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Majd Bahjat Suleiman

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Majd Bahjat Suleiman
مجد بهجت سليمان
Born (1974-10-28) 28 October 1974 (age 50)
Damascus, Syria
NationalitySyrian
Other namesMajid Bahjat Suleiman, Majd Suleiman, Majd Sleiman, Majd Sulayman
CitizenshipSyrian
OccupationBusinessman
Known forUnited Group (UG), AWI Company, Al Waseet Intertnational
SpouseZina Khair
FatherBahjat Suleiman
RelativesHaidara Suleiman (brother)

Majd Bahjat Suleiman (Arabic: مجد بهجت سليمان, born 28 October 1974), also known as Majd Suleiman or Majid Suleiman, is a Dubai-based Syrian businessman and son of the former Syrian ambassador to Jordan and intelligence chief Bahjat Suleiman. He is the owner of Syria's largest media conglomerate, United Group (UG) which also operates under the trade name AWI Company and is affiliated with Al Waseet International.[1]

Background

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Majd Suleiman is the son of former Syrian ambassador to Jordan and head of the internal branch of the Syrian General Intelligence Directorate (GID) Bahjat Suleiman, and was identified by the United States Congressional Research Service as a "Key member of the Asad Family & Other Elites".[2] His media conglomerate, United Group, owns and publishes Baladna, one of two private daily newspapers covering political topics that have succeeded in staying open after the Syrian civil war, due to close ties to the Syrian government.[3][4][5]

His younger brother Haidara Suleiman is the editor-in-chief of Syrian government-aligned newspaper Baladna, a member of the Syrian Electronic Army, and runs Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's page on Facebook.[6]

Career

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He is a founding partner in United Group for Publishing Advertising and Marketing, also known as United Group (UG), with his business partner Bachar Kiwan[7][8][9][10] United Group (UG) publishes the government-aligned Baladna newspaper in Syria, and published the defunct Al-Balad newspaper in Lebanon, Kuwait, and the Comoros. Kiwan and Suleiman grew their partnership with the establishment of several affiliated businesses in the fields of banking, construction, tourism, advertising and publishing,[11] taking on local business partners in various countries.[12] Their businesses include Al Waseet International, AWI Holding Limited, Comoro Gulf Holdings (CGH), Comoro Gulf Aviation,[13] and Jad & Jana (France).[7][14][15][16][17]

Suleiman and Kiwan also established AWI Company, also known as AWI Group, an affiliate of United Group (UG) based in Dubai Media City.[18] AWI Company published a number of technical and advertising newspapers and magazines in 35 cities in 12 countries. The group publications included Layalina, Top Gear, Marie Claire, Fortune, and Concord Media for Road Advertisements.[18][19] The group planned for an IPO in 2012 but stopped due to Syrian civil war.[18]

Personal life

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Majd Suleiman is married to fashion entrepreneur Zina Khair, co-founder of the fashion accessory brand LE MARAIS 101.[20][21] In 2005, the Canadian Foreign Affairs department was criticized for issuing a tourist visa to Zina Khair at the request of Bahjat Suleiman, so that she could give birth in Montreal.[22]

References

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  1. ^ Abrahamian, Atossa Araxia (2015). The cosmopolites : the coming of the global citizen. New York. ISBN 978-0-9909763-6-3. OCLC 927317044.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  2. ^ Sharp, Jeremy (3 June 2011). "Syria: Issues for the 112th Congress and Background on U.S. Sanctions". Congressional Research Service: 10.
  3. ^ Houry, Nadim (16 July 2010). "A Wasted Decade: Human Rights in Syria during Bashar al-Asad's First Ten Years in Power". Human Rights Watch.
  4. ^ Badran, Yazan (3 March 2021). Arab Media Systems. Open Book Publishers. doi:10.11647/obp.0238.02. ISBN 978-1-80064-059-7. S2CID 242906131.
  5. ^ "Not even loyalist journalists safe in Assad's Syria". Arab News. 24 July 2019. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
  6. ^ Nahhas, Lynne (11 July 2011). "Syria's secret war against the cyber dissidents". AFP.
  7. ^ a b Abrahamian, Atossa Araxia (2015). The cosmopolites : the coming of the global citizen. New York. p. 27. ISBN 978-0-9909763-6-3. OCLC 927317044.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  8. ^ Lazkani, Alimar (23 November 2018). "Local Actors in the Syrian Coastal Area: Characteristics and Prospects". Arab Reform Initiative.
  9. ^ Sharp, Jeremy M. (9 August 2011). "Unrest in Syria and U.S. Sanctions Against the Asad Regime" (PDF). Congressional Research Service: 4.
  10. ^ "This Critical Juncture: Elite Competition in a Receding Civil War". Project on Middle East Political Science. 27 October 2020. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  11. ^ Mansour, Mohamed. "Interview: Mohamad Mansour – How Syria's Media Tycoons Control the Market". The Syrian Observer.
  12. ^ "Bashar Kiwan". Assad’s Businessmen. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  13. ^ "Kiwan - M. Bachar | ICIJ Offshore Leaks Database". offshoreleaks.icij.org. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
  14. ^ "Jad & Jawa (Paris, 75008) : siret, TVA, adresse..." entreprises.lefigaro.fr. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
  15. ^ "AWI Holding Limited - 2119 - Dubai (UAE)". b2bhint.com. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  16. ^ "محمد بشار بن محمد بشير كيوان. يد نظام الأسد لتجارة الجنس والمخدرات في الكويت". المركز العربي الأوروبي للدراسات - EURO Center for Studies (CAEFS). Archived from the original on 14 January 2021. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  17. ^ "Kiwan Buys Large Share of UG – Report". Syria Report. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
  18. ^ a b c "AWI prepares for 2012 IPO". The National. 23 February 2010. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
  19. ^ "À la découverte de Bachar Kiwan, entrepreneur à succès | Pays monde" (in French). Retrieved 15 March 2021.
  20. ^ "Syrian hardliner's family given visas for Canadian births: report". CBC News. 24 June 2005.
  21. ^ "OUR STORY". Le Marais 101 - Our Story. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
  22. ^ "Syrian hardliner's family given visas for Canadian births: report". CBC News. 24 June 2005.


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