Jomana Alrashid

Jomana Alrashid
Born1988 (age 37–38)
Saudi Arabia
EducationSOAS University of London (BA), City University of London (MA)
Occupation
  • Media executive
AwardsTime 100 Next 2025

Jomana R. Alrashid is a Saudi media executive and former journalist. She is the CEO of the Saudi Research and Media Group and the chairman of the Red Sea Film Festival Foundation and Thmanyah. She was previously a communications aide to the Saudi Arabia Embassy to the United Kingdom. She was named on the Time 100 Next in 2025, and also has been named on the Forbes Middle East Most Powerful Businesswomen list in 2023, 2024, and 2025.

Early life

She was born in 1988 in Saudi Arabia. She went on to attend the School of Oriental & African Studies, where she earned her BA in political science in 2011, before earning her MA in international journalism from the City University of London in 2013. She worked as a correspondent for Arab News and then for Al Riyadh. She also concurrently was media advisor and communications director at the Saudi Arabia Embassy to the United Kingdom.[1][2]

Professional life

Since October 2020, she has been the CEO of the Saudi Research and Media Group (SRMG),[3][4] which is the largest media group in the MENA region[5] and owns a variety of different media sources, including Arab News, Asharq, Billboard Arabia, and others.[6] It also is a minority investor of the Penske Media Corporation, which owns Variety and other news sites.[7] During her time as CEO, the SRMG has pursued AI-related ventures. She has opined that AI will never replace human creativity,[8] but a SRMG subsidiary developed a campaign utilizing an artificial intelligence-made rendition of deceased Saudi Arabian singer Etab's voice and image.[9] She has also emphasized supporting women in the media industry.[10][11][12][13] She stated that her appointment was part of a vision that "trickled down from the highest levels of government to... entities such as SRMG", but also stated each SRMG publication maintains its own independent editorial approach.[10] SRMG has been categorized as Captured Public/State-Managed by the State Media Monitor every year since 2022.[14]

She also is the chair of the Red Sea Film Foundation,[3][15] which she took over not long after the unbanning of Saudi cinema in 2017. During her time leading the foundation, she has had the first Saudi film selected for Cannes in the form of Norah. She has also led the Foundation through its relocation to Al-Balad, Jeddah.[7][16] In 2024, she led the Red Sea Film Festival to its fourth year, with multiple notable actors appearing including Will Smith and Ranveer Singh.[11][17]

She also is chair of Thmanyah, an Arabic podcast platform[5][18] which is also 51% owned by the Saudi Research and Media Group.[19] After Thmanyah became partially owned by the SRMG, the company received exclusive regional broadcast rights to the Saudi Pro League, the King Cup, the Saudi Super Cup, and the Saudi First Division League.[20] In 2026, SRMG announced that their stake in Thmanyah would increase to 75%.[19] She sits on the board of directors of King Saud University and Argaam Investment Company, as well as the board of trustees of the Diriyah Biennale Foundation[5] and the King Salman Center for Disability Research.[3] She was also an executive producer of the 2026 film In the Grey,[21] the 2024 film The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare,[22] and the 2023 film Ferrari.[23]

She appears without a headscarf online, but at functions covers her hair.[24]

Awards

She was named on the Time 100 Next in 2025, where she was called "an architect of the Middle East's shifting media landscape".[25][26] She was the first Saudi named on the Time 100 Next.[27] She was named on the Forbes Middle East Most Powerful Businesswomen list in 2023, when she ranked twenty-fifth,[28] 2024, when she ranked twenty-sixth,[29] and 2025, where she ranked twenty-fifth.[30] She was named one of the top leaders in the middle east by Communicate Middle East in 2021[31] and one of the most creative people in the Middle East by Fast Company Middle East.[32]

