Mayssoun Azzam
Mayssoun Azzam () (born 1973) is a Palestinian political anchor and news presenter based in Dubai and working for Al Arabiya News Channel since 2003. During her working experience in Al Arabiya, Mayssoun anchored for three years a two-hours, weekly talk show, "Mashahed wa Ara’" (مشاهد وآراء). She also interviewed high-profile guests, such as Mahmoud Abbas, Bill Gates, Tony Blair, and Salam Fayyad. In addition, she reported from the embattled West Bank in Palestine where she was embedded with international activists who were helping Palestinian farmers harvest their olives and protecting from the hostilities of the Jewish  settlers. 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. Believing in the importance of supporting woman in all fields, 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. In addition to her work at Al Arabiya, Mayssoun Azzam taught communication at the American University in Dubai. Early life. Mayssoun 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.