Middle East & North Africa Editor

Thomson Reuters; United Arab Emirates; On-site; AED 60,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading global news organization is seeking a newsroom leader to oversee its editorial team for the Middle East & North Africa. This role involves managing news coverage across various formats, ensuring high-quality journalism, and leading teams in challenging environments. Candidates should have proven editorial experience, excellent decision-making skills, and a strong understanding of regional and global news needs. The company offers opportunities for global career development and competitive benefits.

Benefits

Global Career opportunities

Learning & Development

Industry Competitive Benefits

Work with Pulitzer Prize winners

Qualifications

• Proven senior editorial experience in a global news organization with leadership skills.
• Excellent news judgement and decision-making under pressure.
• Deep understanding of regional story and global client needs.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the regional news file across all formats.
• Drive coverage that sets the agenda for global audiences.
• Ensure high editorial standards and alignment with Reuters Trust Principles.

Skills

Leadership skills

Editorial decision-making

Innovation in journalism

Expertise in regional journalism

Strong communication skills

Job description

Reuters is seeking a highly motivated and experienced newsroom leader to run a unified editorial team for the Middle East & North Africa, overseeing newsgathering operations in text, video and pictures. In this role you will lead journalists across a volatile region to deliver fast, high-quality breaking news as well as ambitious, agenda-setting coverage.

In the role you will oversee bureaus including Dubai, Istanbul, Beirut, Jerusalem and Baghdad as well as a network of staff journalists and freelancers further afield, often in dangerous environments. You will have experience dealing with sensitive security issues and understand the risks of deploying journalists into the region’s hot spots.

You will be responsible for setting news priorities for Reuters client groups worldwide, including London Stock Exchange Group customers, broadcasters, digital publishers and Reuters’ own news platforms. You will ensure coverage of the region resonates with global audiences and adopts diverse storytelling approaches to produce compelling journalism.

You will be a strategic thinker and hands‑on leader who can inspire teams, drive innovation, and uphold Reuters’ Trust Principles. You will also help shape editorial strategy, mentor younger journalists and contribute to newsroom transformation initiatives.

About the Role

• Lead and manage the regional news file across all formats, ensuring editorial prioritisation.
• Drive coverage that sets the agenda for global audiences.
• Deliver fast, accurate breaking news while developing deeper enterprise and explanatory journalism.
• Champion cross‑format storytelling, integrating text, video, pictures, into compelling narratives.
• Manage staff safety, working in close coordination with the editorial safety team.
• Collaborate closely with senior producers, editors, and newsroom leaders globally to shape coverage and strategy.
• Cultivate a culture of innovation, experimentation, and continuous improvement in storytelling.
• Understand the grammar and cues of both written and visual journalism; appreciate what success looks like across mediums, products and platforms.
• Recruit, mentor, and manage diverse teams across multiple bureaus, including in challenging environments.
• Represent Reuters to external parties in the region, including governments.
• Internally, represent the region in global editorial planning and contribute to newsroom transformation initiatives.
• Ensure high editorial standards and alignment with Reuters Trust Principles of independence, integrity, and freedom from bias.

About You

• Excellent news judgement and decision‑making under pressure.
• Proven senior editorial experience in a global news organisation with high‑level leadership and people management skills.
• The ability to leverage the skills of others to manage a file potentially beyond your own experience/expertise.
• Deep understanding of regional story and global client needs.
• Strong planning, organisational, and communication skills.
• Ability to drive innovation, and experience working in different news formats.
• Track record of developing talent and promoting inclusion and belonging.

The application deadline is Friday, January 30th, 2026. Please note that we review applications on a rolling basis, so early submission is strongly encouraged.

What’s in it For You?

• Global Career: As a global company, we can offer a truly international career and progression opportunities.
• Learning & Development: On‑job learning and coaching. We also have a dedicated training team focused on the continuous development of our journalists.
• Industry Competitive Benefits: We offer competitive salary packages and market‑leading benefits including paid volunteering days.
• Perks: Work alongside Pulitzer Prize‑winning journalists and a team who provide unmatched, award‑winning coverage of the world’s most important stories.

To ensure we can do that, we seek talented, qualified employees in all our operations around the world regardless of race, color, sex/gender, including pregnancy, gender identity and expression, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, citizen status, veteran status, or any other protected classification under applicable law. Thomson Reuters is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer providing a drug‑free workplace.

We also make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and for sincerely held religious beliefs in accordance with applicable law. More information on requesting an accommodation here.