Saudi tycoon’s TV plan hit by Facebook scam

Journalists through the Arab world seeking a job at a major Arabic TV news channel planned to be launched by Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal got a shock when they were told they must first pay$10,000. But it later emerged as a Facebook scam.

An unknown person posing on Facebook as the channel’s director Jamal Khashoggi told surfers that the channel is now ready to receive their employment applications.

The person said he was ready to answer all questions by applicants and that he has been asked to recruit personnel for the channel.

“I have received scores of contacts from applicants from Lebanon, Palestine, Yemen and other countries enquiring about the $10,000 fee…I told them that it was not me and that the person who told them this is a fake and an impostor,” Khashoggi told the Saudi daily Sabq.

“I have also contacted Facebook and told them about this scam….I made clear that I have nothing to do with the page set up by that person nor with his e mail…this person is clearly an impostor.”

Kingdom Holding Co., owned and run by Alwaleed, is planning to launch the new news channel in partnership with the Fox Network.

The 24-hour broadcast channel will be headed by Khashoggi, former editor in chief of the Saudi Arabic language daily Al Watan.

The new channel will compete with Qatar-based Al-Jazeera and the Saudi-controlled Al-Arabiya based in Dubai.

In recent comments, Prince Alwaleed said the channel would be independent from his Rotana Holding and would focus on development in Saudi Arabia and Arab world on the political, economic and social issues.

Khashoggi was also media adviser to Prince Turki Al-Faisal at Saudi embassies in London and Washington, and has been known as a correspondent and writer since graduating from the University of the State of Indiana in 1982.

Prince Alwaleed has a strong presence and influence in media through his investments in media and entertainment in the Arab world and beyond like the Saudi Research and Marketing Group, News Corporation and Rotana Holding.
Sabq quoted Khashoggi as saying the name of the new channel and its location would be decided within the next two months.

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