The renowned Lebanese senior news anchor Najwa Kassem died at the age of 51 in her home in Dubai, as confirmed by Al-Arabiya TV. First reports say that Najwa Kassem suffered a heart arrest in her apartment on Thursday, January 2, 2020.
Major General Khalil Al Mansoori, Assistant Commander-in-Chief of Dubai Police for Criminal Investigation Affairs, has ruled out any criminal suspicion in the death of Najwa Kassem. All indications and initial medical examinations have confirmed that the death of the Lebanese media anchor at Al Arabiya was natural.
Her last tweet carried a prayer for the world and for Lebanon in particular. She tweeted saying: “O Lord, I pray for a better year for everyone. O Lord, O Lord, O Lord, please protect our country and keep an eye on Lebanon.”
She also attached in the same tweet a video of New Year’s Eve celebration in Dubai near Burj Khalifah.
#happynewyear2020 #FromDubaiWithLove
يا رب عام خير على الجميع يا رب يا رب
يا رب احفظ بلادنا وعينك على #لبنان
pic.twitter.com/db8flBE5ZQ— Najwa Kassemنجوى قاسم (@najkassem) December 31, 2019
Kassem worked as a reporter for Future TV in Lebanon before becoming an anchor and presenter on the Al-Arabiya news channel. She covered regional news, including the Iraq war, and the assassination of Lebanese Prime Minister Rafic Hariri in 2005.
She joined Al Arabiya as it launched in Dubai in 2003 and went on to make a name for herself by reporting from the front lines of Baghdad, and in Lebanon during the 2006 war.
Kassem presented a popular political show on TV Channel Al-Arabiya named “Al-Hadath Al-Yawm” (Today’s Incident). The show aired on Al-Arabiya and Al-Hadath TV.
In 2012, Kassem was named one of the 100 most powerful women in the Arab world by Arabian Business magazine.
Al-Arabiya issued a statement shortly after the news of her demise broke, sending their condolences to Kassem’s family. The statement read: “Al Arabiya network mourns Najwa Kassem, our colleague, and journalist, who died this morning in her home in Dubai.”
Al-Arabiya ended the statement saying: “She had a long career that started with Al-Arabiya since its launch in 2003 as a broadcaster and field reporter who covered a variety of news and wars, including in Iraq and Afghanistan. May God have mercy on our colleague and grant her family patience and solace.”
