Areej Sleem is not just a pioneer for women in sports. She is the FIRST female Arab presenter to cover the most prestigious tennis tournaments in the world – all the Grand Slams and tons of WTA and ATP tournaments. And don’t even get us started on her sports expertise.

Areej Sleem has been working for beIN since 2012, presenting daily sports news shows and leading studio discussions for major sports tournaments. She’s covered mega events like multiple FIFA World Cups, the UEFA European Football Championship, Olympic Games, Asian Games, and the Asian Cup. Now, she’s even leading beIN’s analytical studio discussions for the world’s biggest growing sport – Padel.

Girl’s got it all covered (!!)

Cosmo ME had the pleasure of interviewing Areej Sleem on her love and passion for sports, her career background, and what her next challenges are. Read more about the inspiring talent below.

Scroll down to read our interview with Areej Sleem…

Areej Salam

Cosmo Middle East: Could you please tell us a little background story of how you started working for beIN SPORTS?

Areej Sleem: Being born and raised in Lebanon, I grew up in a country where you were naturally subjected to constant societal and political challenges. It was this, I believe, that first sparked my interest in journalism, and I ended up pursuing a degree in TV and radio so that I could bring my own voice to those conversations.

As my education progressed, I became increasingly inspired by female presenters, however, I noticed that there were very few Arab females in the field of sports. As someone determined to break glass ceilings, I decided to focus on developing a career in sports journalism. Fortunately, beIN saw my potential and gave a young and aspiring journalist the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to grow within what is now the region’s leading sports broadcaster.

C: What is one of the biggest highlights of your presenting career that comes to mind? 

AS: Not many presenters in the sports industry have been fortunate enough to have been given the opportunity to present such a wide variety of sports, from tennis to football and everything in between. I’m privileged to have been part of not one, but three FIFA World Cup tournaments, including what I consider the greatest in history, this past December, the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022TM, which I have to say is the biggest highlight of my presenting career.

When I first joined beIN, Qatar had just won the bid, so to see it all finally come to life after 12 years in the making was incredible, and I’m honored to have been part of beIN’s unparalleled coverage that showcased the Middle East’s first World Cup. In addition to presenting the daily news bulletins, I led the discussions of the build-up to all 64 matches on the Countdown show – ensuring viewers across the region had a window into all the action.

Areej

C: Where would you say your love and passion for presenting sports come from?

AS: I started playing tennis at a very young age and continue to do so even now, so I think this is probably where my initial love for sports came from. If I hadn’t been a sports anchor, I would have loved to have been a professional tennis player. There’s simply nothing like sports that ignites such passion and brings people together.

C: Who would you say is your biggest idol in the presenting industry and why?

AS: It’s hard to choose just one, I’ve been inspired by several talented presenters – but if I had to narrow it down, I would say my colleagues Mohammed Saadon Al Kuwari and Leila Smati.

C: You found a passion for racquet sports, which then earned you the title of being the first Arab presenter to cover tennis tournaments. If you were to describe this huge milestone in three words, what would it be?

AS: Pride. Passion. Progression.

I’m very thankful that beIN gave me the opportunity to be the first Arab female to lead the analytical studios for all the major Grand Slams and many WTA and ATP tournaments, most recently the 2023 WTA Qatar TotalEnergies Open and ATP ExxonMobil Open in Qatar.

It’s a massive responsibility knowing that millions of fans across the region are relying on you to provide detailed insights into these world-class events, and I hope I’ve done them justice.

C: What’s Areej Sleem’s next major challenge?

AS: To be the first Arab female football pundit.