Yalda Hakim From Refugee to Renowned International Journalist
When it comes to inspiring stories in modern journalism, few narratives resonate as powerfully as that of Yalda Hakim. Her journey from a six-month-old refugee fleeing war-torn Afghanistan to becoming one of the world’s most recognized broadcast journalists is nothing short of extraordinary. Today, she stands as a beacon of resilience, compassion, and journalistic excellence on the global stage.
Yalda Hakim Biography
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Yalda Hakim |
| Date of Birth | June 26, 1983 |
| Birthplace | Kabul, Afghanistan |
| Nationality | Afghan-Australian |
| Early Life | Fled Afghanistan at 6 months old during the Soviet-Afghan War; lived in Pakistan before resettling in Australia in 1986 |
| Education (Schooling) | Parramatta West Public School; Macarthur Girls High School |
| Higher Education | Bachelor of Arts in Journalism, Monash University (2007–2009, distance education) |
| Languages | English, Persian, Urdu, Hindi, Pashto (and learning Mandarin) |
| Career Beginnings | Cadet journalist at SBS Australia (2007) |
| Notable Early Work | Dateline reporter; first return to Kabul in 2008; co-host of Dateline from 2011 |
| Major Awards (Early) | UN Media Peace Prize (2009); Walkley finalist |
| BBC Career | Presenter and correspondent (2013–2023); presenter of Impact; international conflict reporting |
| Key BBC Achievements | Interview with Hamid Karzai (2013); Peabody nomination (2021); live interview with Taliban during Kabul’s fall |
| Sky News Career | Joined 2023 as lead world news presenter |
| Current Program | The World with Yalda Hakim (Sky News), launched January 22, 2024 |
| Major Reporting Regions | Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Libya, South Sudan, Israel-Gaza, Ukraine |
| High-Profile Interviews | Justin Trudeau, Satya Nadella, Ahmadinejad, Ghani, Karzai, Blinken, Dalai Lama, Malala, Taliban officials |
| Journalistic Style | Forensic questioning + empathy; multicultural insight; human-focused storytelling |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Husband | Abed Rashid (Australian avionics engineer; ex–Royal Australian Air Force sergeant) |
| Children | One son |
| Religion | Not publicly disclosed |
| Humanitarian Work | Founder of the Yalda Hakim Foundation (educational scholarships for Afghan women) |
| Notable Humanitarian Projects | AUAF scholarship (2019); Oxford Oriel College scholarship (2021) |
| Salary | Not publicly disclosed; considered among top international news presenters |
| Notable Lecture | Lowy Institute Media Lecture (2021) |
| Legacy | Renowned refugee-success story; leading global conflict reporter; advocate for refugee and women’s rights |
Early Life: A Journey of Survival
Born on June 26, 1983, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Yalda Hakim entered the world during one of the most turbulent periods in her nation’s history. When she was merely six months old, her family made the harrowing decision to flee the Soviet-Afghan War. The journey to safety was treacherous—traveling overland to Pakistan with the help of smugglers, her family risked everything for a chance at survival.
In 1986, the Hakim family finally reached Australia, settling in Sydney’s Hills district and Parramatta area as refugees. This new beginning would lay the foundation for an incredible future. Growing up in western Sydney, she attended Parramatta West Public School and later Macarthur Girls High School, where her leadership qualities began to shine. She became a prefect, sports captain, and even played the violin, showing early signs of the determined spirit that would define her career.
Yalda Hakim Education: Building a Foundation
Yalda Hakim education journey reflects her dedication to storytelling and journalism. Between 2007 and 2009, she pursued a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism through distance education at Monash University. This flexible approach allowed her to gain practical experience while studying, which proved invaluable in her early career.
What truly sets her apart, however, is her linguistic prowess. She is fluent in five languages—English, Persian, Urdu, Hindi, and Pashto. Interestingly, she picked up Hindi and Urdu by watching Bollywood films, demonstrating her natural ability to absorb and connect with different cultures. As of 2022, she was also learning Mandarin Chinese, continuously expanding her ability to communicate across borders.
Career Beginnings: The SBS Years (2007-2013)
Yalda Hakim began her professional journalism career as a cadet at Australia’s Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) in 2007. It was a fitting starting point for someone with her multicultural background and passion for international stories. Within a year, in 2008, she made her first return to Kabul for a Dateline report—a deeply personal and professional milestone.
Her work with SBS took her across the globe, reporting for Dateline and SBS World News Australia. From 2011, she co-hosted Dateline alongside Mark Davis, alternating in six-week presenting blocks. Her commitment was so intense that she used her leave savings to travel independently to India and Afghanistan to film documentaries, funding her own reporting missions to tell stories she felt needed to be heard.
During this period, her talent was recognized with several accolades. In 2009, she won the United Nations Association of Australia Media Peace Prize for best Australian Television News Coverage. She was also a finalist for the prestigious Walkley Young Australian Journalist of the Year Award and produced what became the highest-rated Dateline episode of that year with her Afghanistan story.
The BBC Chapter: A Decade of Global Impact (2013-2023)
In March 2013, Yalda Hakim made her first appearance on BBC World News and BBC News Channel, marking the beginning of a transformative decade. By October 2013, she had already secured a high-profile interview with Afghan President Hamid Karzai for Newsnight, demonstrating her unique access and credibility.
From March 2014, she began appearing on Impact, eventually becoming the program’s main presenter. Her rise at the BBC was steady and impressive, as she became one of the network’s chief presenters. Her reporting took her to some of the world’s most dangerous conflict zones, including Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Libya, South Sudan, Turkey, and Darfur.
