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Ali Amar

Ali Amar

Ali Amar is a veteran Moroccan journalist who is the co-founder and current Director of Publication of the online news outlet Le Desk. He earned an MA in International journalism from the City University London and an executive degree from LSE.

Prior to launching his journalistic career, Amar worked in the banking sector, as Head of America & Asia Correspondent banking in Wafabank where he remained for five years (1990-95). A sudden end was put to his career when Amar was accused of fraude of bank documents. He served time prior to benefiting from a royal pardon. 

Upon his release, Ali Amar began his journalistic career in 1996 at La Vie Eco. He then launched with Aboubakr Jamai and Hassane Mansouri in 1997 (replaced in 1998 by Fadel Iraki), the weekly Le Journal, that will become the flagship print outlet of the new independent press. They surrounded themselves with a team of professional journalists from a variety of backgrounds. Ali Amar remained, throughout the years, General Director of Le Journal, later renamed Le Journal Hebdo until its court-mandated shutdown in January 2010Their team had in fact faced an impressive number of court cases throughout the lifetime of their outlet, and its Arabic-language version Assahifa, due in large part to their uncomplacent tone towards the regime and power in place and their investigations. 

Following the closing down of the outlet and foreclosure of the company, Amar left the country to live in Spain, France, Slovenia and Belgium as Senior Fellow and Guest Writer of International Cities of Refuge Network, an NGO based in Norway. He returned to Morocco in 2015 to launch Le Desk with Fatima Zahra Lqadiri, Aziz Aouadi (as business angel) and journalists Christophe Guguen and Omar Radi.

Amar published several essays. Among them, the best-selling « Mohammed VI, the great misunderstanding » (Calmann-Lévy, 2009). Amar regularly publishes articles for international outlets, such as the French investigation online platform Mediapart. He also covered the Arab Spring in Morocco for The New York Times. 

Media Companies / Groups
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  • Project by
    Le Desk
  •  
    Global Media Registry
  • Funded by
    BMZ