabiya and Al Arabiya English.

The broadcaster behind the hit show Arabs Got Talent  was launched in London in 1991 and it later moved its base to Dubai Media City in the UAE.

Where to donate in the UAE

The Emirates Charity Portal

You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.

The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments

The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.

Al Noor Special Needs Centre

You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.

Beit Al Khair Society

Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.

Dar Al Ber Society

Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.

Dubai Cares

Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.

Emirates Airline Foundation

Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.

Emirates Red Crescent

On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.

Gulf for Good

Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.

Noor Dubai Foundation

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How Filipinos in the UAE invest

A recent survey of 10,000 Filipino expatriates in the UAE found that 82 per cent have plans to invest, primarily in property. This is significantly higher than the 2014 poll showing only two out of 10 Filipinos planned to invest.

Fifty-five percent said they plan to invest in property, according to the poll conducted by the New Perspective Media Group, organiser of the Philippine Property and Investment Exhibition. Acquiring a franchised business or starting up a small business was preferred by 25 per cent and 15 per cent said they will invest in mutual funds. The rest said they are keen to invest in insurance (3 per cent) and gold (2 per cent).

Of the 5,500 respondents who preferred property as their primary investment, 54 per cent said they plan to make the purchase within the next year. Manila was the top location, preferred by 53 per cent.

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