Over the past five years, Hajer Abdullah has methodically – yet unmistakably – emerged as a leading voice in Saudi Arabian media. As a journalist for MBC, the Kingdom’s biggest television network, and an anchor on its renowned Nine O’Clock Bulletin programme, she has navigated cultural expectations, societal shifts, and the weight of scrutiny to become one of the very few Saudi women to report the news in the Kingdom. 

During this time, her work has shown itself to be deeply rooted in making human connections. This fact becomes abundantly clear the moment she begins to speak about why she wanted to be a journalist in the first place.

As a child, Abdullah’s dream to present the news in Saudi Arabia wasn’t an obvious – or, arguably, a realistic – career goal. Back then, the idea of having a female journalist taking up a key role on MBC was hard to imagine ever becoming a reality. “Growing up, I don’t remember seeing Saudi journalists,” she recalls. “All the anchors were Lebanese, Syrian, Jordanian… It was a Saudi TV channel, but there were no Saudi women on screen. It was a taboo.” That absence made her dream all the more focused – and powerful. “My mom has a VCR tape of me saying ‘I want to be a news presenter on MBC,’ when I was two years old – those specific words,” shares Abdullah with a smile. 

While many dismissed her early ambition, the future news reporter kept the quiet fire of her dream burning. “My teachers weren’t supportive. Some said, ‘Yeah, yeah, sure you will.’ And then, fast forward…when I joined MBC, even my old classmates and teachers messaged me to say ‘You actually made it,’” she says with pride in her voice.

But while the outside world might have openly questioned the possibility of her ever attaining her dream, inside her family’s circle of trust, Abdullah found endless support. They fostered her curiosity about the world and nurtured her intellectual discipline. “I was born in Saudi Arabia, but we moved around a lot because of my dad’s job in the stock market,” she explains. “I have lived in places like Switzerland, London, and Morocco. So, I see myself as someone with an international perspective thanks to my upbringing.” 

She gives a particular shout-out to her mother, Amal, who helped persuade Abdullah’s father to let her leave home at 17 and later move abroad to America at 19 to pursue her studies. “Her constant encouragement and her unwavering support made it all possible. I am forever grateful for her belief in me,” says the anchor.

Not unlike other Saudi women of her generation, Abdullah’s education reflects a cross-continental influence. She completed a bachelor’s in media communication and film production from Al Akhawayn University in Morocco, and followed that up by earning a master’s in broadcast journalism at City University in London. “Every semester, I went to a different campus – New York, Turkey – so it really fed my curiosity,” she explains of her time at Al Akhawayn. “This gave me a more global perspective, shaped how I saw things, and helped me to better understand nuances and that there can be many different perspectives to any situation.”

But her father Abdullah – Saudi, progressive, and politically engaged – was the real catalyst for her career choice. “He was the type to call in to political shows on the radio and television. He used to be invited to speak about the economy. And he always said he wanted one of his daughters to be a TV anchor,” says Abdullah. That support made all the difference. “It was not common. Even in open-minded families, you didn’t see that. So I was lucky. I had that push,” shares the anchor.

After a stint working in PR, Abdullah was offered a position at MBC at the tender age of 25. But only a few short years into her dream job, the budding TV personality faced a cruel reality that risked ending her career overnight.

In 2022, she began to experience hearing loss in her right ear, followed by bouts of facial paralysis and excruciating migraines that would last for weeks at a time. Finally, her worst fears were confirmed when an MRI revealed that she had a golf-ball-sized tumour sitting on the hearing nerve in her brain. Its placement meant it also affected her facial nerves, and because the hearing nerve is connected to balance, that was another area impacted by the– thankfully benign – tumour. 

Because it was too big to try and break up via radiation treatment, Abdullah made the decision, in 2023, to undergo brain surgery to remove the tumour. After meeting with doctors from around the world, she chose Dr. Muhammad Bin Mahfouz, head of the Neurology Department at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, in Jeddah, to take on the delicate procedure. “The doctor told me I needed to be mentally and psychologically prepared for anything to happen, including losing my hearing from my right ear permanently, and also maybe coming out from surgery with facial paralysis – as if my part of my face would look basically melted, that I might lose my smile, and, in some cases, people lose the ability to speak,” she recalls. But as the effects of the growing tumour became unbearable, she made the hard choice to move forward with the surgery. 

“It was a very, very long recovery,” recounts Abdullah, who reveals that, in order to reduce the risk of permanent damage to her nerves, her doctor decided to leave 30 per cent of the non-cancerous tumour in place. “Some doctors will aggressively remove the whole tumour, regardless of how it might affect the patient,” she confesses. “I am so glad I went with my surgeon in Saudi.”

Despite the successful surgery, Abdullah still found herself having to learn how to walk again, and, for a while, she says her eyelids wouldn’t close fully. Not to mention that the medication also impacted her body, causing significant weight gain. “It took me a very long time to feel like myself again,” she admits. “It was a year before I was able to walk properly, and I still don't really have proper balance.”

However, going through this surgery and having to face her mortality had a profound impact on the anchor’s perspective on life. “When I woke up from the surgery, I made the decision that I would not waste my time on anything that didn’t bring value,” says Abdullah. “Now, I prioritise my peace, my mental health, my own well-being. I do not waste time on anything that sucks energy out of me in a negative way. This experience taught me to stop being a people pleaser, and it showed me just how strong I am inside. That if I were able to overcome this, I think I can overcome anything that comes in my way.”