One of her most significant achievements came in 2021 when she was nominated for a Peabody Award for “Afghanistan: Documenting A Crucial Year.” That same year, in August 2021, she made world headlines when she conducted a live interview with Taliban representatives as Kabul fell to their control—a moment that captured global attention and showcased her fearless approach to journalism.
Throughout her BBC tenure, she covered diverse topics ranging from people smuggling and the Nepal earthquake to US Presidential elections and Mexican drug cartels. She documented the rise and fall of the Islamic State in the Middle East and was the first Western journalist to visit Kandahar province villages after the tragic 2012 civilian shootings. She also reported from Libya during the Arab Spring, always positioning herself at the heart of history as it unfolded.
Yalda Hakim Sky News: A New Chapter
On July 27, 2023, Yalda Hakim announced her departure from the BBC, and soon after joined Sky News as their lead world news presenter. This move marked an exciting new phase in her already illustrious career.
On January 22, 2024, she began hosting “The World with Yalda Hakim” on Sky News, a program that quickly found its audience, attracting approximately 60,000 viewers nightly. Her work continues to take her to the frontlines of global conflicts, including the Israel-Gaza border, Ukraine, and Afghanistan. At Yalda Hakim Sky News, she brings the same commitment to truth-telling and human-centered journalism that has defined her entire career.
High-Profile Interviews and Journalism Excellence
Throughout her career, Yalda Hakim has secured interviews with some of the world’s most influential figures. Her interview subjects include international leaders like Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Afghan presidents Ashraf Ghani and Hamid Karzai, and former US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken.
She has also interviewed tech industry leaders like Microsoft’s Satya Nadella, religious figures including His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Taliban representatives and spokespersons, and Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai. Her ability to secure and conduct these conversations speaks to her reputation for fairness, preparation, and the respect she commands across diverse communities.
Journalism Style: Empathy Meets Accountability
What distinguishes Yalda Hakim as a journalist is her unique blend of forensic questioning and empathetic storytelling. She is known for her rigorous interrogation technique when interviewing officials and Taliban representatives, never shying away from difficult questions. Yet she balances this with empathy-driven reporting that humanizes conflict zones and prioritizes the narratives of ordinary people over elite perspectives.
Her Afghan heritage provides her with nuanced insights while maintaining journalistic objectivity—a delicate balance she navigates skillfully. Her multilingual abilities enable direct communication with subjects without the filter of interpreters, allowing for more authentic conversations and deeper understanding.
Married Yalda Hakim: Personal Life and Partnership
Beyond her professional accomplishments, married Yalda Hakim maintains a private but meaningful personal life. She is married to Abed Rashid, an Australian avionics engineer and former Royal Australian Air Force sergeant. The couple has navigated a long-distance relationship due to the demands of her international career, a testament to their commitment and understanding.
Yalda Hakim husband Abed has been a supportive partner throughout her demanding career. Together, they have a son, and despite the challenges of her globe-trotting profession, she remains dedicated to her family. The Hakim-Rashid family continues to be active in human rights advocacy, carrying forward the values that have guided her journey.
Yalda Hakim Religion and Cultural Identity
While Yalda Hakim religion and personal beliefs remain largely private, her Afghan heritage and multicultural upbringing have clearly shaped her worldview. She represents a bridge between cultures, able to navigate complex religious and cultural landscapes with sensitivity and understanding. Her work consistently demonstrates respect for diverse faiths and traditions while holding all parties accountable to universal human rights standards.
Humanitarian Legacy: The Yalda Hakim Foundation
Perhaps equally important as her journalism is Yalda Hakim‘s humanitarian work. In 2018, she established the Yalda Hakim Foundation to support education for talented young Afghan women—a cause deeply personal to her given her own refugee background.
In 2019, the foundation offered a full four-year scholarship program at the American University of Afghanistan. By 2021, she had partnered with Oriel College at Oxford University to provide a fully funded one-year master’s degree for a young Afghan woman. These initiatives represent her commitment to creating opportunities for others who, like her, deserve the chance to reach their potential.
She remains a vocal advocate for compassionate immigration policies toward genuine refugees and maintains a strong focus on Afghan women’s rights and education, particularly under Taliban rule. Her coverage of the Taliban’s secondary school ban for girls has continued for over 1,000 days as of June 2024, keeping this critical issue in the global spotlight.
Yalda Hakim Salary and Professional Recognition
While specific details about Yalda Hakim salary are not publicly disclosed, as is typical for prominent broadcast journalists, her position as lead world news presenter at Sky News and her previous decade-long career at the BBC indicate a successful and well-compensated career. Senior international correspondents and presenters at major networks typically earn substantial salaries reflecting their expertise, experience, and the demanding nature of their work.
Her professional compensation reflects not just her on-screen presence but also her extensive field reporting, her unique linguistic skills, her access to high-level sources, and her proven ability to deliver compelling journalism from the world’s most challenging environments.
Legacy and Ongoing Impact
Today, Yalda Hakim stands as one of the most influential figures in international journalism. She represents a powerful refugee success story, demonstrating what is possible when talent meets opportunity and determination. Her journey from a six-month-old fleeing war to interviewing world leaders has inspired countless others, particularly young women from immigrant and refugee backgrounds.
In 2021, she delivered the Lowy Institute Media Lecture in Australia, sharing her insights on journalism, conflict reporting, and the responsibility of storytellers in an age of misinformation. She continues to amplify underreported stories from war-torn regions, always maintaining her commitment to giving voice to the voiceless.
As she continues her work at Sky News, Yalda Hakim remains dedicated to the principles that have guided her career: truth, empathy, accountability, and the belief that journalism can make a difference. Her story reminds us that the refugee child of today might become the voice the world needs tomorrow.
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