Khalid Al-Matrafi was recently appointed as director of Asharq TV in Saudi Arabia.
Before his new position, he served as regional director of Al Arabiya news in the Kingdom from 2003 to 2015.
Al-Matrafi worked as deputy editor in chief and Jeddah office manager for Al-Watan newspaper from 1999 to 2003. He also worked as managing editor (domestic affairs) of Al-Madinah newspaper from 1995 to 1999.
Al-Matrafi was the office manager of Al-Madinah’s Riyadh office between 1994 and 1995, and before that served as full-time editor and office manager for the same newspaper’s Makkah office.
Al-Matrafi is well versed in establishing media entities, leadership performance, management, staffing, coordination, coaching, developing standards, financial planning and strategy, process improvement and decision-making.
He said that “professionalism is the foundation upon which any journalistic work relies and is based. It is the main pillar upon which one can perform the mission of journalism with accuracy, objectivity and integrity.”
He earned a bachelor’s degree in media from Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah. Al-Matrafi also completed media courses in Washington, US, in 1999. He completed a mass communication program in 2006, and a video and backpack journalism course at Al Arabiya in 2008.
Who’s Who: Khalid Al-Matrafi, director of Asharq TV in Saudi Arabia
https://arab.news/2usat
Who’s Who: Khalid Al-Matrafi, director of Asharq TV in Saudi Arabia
Authorities record 19,077 violations of residency, labor and border laws in one week
- Saudi authorities recorded 19,077 violations of the country’s residency, labor and border security laws in one week
RIYADH: Saudi authorities recorded 19,077 violations of the country’s residency, labor and border security laws in one week, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Saturday.
The Ministry of Interior recorded the offenses between Feb. 19-25, including 13,215 related to residency, 3,396 to border security and 2,466 to labor.
A total of 1,615 people were apprehended after trying to enter the Kingdom illegally, 34 percent of whom were from Yemen, 64 percent from Ethiopia and 2 percent from other nationalities.
They also arrested 70 people for trying to leave the country illegally.
Authorities also arrested 10 people involved in the illegal transportation, shelter and employment of violators.
A total of 20,712 expatriates including 19,304 men and 1,408 women are currently undergoing procedures to enforce regulations.
Meanwhile, 14,982 individuals were detained for violating regulations and were instructed to contact their countries’ embassies or consulates to obtain proper travel documents.
In addition, 1,364 were advised to make travel arrangements, and 11,040 were repatriated.
The Ministry of Interior warned that anyone who facilitates the illegal entry of individuals into the Kingdom, transports them within its territory, or provides them with shelter, assistance or other service may face penalties of up to 15 years in prison and a fine of up to SR1 million ($266,700).
Vehicles used for transport and properties used for shelter may also be confiscated.
The ministry emphasized that such acts constitute major crimes that warrant arrest and urged the public to report any violations by calling 911 in Makkah, Riyadh and Eastern regions, or 999 and 996 in other parts of the Kingdom.
