Alhurra

Legal name: Middle East Broadcasting Networks Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
421591205
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Official website data refreshed
Sep 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Arlington, VA, USA
Phone
2022997465
Rating
72
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Promotion of International Understanding

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$73,748,565
Expenses
$67,473,236
Assets
$44,618,539
Liabilities
$44,830,361

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

19 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • VICTOR JEFFREY GEDMIN (PRESIDENT/CEO (FROM 4/24))

Highest reported compensation

  • MOHAMMAD SAMIM SEDIQI (CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER (UNTIL 12/24)): $239,313 total reported compensation
  • IMAD HAMED HAJ (FORMER KEY EMPLOYEE): $238,590 total reported compensation
  • HASSAN SHWIKI (DIRECTOR, MBN ACADEMY): $220,051 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

The mission of middle east broadcasting networks, inc. ("mbn") is to provide accurate, relevant and reliable news and information to the people of the middle east about the region, the world, and the united states. Mbn broadens the range of knowledge and perspectives -- particularly about the united states -- available in the region and thus serves as a critical component of us public diplomacy.

What it reported doing in 2024

Middle east broadcasting networks, inc. Is an arabic-language media company, generously funded by the united states congress and the american taxpayers. In 2024, from its headquarters in springfield, Virginia and from reporters throughout the region, mbn provided accurate, reliable news and information about the united states to its audience, while also reporting on mission-aligned stories from the region, many of which would otherwise go untold. Mbn's accurate and credible reporting drew 34.1 million people to its platforms on a weekly basis. In contrast to its regional competitors, most of which present "news and information skewed by the economic, political and/or religious interests of their funders, mbn's reports are trustworthy and fact-based. Mbn also offered in-depth discussion programs, investigative reports, and thought-provoking documentaries about issues in and about the region.

Operating model

Revenue model
Grant-funded. 100% of the money available for current operations came from government grants.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and most voting board members are independent. The filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad and the filing does not identify recipients for some grant dollars.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 80
  • Transparency & Controls: 53
  • Accountability: 94
  • Sustainability: 45
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 86.8%; rating input score 87
  • Program expense ratio: 94.9%; rating input score 95
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 68th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 2 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 33
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Scored; rating input score 0
  • Grant itemization coverage: Scored; rating input score 0
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 90%; rating input score 90; 38th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 8.5%; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.66; rating input score 26; 26th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 1; rating input score 6; 6th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 3%; rating input score 38; 38th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 0% per year; rating input score 100; 8th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -0.1% per year; rating input score 0; 5th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 1.4% per year; rating input score 100; 12th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: 1 programs and campaigns described on the official site · 1 operating location identified
  • Where the money goes: 86.8% of revenue deployed · 94.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 9 of 10 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $64M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $239K · 19 people listed · 2 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 4 contractors listed · $847K reported
  • Consistency: 32 of 32 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 16 filing years from 2009 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 10 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 2 filed related-organization links
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

Grant-readiness screening is separate from the live rating, not a measure of program quality. Review the source records before making a grant decision.

  • High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight scored 0/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Grant itemization coverage scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 26/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 6/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 38/100.
  • High — Grant Readiness: Federal audit findings: this organization reported findings in its latest federal Single Audit.