Paula Yacoubian

Paulette Siragan Yaghobian (; ; born 4 April 1976) is a Lebanese journalist, television host and politician. She worked as a host in a number of Lebanese and pan-Arab international television stations. Known for the transformational impact she's had in her organizations and the broader community, Paula became one of the experts chosen by the World Bank group as a member of their 'External Advisory Panel for Diversity and Inclusion' as a result of her advocacy for women's rights, her efforts for women empowerment, She was officially announced as a winner following the elections which took place on Sunday 6 May 2018. On 8 August 2020, she resigned and called for a new government after the 2020 Beirut explosion.

Career Yacoubian started work in June 1995 in ICN (Independent Communications Network), a Lebanese television station founded by Henri Sfeir. Through Sfeir's encouragement, who also had the license for Nida' al Watan newspaper, the then 19-year-old Yacoubian became a celebrity broadcasting news and interviews and appeared frequently in the news broadcasts of the station. She was later assigned as head of the station's regional and international news department and had her own talk news program, Al Sulta al Raabi'a .

After closure of ICN, Yacoubian moved to LBCI through the station's morning show Nharkon Saeed in addition to presenting the news on the channel's international satellite broadcasts. Then she moved to the Lebanese station MTV where she presented the programme Min al Akhar . She later worked in Arab Radio and Television Network (ART) where she presented a number of programmes on the satellite station's various channels ART al Awael, ART al Munawwaat and ART al Aalamiyyah. Various programmes Yacoubian hosted on ART included Ded al Tayyar , Liqaa' Khass , Roui'ya Waadiha and Liqaa' min America . She moved to Alhurra television based in the United States where her husband Muwaffak Harb ran the pro-American news channel.

Returning to Lebanon, Yacoubian worked in Future TV where she hosted the news talk show Inter-views. She interviewed Lebanese prime minister Saad Hariri in Saudi Arabia She is a certified trainer who attended several training courses and workshops in the US and has a degree in Administration & Political Science. She has been involved with political journalism since the beginning of her career at the age of 17. Yacoubian hosted shows on ICN, LBC, MTV, ART and Future TV. She has interviewed many of the world leaders and personalities and held town hall discussions and debates.

Yacoubian joined efforts with social activists and is running for the Lebanese parliamentary elections that were held in May 2018. On May 7, 2018, she was the first Armenian woman to win a seat in the Lebanese Parliament. Following the 2020 Beirut explosions, she resigned along with two other members of the Kataeb Party on 8 August 2020.

She was again re-elected into the Lebanese parliament after the 2022 parliamentary elections as part of a 13-member October 17 reformist bloc.

Personal life Paula Yacoubian is divorced and has a son. She is of Armenian descent and is the daughter of an Armenian genocide survivor.

Awards Yacoubian received many awards throughout her career, and in August 2017 she received the prominent award of Officer of the Order of the Crown from King Philippe of Belgium, in reward for all the work she has carried out.