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Mayssoun Azzam (Arabic: ميسون عزام) (born 1973) is a Palestinian TV anchor, news presenter, media instructor, member of the College of Media & Mass Communication Advisory Board at the American University in the Emirates (AUE) and humanitarian activist.
She has interviewed several figures and decision-makers including Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Saudi State Minister for Foreign Affairs Adel al-Jubair, The UAE State Minister for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gergash, former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair and Microsoft founder Bill Gates among others. In addition, she reported from the embattled West Bank in Palestine. Al Arabiya was the media sponsor for the Palestinian first investment conference held in Bethlehem, and she was chosen to MC the inauguration which included keynote speakers like President Mahmoud Abbas among others.
She produced eleven episodes about the obstacles facing pregnant women at work. She broke the classic image of Arab news presenters and shared the ups and downs she went through as a working pregnant presenter.
Mayssoun was appointed as the Ambassador of Nescafe Red Mug (2010/11) to highlight health benefits of coffee and to address the myths surrounding habitual coffee drinking.
She worked as an instructor at Mohammed Bin Rashid School for communication, in the American University in Dubai (AUD), where she taught several courses including Multi-platform Story-telling and Media, Culture and Society, and Advanced Reporting. Currently Mayssoun Azzam is focusing her work on humanitarian issues. In August 2019, she was honored by The RNVDO organization, operating in the northern Iraqi governorate of Nineveh, as Representative of Nineveh Voluntary for IDPs 2019.
Mayssoun participated in conferences as a moderator such as Nato foundation(2019 and 2021) Davos (2018 and 2019) and Beirut Institute and also as a key speaker in many seminars such as the 12th International Conference of the Arab-US Association for Communication Educators held in Zayed University, the Arab Satellite Channels Conference in Jordan and a conference organized by the Arab Women Organization about the suffering of displaced women in the regions
During her working experience in Al Arabiya, Mayssoun anchored for three years a two-hours, weekly talk show, Mashahed wa Ara’ (مشاهد وآراء).
Mayssoun also wrote political and social articles that were published on AlArabiya.net website.
Early life
Azzam was born in Abu Dhabi, UAE to a Palestinian family. Her parents, Nawaf Azzam and Isaaf El-Youssef, fled Palestine to Lebanon in 1948.
Her father graduated from the Beirut Arab University with a law degree. However, he was unable to practice law due to labor laws in Lebanon that restricted Palestinians from most white-collar professions. He worked as a school administrator at the Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp in Sidon before moving his family to the Persian Gulf region.
Mayssoun grew up in Abu Dhabi where she attended the Rosary School. She later earned her bachelor's degree in Communication Arts, emphasis in Journalism from the Lebanese American University. Her master's degree was earned at the University of London, Birkbeck, majoring in Global Politics.
References
- "Up Close and Personal with Mayssoun Azzam". Al Bawaba. 9 August 2005. Retrieved 21 September 2011.