Honey Al Sayed is a Syrian citizen who has lived in Damascus, Syria from the year 2000 to 2012. She was born and raised in Kuwait, attended high school in Egypt and university in Lebanon.
She was raised in an entrepreneurial family that led businesses in high-end fashion retail, advertising, Art Gallery and professional photography; all that run to this day.
With the outbreak of the Syrian uprising, Ms. Al-Sayed came to the United States to support other messages of positive, peaceful change.
She has a Bachelor of Science in Communication Media & Liberal Studies from the Lebanese American University 1997.
Ms. Al Sayed is an accomplished bilingual communications professional with varied background in all aspects of public speaking, media presenting, public relations, marketing, and media planning.
She has worked as a radio host and producer at Al Madina FM (1st private Syrian radio) from 2005 to 2012.
For Ms. Al Sayed, Syria was the birthplace of a seven-year-long bilingual and award-winning radio program, which gave the people of Syria a forum in which to express their hopes, desires and concerns for the future of Syria as a great country.
Good Morning Syria connected to the listeners via culture, education, holistic non-denominational spirituality, and self- improvement. In her belief, this approach holds out more potential for positive cultural change than the extremist politics that have polarized her region. She calls her contribution "Positive Media". This style of communication has earned her success, a wide listener base, and international recognition as a keynote speaker.
For seven years consecutive, the show was the most listened to show in Syria, with over six million listeners. “Good Morning Syria” has attracted a multitude of international media that expressed their keen interest in what the show has to offer from new school and creative media approach. In September of 2010, she was named "The Queen of the Morning Drive Time" by NPR Deborah Amos.
In addition, Ms. Al Sayed was on KPCC, BBC, Malibu magazine, Le Figaro, the cover of LA Times, France TV5, Sky News, PBS, USA National Public Radio (NPR) and more. (Media Coverage)
She was chosen to represent Syria in 2008 in the Creative Use of Media in the Middle East Conference by Rand Corporation in Washington D.C. and Los Angeles, California.As for her diverse skills, she became a certified Reiki natural healer in 2009.
Also in 2009, she was the youngest female to win an Achievement Award with a unanimous vote from her university, the Lebanese American University, as an influential media figure and role model in promoting a better future in Syria.
In March of 2011, she represented Syria as a keynote speaker in “The Bamiyan Project” conference, by ARCH International, which focused on building positive historical narratives. The conference was held in Virginia Colonial Williamsburg and Washington DC.
In October of 2011, Honey was nominated to represent Syria as a participating journalist in the Edward R. Murrow Program for Journalists, funded by the USA Department of State in the USA. She received a certificate for the international visitor leadership program from the US Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
Today Ms. Al Sayed is co-founder of SouriaLi Radio, where she serves as a Media Advisor & Consultant, as well as Radio host and Producer. SouriaLiis a grassroots non-profit online radio station dedicated to working with Syrian people in fostering an advanced level of awareness in civil society, active citizenship, communication, women-empowerment and youth-motivation through high quality music, performance and public affairs programming. We hope to inform and educate active individuals and inspire them to work towards the future of a democratic and free Syria. She is also Board member of RO’YA - Syrian NGO based in Paris, and both RO’YA and Souriali are dedicated to working on the Syrian people’s psycho-social development via education, media, art & culture.
In addition to her endeavors, is Syria Artvolution: Expressions of Freedom, a captivating multimedia show of acclaimed Syrian artists and musicians. These poignant works forward insight into the Syrian experience, telling a visual tale of a peoples’ desire for dignity, freedom, and peace. The exhibition is curated and produced by Honey Al Sayed and Amanda M. Williams-Vasquez.
Ms. Al Sayed believes - for positive change to occur in the Middle East and a peaceful future for all - civil reform and social reform must take place and we need to make an effort to understand and accept each other. We must build strong cultural bridges between the Middle East and the West. The only way to do so is through getting acquainted thereby banishing the misconceptions and typecasting. We can do this through dialogue, art & cultural exchange and positive media coverage, all which have comprised Ms. Al Sayed previous experience.
Her inspiration comes from her family, her friends, the people that have crossed her life and most of all her country – Syria.
