Cairo, Egypt – In line with its ‘A Space for All’ vision and mission to offer the opportunity for all voices to
be heard, ElSaha, The Middle East Broadcasting Networks’ Egypt-focused digital platform, announced
the broadcast of two new programs by writer Aya Shoaib and young filmmaker Hady Bassiony following
their remarkable success on social media.
Aya Shoaib, presents her ‘Peace Zone’ program, aimed at raising awareness among younger generations
on psychological challenges and mental well-being, on Thursday evenings. In a lighter vein, Hady
Bassiony’s ‘The Final Review’ runs on Friday nights, during which he offers critical analyses of popular
culture, diving into the community’s top trending topics in areas such as cinema, sports, and arts. The
new episodes are posted on ElSaha’s social media pages, and are uploaded onto the platform’s website.
Hassan Shwiki, Acting President of Middle East Broadcasting Networks, stated: “With eyes set on
expanding horizons to fulfill the aspirations of young generations, MBN is advancing its content and
programs to realize its vision of portraying diverse ideas, interests, social issues, and civic orientations.”
Nevine Karras, Editor in Charge, ElSaha, commented: “We continuously strive to provide meaningful
content that aligns with the new generations’ interests and ambitions. We are further committed to
providing space for individuals to innovate creative content and share their views on imperative topics
through inspiring stories. As such, we are thrilled to join forces with Aya and Hady and are confident in
the added value they bring to the platform and viewers alike.”
Ever since its launch back in 2018, ElSaha has successfully acquired multiple awards. In its first year,
ElSaha’s “The Power of Forgiveness” won Best Documentary: Short Form Award in 2019 at The Webby
People’s Voice Awards. The documentary also reached the finalists in the Cannes Corporate Media and
TV Awards for the Best Web Documentaries. As for its uniquely presented humanitarian stories, ElSaha’s
“Overcoming Adversity”, won the Golden Award for Online Documentary at the Telly’s in 2022, whereas
“Surviving Bullying” secured the Silver Award within the same category and year. The story was also a
finalist nominee for Best Human-Interest Report Award at The New York TV and Films Awards. The
“History of Egyptian Cuisine” has also won the Bronze Award in Online Food & Beverage 2022 at the
Telly’s.
It is also worth mentioning that ElSaha has been successful in maintaining its footprint in The Egyptian
Syndicate of Journalists’ competition every year. In 2018, "The First Story – Hend" won the Best
Photojournalism competition. In 2019, Ramsis Wassef won the Encouragement Award, and in 2020,
“Dark Room” won the Best Photojournalism. In 2021 "Mario's Mother: A Rising Star" won the same
competition. And most recently, both "The Story of a Nurse from Sinai" and "The Story of Omar Hegazy"
won the Best Story Awards in 2022.
In efforts to raise more awareness within the Egyptian community, ElSaha has been known for covering
trivial stories on matters such as female genital mutilation. Randa's Story of Female Genital Mutilation
won the Gold Telly Award within the Online – Social Impact category in 2023. Throughout the story,
Randa shares her eight minutes of horror when she was seven years old, surviving the dangerous
tradition of FGM in Egypt. She then dedicated her life to educating more women about her story and
spreading awareness about the danger of female genital mutilation through theatrical performances
and storytelling.
