Yalda Hakim Biography
Yalda Hakim is an Australian media personality serving as the presenter of The World with Yalda Hakim on Sky News on weekdays at 9 pm. The award-winning international correspondent and documentary filmmaker was previously the host of the flagship programme “Daily Global with Yalda Hakim” on BBC News. She is also the founder of the Yalda Hakim Foundation.
Yalda Hakim Age
Hakim is 40 years old as of January 2024. She was born on 26 June 1983, in Kabul, Afghanistan.
Yalda Hakim Height
She stands at an average height of 5 feet 5 inches (1.65 m).
Yalda Hakim Nationality
She holds Australian nationality.
Yalda Hakim Education
Hakim attended Macarthur Girls High School in Parramatta, Sydney, where she played the violin and became a sports captain and prefect. She also attended Parramatta West Public School. She went on to study for a Bachelor of Arts degree in Media from 2002 to 2004 at Macquarie University, where she was also a board member of the Macquarie University Union.
In 2005, Hakim received a Diploma in Journalism at Macleay College, Sydney. She then went on to study a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism via distance education at Monash University from 2007 to 2009, in addition to a cadetship at the Special Broadcasting Service. Besides English, Hakim is fluent in Dari, Urdu, and Pashto, and as of 2022 was learning Mandarin.
Yalda Hakim Parents
Yalda was born in Kabul to Afghan parents Zabrina and Wali Hakim. Her family fled the country during the Soviet–Afghan War when she was six months old. The family traveled on horseback overland to Pakistan with the help of people smugglers. After two years in Pakistan, the family settled in Australia as migrants in 1986, when she was three years old. Her mother, Zabrina who was then only 27, worked for an Austrian NGO in the Swat Valley, while her father, an architect, set up shop temporarily in Islamabad.
Yalda Hakim Siblings
Yalda is the third born in a family of four. She has an elder brother and sister and a younger sister. Her younger sister Mariam “Maz” Hakim works for Virgin Radio in Dubai and hosts her national program.
Yalda Hakim Husband
Is Yalda Hakim Married? Yes, Hakim is married to Abed Rashid, an engineer and childhood friend from Australia, where she grew up. The couple is blessed with a son named Alexander and they live in London.
Yalda Hakim Sky News
Yalda presents The World with Yalda Hakim on Sky News weekdays at 9 pm. She reports live from the frontlines of the world’s most consequential stories including the Israel-Gaza border, Ukraine, Afghanistan, Darfur, and Iraq. An award-winning international correspondent and documentary filmmaker, she has spent two decades reporting from around the globe.
She has interviewed some of the world’s most high-profile leaders including Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, former US President Bill Clinton, Canada’s PM Justin Trudeau, Bangladesh’s PM Sheikh Hasina, Indonesian President Joko Widodo and Afghanistan’s President Ashraf Ghani.
Yalda was born in Kabul, Afghanistan, and moved as a refugee to Australia where she grew up. She is the founder of the Yalda Hakim Foundation, which has established scholarships for Afghan girls to receive an education. She joined Sky in 2023 and was previously chief presenter of the BBC News Channel.
Yalda Hakim BBC
Yalda is an award-winning international correspondent and documentary filmmaker. She was the host of the flagship programme “Daily Global with Yalda Hakim” on BBC News before joining Sky News as the presenter of The World with Yalda Hakim. Earlier last year she was named Chief Presenter of the newly merged BBC News Channel.
Yalda has spent nearly two decades reporting from the frontlines of the world’s most consequential and dangerous stories. Over the past year, Yalda has reported extensively from Ukraine covering the ongoing war. Her recent interview with President Zelensky made global headlines when he acknowledged the counter-offensive has been slower than expected.
Yalda led BBC World’s coverage of the collapse of the Afghan government in August 2021. Since then, Yalda has traveled extensively across Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, producing a series of documentaries on the impact of the Taliban takeover on the lives of ordinary Afghans, especially the women and girls of the country. In recognition of her work, Yalda was invited to address the United Nations Security Council in 2022 on the situation in Afghanistan.
Yalda also regularly conducts high-profile interviews with some of the world’s most important leaders and public figures. She conducted the first international interview with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Among Yalda’s other recent interviews include former US President Bill Clinton, Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo, Afghanistan’s President Ashraf Ghani, Hollywood actor and director Angelina Jolie and Prince Albert of Monaco.
Yalda Hakim Salary
She earns a minimal annual salary of £178,000 as the Lead World News Presenter on Sky News.
Yalda Hakim Net Worth
She has an estimated net worth of £2 million as of January 2024.