References

  1. ↑ Huda (2023-11-03). "The Saudi Journalist Jumana Al-Rashed". Arabisk London. Retrieved 2026-07-11.
  2. ↑ "State Media Chief Jomana Alrashid Selected for TIME100's 2025 List". CairoScene. Archived from the original on 2026-07-11. Retrieved 2026-07-11.
  3. 1 2 3 "Jomana Rashed Alrashid | King Salman Center for Disability Research". kscdr.org.sa. Retrieved 2026-07-11.
  4. ↑ Atkinson, Claire (2024-01-05). "H'wood Saudi Pivot: the Players and Playbook". The Ankler. Archived from the original on 2026-07-12. Retrieved 2026-07-11.
  5. 1 2 3 "Jomana R. Al-Rashid". Middle East Institute. Retrieved 2026-07-11.
  6. ↑ Khatu, Ishwari (2023-04-25). "SRMG launches new Saudi-based travel magazine". Campaign Middle East. Retrieved 2026-07-11.
  7. 1 2 Vivarelli, Nick (2024-09-03). "Red Sea Film Foundation Chief Jomana Al-Rashid on Fueling Saudi Arabia's Cinematic Ambitions". Variety. Archived from the original on 2026-07-13. Retrieved 2026-07-11.
  8. ↑ "AI will never replace human creativity, says SRMG CEO". Arab News. 2026-01-30. Retrieved 2026-07-11.
  9. ↑ Nagarajan, Shantelle (2025-06-20). "SRMG Labs win Gold and Silver at Cannes Lions". Campaign Middle East. Retrieved 2026-07-11.
  10. 1 2 "Jomana Al-Rashid: We Have Ambitious Growth Plans for the Saudi Research & Media Group". english.aawsat.com. Retrieved 2026-07-11.
  11. 1 2 Goodfellow, Melanie (2024-11-11). "Red Sea Film Festival Heads Jomana Al Rashid & Shivani Pandya Talk Upcoming 4th Edition: "This Is Much More Than A Festival"". Deadline. Archived from the original on 2026-07-14. Retrieved 2026-07-11.
  12. ↑ "Saudi Arabia's RSIFF Hosts "Women In Cinema" Gala At The Cannes Film Festival". A&E Magazine. 2024-05-19. Retrieved 2026-07-11.
  13. ↑ Lodderhose, Diana (2022-12-02). "Red Sea Festival Execs Mohammed Al Turki & Jomana Al-Rashid Talk Second Edition: "It's About Changing Mindsets" — Red Sea Studio". Deadline. Retrieved 2026-07-20.
  14. ↑ "Saudi Research and Media Group (SRMG) – State Media Monitor". statemediamonitor.com. Retrieved 2026-07-11.
  15. ↑ EREM News (12 May 2026). "تسببت في استقالة عبد الرحمن أبو مالح من ثمانية.. من هي جمانة الراشد؟" [She caused Abdulrahman Abu Malih to resign from Thmanyah... Who is Jumana Al-Rashid?]. EREM News (in Arabic).
  16. ↑ Ross, Rafa Sales (2024-11-16). "Red Sea Film Festival's Lavish New HQ Reflects a Desire to See Arab Cinema Flourish". Variety. Retrieved 2026-07-11.
  17. ↑ Ntim, Zac (2023-12-06). "Gwyneth Paltrow On Why She's Never Seen 'Avengers: Endgame,' Whether She Will Return To Acting & The Best Filmmakers She Has Worked With — Red Sea". Deadline. Retrieved 2026-07-11.
  18. ↑ "Saudi Research and Media Group acquires 51% stake in podcast platform Thmanyah". Arab News. 2021-07-14. Retrieved 2026-07-11.
  19. 1 2 "SRMG Increases Stake in Thmanyah to 75% and Commits SAR 200M - إنت عربي | entARABI". 2026-05-12. Archived from the original on 2026-07-13. Retrieved 2026-07-11.
  20. ↑ "Saudi media minister, SRMG CEO discuss plans for Saudi sports coverage". Arab News. Archived from the original on 2026-07-11. Retrieved 2026-07-11.
  21. ↑ Review (2026-05-21). "IN THE GREY Review". Movieguide | The Family Guide to Movies & Entertainment. Retrieved 2026-07-20.
  22. ↑ "The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare credits - Metacritic". www.metacritic.com. Retrieved 2026-07-20.
  23. ↑ Watch Ferrari | HBO Max. 2023. Retrieved 2026-07-20 – via www.hbomax.com.
  24. ↑ Ammann, Paul; Drißner, Gerald (2026-02-03). Business Success in the Gulf Region: How Exporters Can Navigate the Transformation in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States. Springer Nature. pp. 71–72. ISBN 978-3-658-50198-3.
  25. ↑ "Jomana R. Alrashid Is on the 2025 TIME100 Next". TIME. 2025-09-30. Retrieved 2026-07-11.
  26. ↑ Alarabiya (2025-10-02). ""مهندسة المشهد الإعلامي" .. جمانا الراشد أول شخصية سعودية ضمن أهم 100 من قادة المستقبل" ["Architect of the Media Landscape" ... Jumana Al-Rashed Is the First Saudi to Be Named Among the Top 100 Future Leaders]. العربية (in Arabic). Retrieved 2026-08-14.
  27. ↑ "Jomana Alrashid becomes first Saudi named to Time's annual TIME100 Next list". Arab News. 2025-10-01. Retrieved 2026-07-11.
  28. ↑ Mughal, Waqar. "Jomana R. Al-Rashid". Forbes Lists. Retrieved 2026-07-11.
  29. ↑ Mughal, Waqar. "Jomana R. Alrashid". Forbes Lists. Retrieved 2026-07-11.
  30. ↑ Mughal, Waqar. "Jomana R. Alrashid". Forbes Lists. Retrieved 2026-07-11.
  31. ↑ "Top 30 Leaders 2021: #5 Jomana Al-Rashed - Communicate Online". communicateonline.me. 2022-05-11. Retrieved 2026-07-20.
  32. ↑ "Jomana Al-Rashed". Fast Company Middle East | The future of tech, business and innovation. Retrieved 2026-07-20.
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