Jaber Al-Harmi

Jaber Salem Al-Harmi is a Qatari journalist and media executive whose responsibilities have included executive leadership at Dar Al Sharq Media Group and the editorship of Al Sharq newspaper. His career has encompassed reporting, international news-agency work and interviews with prominent public figures.

Born in 1969, he was the youngest of two sons and two daughters in a traditional Qatari family. He began writing social and political articles while still at school, contributing to readers’ forums, youth pages and other spaces for emerging writers. His Arabic teacher read the work aloud, offered practical guidance and encouraged classmates to follow his example. He also spoke in morning assemblies and entered calligraphy competitions. A school culture that publicly recognised achievement taught him initiative and encouraged him to compete at both school and national levels.

Although academically diligent, he could also be mischievous. In secondary school, a mathematics teacher saw him eating in class and said that he had expected better of him. The quiet expression of disappointment affected Jaber more deeply than punishment would have done. He apologised and thereafter worked consciously to meet the expectations of his teacher and those around him.

His father gave him sustained support, trusted his judgement and allowed him to choose his own direction. He also encouraged Jaber’s journalistic writing. The father’s death in 1993 brought profound grief to a close and supportive family.

He joined the Qatar National Olympic Committee in 1992 and became Head of its Media Department in November 1999, serving until 2007. In 2005, he chaired the Youth and Sports Media Committee and was Vice-Chairman of the media committee for the seventeenth Arabian Gulf Cup. He became editor-in-chief of the Olympic Committee website in 2006 and, later that year, led media work for Qatar’s delegation to the fifteenth Asian Games in Doha.

Alongside print journalism, he sought experience across broadcasting and agency reporting. He prepared and presented youth programmes for Qatar Television, hosted a youth programme on Qatar Radio and contributed reports to Al Jazeera’s “Press Mirror”. Correspondence for American, Kuwaiti, Gulf and international agencies taught him the speed required by wire services and the different rhythms of newspaper work. He also wrote for newspapers, magazines and periodicals, using each platform to carry Qatari events to wider audiences and present the country accurately.

His professional development included activity across the region, including the Institute of Public Administration in Riyadh, programmes in Kuwait and Bahrain, and the training centre of Al Bayan Foundation in Dubai. In 1998, he represented Qatar at the founding meeting of the Arab-African Press Organisation in Tunisia.

His media career brought interviews with heads of state and other senior figures, including Jordan’s King Abdullah; Presidents Bashar al-Assad, Ali Abdullah Saleh, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Emile Lahoud, Michel Suleiman, Ily Ould Mohamed Vall, Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdallahi, Moncef Marzouki, Omar al-Bashir and Isaias Afwerki; and numerous prime ministers and officials. Through those encounters, he sought to introduce Qatar, demonstrate the reach and importance of its media and establish Qatari institutions within international decision-making circles. As Editor-in-Chief of Al Sharq, he promoted balanced, objective coverage and built stronger channels of communication with state institutions and ministries.

International reporting also enabled him to develop dependable sources among decision-makers. Maintaining those relationships required frequent travel and careful coordination, often assisted by Qatari ambassadors. Qatar’s international reputation helped open doors, but he understood that his own conduct also represented the country. He therefore chose his words and actions carefully and maintained respectful relationships across political and professional lines.

One of the principal projects he supervised was Al Qatari Al Fasih, launched by Dar Al Sharq to develop Qatari journalistic talent. University students and employees from different institutions received practical training in producing a complete publication. Several participants went on to establish themselves as writers and journalists.

Under his leadership, Dar Al Sharq also introduced initiatives that increased awareness of social responsibility and attracted support from government and other relevant bodies.

He developed further projects in digital media and convened seminars on both the benefits and risks of technology and social networks. The aim was to protect younger generations, strengthen social values and help the public navigate an overwhelming flow of information.

His first book, “A Speech to the Nation”, appeared in 2015. It examines addresses by His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani—may God protect him—to the United Nations General Assembly, together with international media interviews, to explain the principles of Qatari foreign policy.

His second book, published in 2023, was “From Whistle to Whistle: The Qatar World Cup 2022—The Triumph of Values and Will”. It examined Qatar’s hosting of the FIFA World Cup, focusing on culture, values, ethics, customs, Arab and Islamic concerns, and the tournament’s enduring legacy.

For him, media does more than transmit news; it carries public responsibility. He has used his positions and the resources of Dar Al Sharq to support Qatari values, customs and different sectors of society.

Former editors and colleagues of many nationalities taught him to verify information, resist emotional or impressionistic reporting and avoid haste. Credibility, he believes, matters more than an exclusive story—especially in the age of social media, when inaccurate information can shape public opinion and either support or damage national achievement.

He sees journalism as a means of hearing the public and addressing social concerns. The profession’s central challenge is to examine those concerns credibly through investigations, opinion writing and interviews while also proposing solutions. His reporting, commentary and editorial leadership have drawn attention to neglected issues, influenced interviewees and contributed to changes in some social practices.

He married at twenty-three and named his eldest son Salem after his own father. His wife has understood the demands, confidentiality and irregular hours of his profession and carried greater responsibility at home during his absences. Her support has made her a partner in every aspect of his life, while he has worked to preserve an open and friendly relationship with their children.

Even during demanding periods, he often drove the children to primary school himself. He used that private time to hear their concerns, share guidance and encourage dialogue rather than impose opinions. The habit helped create a healthy family environment.

Like his father before him, he gave the children freedom to choose their disciplines. He explained possible paths and shared both successful and difficult experiences without making the decision for them. His eldest son studied international relations and earned a master’s degree in anti-corruption; the second specialised in communications engineering and the third in mechanical engineering.

He values the willingness of Qatari decision-makers to consider reasoned criticism. Through articles and commentary, he has conveyed public concerns to officials. In his view, expressing an opinion is necessary when it is presented respectfully, supported by evidence and free from defamation or personal offence.

A long career also brought internal and external pressure. In a small society, criticism of an issue or institution can be misread as a personal attack. Constructively examining harmful practices is therefore difficult. Another challenge is the limited number of Qatari journalism professionals, even though local writers are especially well placed to understand the country’s social context. Because media is both a foundation of public life and a form of soft power, he believes stronger Qatari participation will contribute directly to national development.

His work has received substantial recognition. In 2009, Arabian Business included him among the world’s one hundred most powerful and influential Arab figures.

Earlier, in 1996, he received a League of Arab States medal as the outstanding young journalist in the Arab world. The International Olympic Committee granted him its Media and Sport Award in 2004. He was listed among the five hundred most powerful and influential Arabs in 2011, and in 2014 the Arab Media Centre Unity Council, affiliated with the League of Arab States, named him the leading Arab media personality.