A blind Saudi defies disability and excels in radio presentation

The disability did not prevent the blind Saudi, Khaled Al-Harbi, from practicing radio work, defying all the conditions of his disability, to make a mark in the media field, and he is distinguished by the quality of recitation and the ability to manage dialogue and talk with tact.

In his interview with Al-Arabiya.net, Khaled narrated his story with media passion, which began with him since childhood, when he was watching radio and television programs, and tended to dialogues on various radio stations about family, culture and religious programs, and when he studied middle school, he thought of changing his situation The listener is in his position as a program presenter, and he has become obsessed with becoming a broadcaster, an interlocutor for guests in the artistic, social, family, and other fields.

school theatre

The beginning was from the school theater, where he resisted his fear and dread of standing in front of the audience, and tried to cohesion to break the barriers, and with the passage of time and ascending to the stage multiple times, he began to enter the media atmosphere, and supported himself by attending specialized courses on radio and television, and being able to deliver and present. And making a successful broadcaster, in addition to obtaining courses in sound quality in order to achieve the passion.

The beginning journey

In the details that he recounted about his career, he says: “The beginning of my career was very difficult in terms of the surrounding atmosphere, which was blocking opportunities for me, being blind, especially in school, and everyone was afraid of giving the opportunity to a blind person, because the school did not have blind people who could show their creativity. Despite this matter, I was facing their fear by challenging and trying to prove myself, and I was reassuring them by doing rehearsals for an appropriate period, in order to prove to them my worth of submission, and I was convinced that this fatigue would be the crossing ship to my dream that I seek.

Fears’s barrier

After a journey and attempts, I was able to reach the trust of the recipient, and work as psychological support with specialized courses and participate in the preparation of any program on radio and television, as an assistant preparer, and try to enter the media environment through continuous learning, and then I was able to enter the Gulf Rotana through a production company, and a program was produced My television was recorded, and it was the starting point in the media field. At that time, I was linking between the paragraphs of the program, which is a beautiful beginning for my media launch, as 16 TV episodes were presented in 2013.

University study

Al-Harbi completed his university studies, and he was cooperating with an electronic newspaper to edit and write press news, and he had reached more than 3 thousand news and press reports, and he had artistic inclinations, which made him go to press conferences and artistic celebrations, and he made interviews with many artists, and he also traveled to make reports A journalist, and although there is no financial reward, he is passionate about media work.

At the end of the university level in 2019, there was field training at the end of the bachelor’s study, to enter the practice experience on “MBCFM” radio, and he presented radio programs, including the program “They Say”, which is a recorded program, and during the Hajj season, he presented the program “A Pilgrim’s Diary”. Who talks about pilgrimage information, and during the time of the spread of the Corona virus, he was presenting the “Salaf Al-Qiddiya” program in cooperation with the Qiddiya Investment Company, which is positive doses and success at the time of stone, and he also worked on the Riyadh Radio program through the “Lamat Shabab” program. During which they go to the streets and meet people, visit the elderly and hold meetings in various fields.

most important obstacles

Al-Harbi continued his speech: The most important obstacle is not giving me the opportunity to work in the media field because I am blind, as a broadcaster on television or radio. A job interview with me, and I hope that this stumbling block will be removed from my way and I will have the opportunity to be one of the distinguished Saudi broadcasters, because my disability did not prevent me from appearing in the media, as the largest international channels hosted me to talk about my creativity despite my disability.

He concluded his speech by saying that in light of the ambitious vision of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and the empowerment of all segments of society, including the category of people with disabilities, I will fulfill my dreams of working as a distinguished broadcaster in the media field.