AHMED SHIHAB-ELDIN

curious by nature. storyteller by nurture.

shifting perceptions away from dogma & division,

towards compassion & connection.

Ahmed Shihab-Eldin is an Emmy-nominated journalist, producer and actor. His latest documentary investigation, produced for the BBC Queer Egypt Under Attack won a British Journalism Award for Social Affairs, Diversity & Inclusion. Prior to that he worked as a Senior Correspondent for AJ+ where he produced award-winning documentaries focused on social justice and human rights.

A few months ago, he acted in a short film: The Red Sea Makes Me Wanna Cry Cannes Directors' Fortnight Selection which won the Silver Star for Short Films at the El Gouna Film Festival‘s sixth edition was the first Jordanian short to ever premiere at the Cannes film festival.

Ahmed’s first job out of grad school was in New York with PBS where he worked as a digital producer for the award-winning documentary series "Wide Angle," and also as a videographer for FRONTLINE/World, before joining The New York Times' international desk as a News Producer.

He also worked as a reporter and producer for Al Jazeera English, The New York Times, The Huffington Post and PBS. He is most widely known for creating and co-hosting Al Jazeera English’s flagship program ‘The Stream’ an interactive live talk show nominated for an Emmy Award for Most Innovative Program in 2012.

Ahmed worked as a correspondent and producer on six documentaries for the award-winning VICE on HBO. In 2015 and 2016, he was featured on the Arabian Business Power List "100 under 40: The world’s most influential young Arabs." Ahmed helped establish HuffPost Live in 2012 for The Huffington Post, producing and hosting "World Brief," a 30-minute interactive global news show. In 2013 he was featured on Forbes’ "30 Under 30 list of young disruptors, innovators & media entrepreneurs impatient to change the world."

Before joining Al Jazeera English in 2009, Ahmed helped launch the Doha Tribeca Film Festival in Qatar where he worked as a correspondent and led the site's editorial content.

In 2009, Ahmed began teaching digital media courses as an adjunct professor at Columbia University's Graduate School Of Journalism, his alma mater, where he graduated with honors in 2007.

In 2013, Ahmed published his first book, "Demanding Dignity." Ahmed is passionate about telling stories that connect people across boundaries and borders that separate them. He has studied improv and sketch comedy in the hopes of one day being told he is funny.

He has also appeared as a commentator for CNN, NBC, BBC, MSNBC, Comedy Central, Al Jazeera, Yahoo and other platforms, and is often invited to speak at leading media, technology, and ideas conferences around the world - including the UN, World Economic Forum, SXSW, Aspen Ideas Festival and Google Zeitgeist.

In October 2022 Ahmed was featured on the cover of GQ magazine, where he also has published cover stories and other commentary pieces. In 2013, the Network of Arab-American Professionals honored him with the 2013 Professional Excellence Award.

Ahmed is currently developing a podcast, acting in some films, and documenting the genocide of the Palestinian people. His parents who left Palestine in 1948 and 1967 respectively, were both born in Palestine.

curious by nature. storyteller by nurture.

shifting perceptions away from dogma & division,

towards compassion & connection.

videos