Appointment of Rima Abdul Malak as Executive Director of L’Orient-Le Jour
The Société Générale de Presse et d’Édition, based in Beirut and publisher of L’Orient-Le Jour and L’Orient Today, is pleased to announce the appointment of Rima Abdul Malak as Executive Director, effective Nov. 10, 2025.
L’Orient-Le Jour recently celebrated its centenary, marking a century of independence, editorial freedom, and journalistic rigor. Its longevity owes much to a constantly evolving newsroom, continuous renewal, and unwavering commitment to digital transformation — without ever compromising its mission.
Free from state or political funding and supported by shareholders committed to editorial independence, L’Orient-Le Jour represents a singular voice in the Arab media landscape, offering a pluralistic, free, and sovereign vision of Lebanon, in constant dialogue with its diaspora. Guided by humanist principles and rejecting all forms of fanaticism, it defends the rule of law, cultural and religious diversity, integrity, transparency, and freedom of expression.
A French-Lebanese national, former French Minister of Culture Rima Abdul Malak has consistently championed these values throughout her career, spanning humanitarian work, diplomacy, and cultural policy — from her work at Paris City Hall to the Elysée presidential palace, and from New York to refugee camps around the world. Building on a century-long legacy of resilience in the face of regional upheavals, she will lead L’Orient-Le Jour into a new phase of development: expanding its international reach, broadening its editorial offerings, driving digital innovation, and engaging new audiences — all while remaining true to its founding values.
“Rima Abdul Malak will bring renewed energy to extend the newspaper’s reach, adapt its business model to new industry challenges, and strengthen its influence both in the Middle East and internationally. Determined and sensitive, she has always defended press freedom and supported civil society in Lebanon. Her international experience, strategic and operational skills, and deep attachment to Lebanon and its diaspora are essential assets to secure the future of L’Orient-Le Jour at the helm of a committed team,” said Nayla de Freige, Chair of the Board of Directors of the L’Orient-Le Jour Group.
“Nothing is more essential today than the cause of information. Defending it is a democratic struggle, the foundation of freedom, justice, and trust. In a world shaken by geopolitical crises, disinformation, and polarized opinions, L’Orient-Le Jour plays a crucial role in fostering informed and free public debate. I am honored to dedicate my energy to this next chapter of its history, consolidating its independence, amplifying its impact, and strengthening the vital link between Lebanon and all those around the world who continue to believe in its future,” stated Rima Abdul Malak.
On behalf of the entire Board of Directors, Nayla de Freige wishes to commend the dedicated work of Fouad Khoury Helou, Group Director since 2021, who successfully expanded the newspaper’s audience while maintaining its financial stability despite the multiple crises that have shaken Lebanon and the region in recent years.
“I leave my position satisfied to have successfully guided L’Orient-Le Jour through a challenging security and economic context. I extend my gratitude to the shareholders, the editorial and administrative teams, and the readers of L’Orient-Le Jour, a newspaper that remains, in my eyes, one
of Lebanon’s strongest symbols,” said Fouad Khoury Helou.
About Rima Abdul Malak
Born in 1979, Rima Abdul Malak spent her early years in Beirut before her family fled the civil war and settled in Lyon. A Political Science graduate, she began her career in international solidarity, working in Palestinian territories for CCFD (Catholic Committee Against Hunger and for Development), and later directed Clowns Without Borders, providing psychosocial support to children affected by war and poverty.
Culture soon became her main focus: at the Institut Français (French Institute), the Paris City Hall under Mayor Bertrand Delanoë, and as a cultural attaché in New York, fostering exchanges between France and the U.S. In 2019, she became the culture advisor to President Emmanuel Macron, playing a key role during the Covid pandemic to protect, through unprecedented measures, the press, artists and cultural institutions.
From 2022 to 2024, she served as France’s Minister of Culture, the first French-Lebanese in a French government. Her priorities included youth, heritage, creation, and media independence. She strengthened public broadcasting, promoted media literacy, supported press cartoonists, and prepared the ‘États Généraux de l’Information’ (a collective 9-month study by a French independent organization on the right to information). At the European level, she contributed to the Media Freedom Act which aimed to protect the freedom of journalists and media pluralism.
Since leaving government in January 2024, Rima Abdul Malak has been actively involved with several Lebanese institutions, including the Samir Kassir Foundation for Press Freedom, the Sursock Museum, Metropolis Cinema, and Saint Joseph University (USJ).
She sits on the Board of Reporters Without Borders, the international committee of ALIPH (The International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage), and chairs the jury of the ‘Planches Contact’ photography festival in Deauville. She also founded the “Rima Poésie Club » (Rima Poetry Club) and has produced several performances centered around her passion for poetry.
A distinctive figure in the French-Lebanese cultural dialogue, her career reflects a steadfast belief that words, arts, and ideas can help shape the future.
About L’Orient-Le Jour
Founded in 1971 from the merger of L’Orient (founded in Beirut in 1924 by Georges Naccache and Gabriel Khabbaz) and Le Jour (founded in Beirut in 1934 by Michel Chiha), L’Orient-Le Jour is Lebanon’s only French-language daily. Its Board is chaired by Nayla de Freige and its team comprises over 100 professionals, including around 60 journalists.
The newspaper has given space to some of the most prominent thinkers, columnists, writers, and journalists of modern Lebanon. A standard-bearer of the Francophonie, it strives to provide independent, rigorous, and high-quality reporting for all those connected to Lebanon and the Middle East.
L’Orient-Le Jour is overseen by a management committee including Nayla de Freige (CEO), Elie Fayad and Anthony Samrani (Editors-in-Chief), Ludovic Blecher (Board Executive Member), Emilie Sueur (Director of Digital Development), and Nicole Karkour (Marketing Director). Starting Nov. 10, Rima Abdul Malak will succeed Fouad Khoury Helou as Executive Director and member of the management committee.
Since its founding, the newspaper has upheld democratic values, pluralism, openness, and cultural and religious dialogue. It won the 2022 ‘Grande Médaille de la Francophonie’ from the Académie Française, and the 2021 ‘Albert Londres’ Prize — awarded to journalist Caroline Hayek. Its credibility is recognized internationally for analysis quality, reliability, and insight into Middle Eastern affairs.
In June 2025, L’Orient-Le Jour became the first Lebanese media outlet — and one of the few in the Middle East — to receive the Journalism Trust Initiative (JTI) certification, developed by Reporters Without Borders (RSF). Modeled on an ISO standard, this certification serves as a mark of professionalism and transparency.
In 2020, the group launched its English-language sister publication, L’Orient Today, distributed digitally.
Founded in Beirut in 1929 by the poet Georges Schehadeh and taken over in 1955 by Salah Stetie, L’Orient Littéraire is the cultural supplement of L’Orient-Le Jour, covering all news related to books and literature in Lebanon. It showcases the best Lebanese and Arab voices writing in French, with Alexandre Najjar as editor-in-chief since 2006.
The L’Orient-Le Jour Group is fully independent, receiving no funding from political parties or governments. Revenues come from newspaper sales, subscriptions, partnerships, and advertising.
The Société Générale de Presse et d’Édition, a Lebanese public limited company, publishes L’Orient-Le Jour. Its shareholders are primarily the Edde family, the Helou family, the Choueiri Group, and the Pharaon Group. All shareholders are committed to upholding the integrity, independence, and editorial freedom of the newsroom.