Today, Abdullah is back in the anchor’s chair and is seen as a rising name in the Kingdom, driven by instinct, intellect, and a journalist’s insatiable curiosity. “Every single journalist is a curious person,” she says from her home in Dubai, as her French bulldog Benny snores softly behind her. “We ask questions and seek answers.”

Abdullah’s influence reaches far beyond MBC, a channel that seems to be on 24/7 in most homes in Saudi Arabia. The anchor currently has over 136,000 followers on Instagram and an even larger community (291,000 followers and counting) on TikTok – 90 percent of whom come from the Kingdom. This puts her in a rarefied position to give her endlessly curious audience an unprecedented behind-the-scenes view of a world once considered inaccessible. 

“They were always asking me things like, ‘Do you get to take the clothes? Who shops for you?’ So, I showed them. I say, ‘I have a styling team. I get to keep the clothes. I have water in my news cup,’” she recounts, adding that her post about what she is drinking while reporting the news got over three million views.

The ease with which Abdullah is almost effortlessly able to straddle both the world of hard-hitting news and the often more playful space of social media feels nothing short of revolutionary. The reserved, sharp-witted, and sincerely grounded journalist now has one of the most recognisable faces of MBC’s flagship news cast and is also a social media phenomenon. All without compromising her sense of purpose. “I'm not an influencer,” she clarifies. “I built my reputation.”

Abdullah sees her platforms as a way for her to help education and empower, particularly younger Saudis. “I think they liked seeing the silliness away from the seriousness of television. Obviously, if I’m speaking about elections or Trump, I have to be serious, but I am not serious all the time,” she affirms. Abdullah makes the argument that, just because she is a trusted professional face on MBC who reports on hard-hitting news, that doesn’t mean there isn’t a place for her to connect on a more personal level with her Arabic-speaking audience. There’s a phrase in Arabic, she adds, that sums it up – “To each situation, its place.”

It hasn’t always been easy for the anchor to navigate tradition and transformation. Initially, Abdullah’s social media accounts were set to private. But when she joined MBC, as a representative of the channel, she was asked to make it open to the public. Then, she decided to embrace the more relaxed and playful world of TikTok as well. “My team at MBC really questioned my choice to start posting on TikTok when I first began. And it’s true that I had my first post sitting in my drafts for six months before I decided to finally share it. But now, every single one of my colleagues is on TikTok trying to go viral. It’s hilarious,” she says.

And then there’s her sense of responsibility – not just as a public figure, but as a symbol of a new era for Saudi women. “What a time to be a Saudi woman,” she says, without irony. “The government is supporting us across the board. It wants women to be successful in whatever field they are passionate about. Now, whatever you want to be, there’s someone listening and willing to help.”

Abdullah has experienced this shift firsthand, and she takes immense pride in being an example to a global audience. She sees her work as a way to both inspire other Saudi women and educate the rest of the world about what it means to be a Saudi woman in today’s Kingdom. “My work allows me to represent my country – to moderate panels with, for example, Aramco, the Ministry of Culture, or the Saudi Fashion Council. And people are always coming up to me at these events and asking, ‘Are you Saudi?’ And I say, ‘Yes, and I’m proud to be here.’”

That quiet pride extends to breaking stereotypes. “I was speaking French with a panellist from France. And he was like, ‘Wait…are you Saudi?’ I said yes, and he said, ‘You’re wearing a suit, your hair isn’t covered.’ I said, ‘Yes, and I speak three languages.’ He was fascinated.”

Transforming preconceived narratives about her home country is something Abdullah hopes to continue to do as Saudi Arabia prepares to host Expo 2030 and the FIFA World Cup. “Saudi is going to see a huge influx of people, which is such an important opportunity for us,” she says. “The world once underestimated cities like Dubai – but it’s now a thriving global hub. I think that Riyadh is now stepping confidently into the spotlight as well. I’m truly excited for the rest of the world to discover everything it has to offer, because it has really flourished in such a short time,” the anchor elaborates.

The world once underestimated the potential of cities like Dubai, but it has become a thriving global hub. Today, Riyadh too is stepping confidently into the spotlight, and I’m truly excited for the rest of the world to discover everything it has to offer as it flourishes in such a short time.

However, Abdullah’s goals don’t stop with representation. She wants her work to be meaningful – and lasting. “I’m not seeking to be famous. I don’t want to be the person who can’t walk in the street without being stopped. I want to be known for achievements, not for being online,” she says earnestly.

Speaking of achievements, at the top of her ultimate interview wish-list is none other than the Kingdom’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister, HRH Mohammed bin Salman. “I don’t think any female Saudi journalist has done a one-on-one with him,” she says. “That would be my Barbara Walters moment.”

All that being said, Abdullah’s ultimate dream is a quieter one. “Eventually, I want to retire on a farm, with my rescue dogs, my horses, and just grow my own tomatoes,” she says. “That’s my dream.”

Still, she isn’t slowing down any time soon, and is already looking at what she might do next. “Eventually, I want to work more directly with the government,” she shares. “Maybe the Ministry of Media. Maybe as a spokesperson for Saudi. MBC was the dream. But it’s not the end goal.”

Until then, Hajer Abdullah continues to chart her own path – serious but playful, rooted but ambitious, public but deeply private. “I value my peace. I value my time. I don’t say yes to everything.”

Jewellery: Boucheron
Photographer: Fouad Tadros
Creative Producer: Beya Bou-Harb
Stylist: Jade Chilton
Talent: Hajer Abdullah
Make-up: Emily Clayton
Hair: Betty Bee
Videographer: George Tsikos
Assistant Stylist: Hena Abando