JEDDAH — Issa Khaireh Robleh, adviser to the president of Djibouti, has taken over as the director general of the International Islamic News Agency (IINA), a specialized media organ of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). He replaces Ali bin Ahmed Al-Ghamdi, a prominent Saudi media figure who had served IINA as director general since December 2011.
Minister of Culture and Information Dr. Adel Al-Turaifi, who is the chairman of the executive council of IINA, appointed Robleh as Al-Ghamdi’s successor following his nomination by the government of Djibouti. Robleh has held several key media and administrative positions in Djibouti, the latest of which was the adviser on Arab affairs to President Ismail Omar Guelleh.
A professor in Arabic language and literature, Robleh is also proficient in both French and English. He served on several university and government bodies as well as in civil society organizations in Djibouti. He is the author of many books and translations.
Robleh had been the editor of Al-Qarn daily newspaper from 1998 to 2000. He represented the tiny Horn of Africa country in many international conferences and seminars.
The Jeddah-based IINA dispatches daily bulletins in Arabic, English and French highlighting causes of Muslims worldwide with the objective of bolstering Islamic solidarity. It was established in 1972 under a resolution of the Third Conference of Foreign Ministers of OIC member states. Since then, there have been several attempts to reactivate IINA to make it capable of fulfilling its objective of enhancing and preserving Islamic cultural heritage and strengthening ties among Muslims all over the world.
The IINA’s restructuring was made as part of a 10-year action plan approved by the 3rd Extraordinary Islamic Summit held in Makkah in December 2005.
Saudi Arabia presented a paper at the meeting of the OIC information ministers held in Jeddah in 2006 to strengthen OIC's media wings — IINA and Islamic States Broadcasting Organization (ISBO) — and the conference approved the proposal.
