Waleed Al-Ibrahim is the founder and Chairman of the Middle East Broadcasting Center (MBC), the Arab world’s largest media conglomerate. He launched MBC in 1991 as the region’s first independent Arabic satellite TV station. His media empire has since expanded to include more than a dozen channels, including the 24-hour news network Al Arabiya.
In late 2017, Al-Ibrahim was detained in a Saudi anti-corruption campaign and was held for three months at the Ritz-Carlton in Riyadh. He was released after reaching a financial settlement with the government. In late 2023, MBC Group was publicly listed on the Saudi stock exchange. As of August 2025, Al-Ibrahim holds a 36% stake, while the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) owns 54%