Paula Naoufal

Paula Naoufal is an award-winning journalist and Senior Reporter at CNN Business Arabic with over a decade of experience in media and communication. She has interviewed heads of state, prime ministers, and global business leaders, including the President of Iraq, the Prime Minister of Ukraine, the Prime Minister of Scotland, the CEO of Aramco, GCC ministers, and Royal Highnesses.

She has covered major international events such as the World Economic Forum in Davos, OPEC+ meetings in Vienna, and the IMF–World Bank Annual Meetings in Washington, D.C., among other high-level global gatherings. In addition to reporting and presenting, Paula has moderated high-level panels across the region alongside ministers, CEOs, and Royal Highnesses, offering regional insight into global economic discussions.

Paula also serves on the Selection Committee of the International Energy Journalism Awards, where she helps choose the yearly winners in energy and business reporting.

Before joining CNN, she worked at Asharq News with Bloomberg and at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. She holds a master’s degree in Risk Analysis from King’s College London and is currently pursuing a PhD in Media and Communication at the University of Leicester.