Breaking Defense is expanding our coverage of the global defense community with the announcement of focused new coverage of defense in Arab world and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). This week, Breaking Defense has appointed Riad Kahwaji as its Contributing Editor, GCC and Middle East and Chyrine Mezher as Correspondent, GCC and Middle East.
Mr. Kahwaji brings vast experience and reporting contacts in the region. He is founder of SEGMA, the premier defense conference organizer in the Middle East. Mr. Kahwaji also founded and leads Security and Defense Arabia (SD Arabia), the leading Arabic language news site and magazine serving the defense community in the Middle East. Kahwaji has 32 years of experience as a journalist and Middle East security analyst. He was the Middle East Bureau Chief with Defense News for eight years , worked for Jane’s defense group and with the BBC World Service as news producer, along with several news organizations and outlets in the Middle East region. Mr. Kahwaji has contributed to many professional and news publications and has published two books in Arabic: “Air Power and Future Wars” in 2020; and “The Basis of the Lebanese Defense Strategy” in 2009. Mr. Kahwaji earned his M.A. in War Studies from King College, London, with a BA in Mass Communications from Phillips University, Oklahoma, USA. He is currently pursuing a doctorate in Global Security with American Military University. Kahwaji is based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates with offices in Lebanon.
Ms. Mezher also has extensive experience reporting on Middle East Defense. She has been an editor and reporting on Middle East with SD Arabia for nearly 8 years, with additional experience as a correspondent for Defense News. Mezher has deep experience and an excellent network within the regional defense community. She holds a BA and MA in Journalism from the Lebanese University.
In addition to expansion of coverage with original reporting from the region, Breaking Defense has entered into a media partnership with SD Arabia, which will utilize Breaking Defense content and help develop joint projects with Breaking Defense in the Middle East region. SD Arabia editors will have access to Breaking Defense articles to translate into Arabic on a special Breaking Defense branded section on both the sdarabia.com web site and its companion print publication, SD Arabia.
“This investment in our international coverage and strategic partnership is another important step in the impressive growth of Breaking Defense, the fastest growing and most dynamic media in the international defense market.” Said David Smith, publisher and managing director of Breaking Defense. “We’ve identified the Middle East as a key market for expansion. We have a commitment to exceptional coverage of and service to the region’s defense professionals. We’re delighted to engage with a Riad and his team, and to enter into partnership with SEGMA and SD Arabia. This is yet further growth and success for Breaking Defense, and a sign of further great things to come.”
“Partnering and collaborating with Breaking Defense is an important step forward for me and SD Arabia, and we intend to provide strong and insightful coverage of the Middle East region,” said Riad Kahwaji. “Teaming up with Breaking Defense will double the capabilities in providing quality news coverage to the defense industries and military establishments on both sides of the globe, and we intend to jointly develop new products to maximize outreach and benefits to all stakeholders.”
Breaking Defense Editor, Colin Clark said “This expansion, envisioned since the day I founded Breaking Defense, clearly signals our long-term commitment to covering the global community, while still keeping a keen eye on the largest market in the world, the United States. It complements our already strong coverage of Israel and sets the stage for more exciting international developments. I couldn’t be more pleased to work with Riad and his team in helping to bring the most thoughtful and insightful defense coverage from the Arab region to our readers.”
About Breaking Defense
Breaking Defense is the digital magazine on the strategy, policy and technology of defense. Breaking Defense is the definitive source for senior defense professionals, military leadership and VIPs, offering analysis, perspective and insight on key developments with unparalleled expertise, depth and context. For clients, Breaking Defense offers the most innovative and creative digital approaches to reaching and engaging with professionals in the defense market, with unsurpassed digital campaign performance. Breaking Defense is produced by Breaking Media, a highly innovative business-to-business digital media company based in New York City, Breaking Media’s properties include industry leading media such as Above the Law, Dealbreaker, Fashionista, MedCity News and Breaking Energy.
About SD Arabia and SEGMA
Based in Beirut, Lebanon with headquarters offices in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, SD Arabia (www.sdarabia.com )is the first ever Arabic news website dedicated to military affairs. It was established in 2009 and today has tens of thousands of readers in the Arab world and is the number one Arabic defense website in the region. SD Arabia also produces a quarterly print publication as a companion to its core digital offerings. Working from the offices in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, SEGMA ME is a premier producer of specialized high-caliber conferences tackling security and defense issues within the Gulf region (www.segma.co ).