United Media Services (UMS) announced yesterday that its contract with prominent journalist and TV presenter Lamees al- Hadidy has concluded.
In a statement, UMS said: “After a journey spanning five consecutive years, United Media Services and Lamees al-Hadidy have mutually agreed not to renew the contract for the upcoming period.”
The statement added: “The company wishes Lamees al-Hadidy continued success, advancement, and prosperity.”
Al-Hadidy responded to the UMS announcement in her first public comment on the termination of her contract for the program “Kalema Akheera” (Last Word) on the ON channel.
On her official X (formerly Twitter) account, she wrote: “I conclude years of work with UMS, proud of the professional work I presented, through which I tried—to the best of my ability—to offer what befits the Egyptian audience. I thank the wonderful team that accompanied me throughout my long journalistic career across various screens. I thank my great audience—those who agreed with me and those who disagreed—for their support, love, assistance, and also their criticism. For you, we work; from you, we learn; and with you, we continue. And to a new journalistic and media experience soon.”
Born in Cairo on November 8, 1969, Al-Hadidy earned her degree in Economics and Political Science from the American University in Cairo. She further specialized in her field by earning a Master’s degree in Television Journalism.
Al-Hadidy’s extensive career in media began in 1987 at the American network NBC. She then spent three years as a correspondent for the New York Times channel. Her international experience continued with a tenure at MBC from 1994 to 1999, followed by CNBC from 1995 to 2009. Transitioning into print media, she took on the role of Editor-in-Chief for Al-Alam Al-Youm, an economic newspaper.
Throughout her career on Egyptian television, al-Hadidy hosted a variety of programs, including “Etkallem,” “Mane’ wa Mamnou’,” “El Ekhteyar El As’ab,” “Min Qalb Masr,” and “Feesh wa Tashbeeh.” Following the January 25th Revolution in 2011, she joined the CBC network, where she hosted “Nuss El Haqeeqa” (Half the Truth) before leading the daily program “Hona El Assema” (Here is the Capital).
A testament to her impactful journalistic journey, al-Hadidy has interviewed numerous globally significant figures. Among the most prominent personalities she has hosted are Hillary Clinton, Tony Blair, Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen), Khaled Meshaal, and Magdi Yacoub.
