Mahra Al Yaqoubi’s story is one of steady reinvention. From stepping on camera as a young sports presenter to building training programs and launching her own consultancy, she has quietly shaped how leaders and media professionals in the UAE present themselves and tell their stories. Her career is both a personal journey and a mirror of how media in the Gulf has matured — from traditional broadcasting to coaching, personal branding, and strategic communications.
Early breakthrough: the stage that changed everything
Mahra first came into the public eye when she joined Abu Dhabi TV as a sports presenter, a role that marked a significant milestone for Emirati women in broadcasting. That early experience — standing in front of a camera, speaking for a nation, and learning the craft of presence and preparation — set the tone for everything that followed. This formative period taught her the importance of credibility and readiness, lessons she later turned into training programs and a methodical approach to media coaching.
The transition from presenter to mentor
For many professionals, moving from an on-screen role to working behind the scenes is a difficult pivot. For Mahra, it was a conscious choice to scale impact. She chose to translate the skills of broadcast journalism — clarity, timing, storytelling — into teaching others how to own a stage, a camera, or a boardroom. That transition meant learning how to design training curricula and run programs that work across corporate, public sector, and creative environments. Her goal was never merely to repeat what she knew, but to institutionalize that knowledge so more Emirati voices could be confident and influential.
Building platforms: Sky News Arabia and academy leadership
Mahra’s leadership role at Sky News Arabia’s training initiatives was a major chapter in her career. As head of training programs and director-level roles, she helped launch and shape courses that covered TV presenting, mobile journalism, digital media, and production skills. Under her stewardship, the academy expanded outreach to young talent across the region, opening doors for many who wanted a media career but lacked structured access or mentorship. Those programs reflect her belief that opportunity must be created, not waited for.
Founding Media Stone: a hub for consulting and personal branding
The natural next step for Mahra was to create a platform of her own. Media Stone emerged as a consultancy and training hub focused on media strategy, personal branding, and executive presence. The company aims to serve leaders, entrepreneurs, and public figures who must communicate clearly in high-stakes settings. Media Stone’s services sit at the intersection of storytelling, media skills, and reputation building — an approach that matches Mahra’s long-term vision of using media not just to inform, but to elevate leadership.
A public profile that balances platform and purpose
Mahra has been deliberate about how she uses public platforms. Her Instagram and LinkedIn profiles show a mix of professional achievements, training snippets, and moments that humanize her — from speaking engagements to short lessons on presence and persuasion. This visible but measured approach to social media is part of her teaching: authenticity and consistency build credibility over time, and curated visibility helps leaders control their narrative rather than be controlled by it.
Style and method: preparation, credibility, and everyday practice
One constant in Mahra’s work is the conviction that credibility is not a one-time act but a daily practice. Her approach to coaching emphasizes preparation — rehearsing the message, anticipating tough questions, and building muscle memory for calm delivery. She teaches leaders to think like communicators: frame the story, simplify the message, and connect to the audience’s needs. For Mahra, the technical elements of broadcast — eye line, tone, camera awareness — are tools that anyone can learn, and when paired with integrity, they become transformative.
Challenges faced and lessons learned
The road from presenter to founder was not without friction. Mahra has spoken candidly about the early struggles in television, including limited support and the need to fight for opportunities. Those challenges, she says, sharpened her resolve to make the path easier for others. Turning obstacles into learning moments is a recurring theme in her public remarks: each setback became a lesson in leadership, resilience, and the importance of creating structures that support talent.
Recent work and community impact
Beyond private consultancy, Mahra remains active in public events and training workshops across the UAE and the wider region. She has led workshops for business councils and participated in forums that focus on leadership, resilience, and media literacy. Her work aims to expand the pool of confident, skilled communicators in the Gulf and to raise the bar for how organizations prepare spokespeople and leaders for public life.
What inspires her: media as a force for leadership
Mahra’s motivation is rooted in a simple but powerful idea: media can change perception and open doors. She believes that communication is a leadership tool — not merely a way to deliver facts, but a mechanism to shape opportunities and influence outcomes. That belief guided her shift from presenting to training and now to building an agency that helps others shape their public identity and organizational narratives.
Advice to the next generation
When asked what she would tell her younger self, Mahra’s answer is consistent with her teaching: trust the process, focus on consistency, and value resilience over shortcuts. She encourages young professionals to view each role and challenge as a building block, to keep learning, and to invest in authenticity. For aspirants in media and leadership, her message is both practical and motivational: mastery is built through persistent practice and the courage to keep showing up.
Why her story matters
Mahra Al Yaqoubi’s career is a model for how individual talent, when paired with a sense of responsibility, can become a platform for wider change. Her journey from broadcaster to trainer and founder mirrors a broader evolution in the Gulf’s media landscape — one that increasingly values skills, mentorship, and locally grown professional development. Mahra’s work helps create a future where more Emirati voices lead public conversations with confidence and credibility.
Closing: a lasting legacy in the making
Mahra is building more than a business — she is building a legacy of empowerment. training, comms, and marketing consultancy and her training work, she is expanding access to media skills and leadership tools that can change careers and organizations. The imprint of her work will be measured not just by the clients she trains, but by the generation of communicators who step into roles prepared, credible, and ready to lead. For readers seeking inspiration, Mahra’s story offers a clear lesson: steady preparation, integrity, and the choice to lift others are the real measures of success.
Do follow her on Instagram.
Read Next – UAE Supermarket Chain Spinneys Enters Philippines Market Through Ayala Deal
