Fatina Salaheddine - Biography

Fatina Salaheddine is the founder and young Publisher of the Al-Sahafa Newspaper; America’s monthly Middle Eastern Newspaper.

Fatina Salaheddine has been very instrumental in educating and in bridging the wide gap of communication between the Eastern & Western world, by serving as Publisher & Chief Executive Officer of Al-Sahafa.  Since its inception in 2001, the publication has respectively grown from a statewide to a nationally distributed and currently internationally recognized newspaper, (with print and online availability). 

Salaheddine started her career at the age of 19, as the Marketing Director for the National Arab American Business Association (NAABA) where she coordinated fundraising activities, receptions, executed marketing strategies for membership framework, and worked with various grass root, and governmental organizations as well as the media in order to implement a successful local and national outreach initiative. Thus, was Fatina’s entrance in what is part of her current extraordinary Networking List of politicians and business professionals. (This is all while still completing her International Business & Marketing Degree at the University of Akron).

A significant and quintessential period in Salaheddine’s career began when she was signed-on at the world-re-known Cleveland Clinic Foundation as their Guest Relations Manager at the age of 21. Her Middle Eastern cultural awareness, combined with her intelligence, dedication and persona led her to become the Clinic’s Guest Relations Manager for the incoming World Leaders, Ambassadors, Diplomats, Prime Ministers, Heads of State, World Royalty, Supreme Court Judges, and wealthy international V.I.P patients (just to name a few examples) who chose the Cleveland Clinic as their medical facility of choice.

As the Guest Relations Manager, Fatina’s primary role was to be the mediator and facilitator for the VIP guests’ stay at the Cleveland Clinic.  From the moment the private planes and jets landed at Burke Lake Front Airport, to the time of departure from the Clinic’s Campus and Hotel systems, Fatina’s responsibility was to ensure maximum comfort and genuine hospitality to all the Clinic’s VIP guests. Guaranteeing requested amenities, services, and conveniences, (which sometimes included specific flower and chocolate arrangements be sent to guest rooms and acquaintances, luxury car transportation provided, keeping private chefs satisfied with meal specifications, finding and ordering lavish clothes and jewelry items from high-end boutiques for guests, supplying temporary cell phone use, and ensuring a “culturally aware” environment was a typical day’s work for Fatina at the Cleveland Clinic. Her exotic grace, striking beauty and disarming charm helped Salaheddine put the many VIP guests at ease and at home, during their stay. Thus, was Fatina’s continuance in what is currently her endless and truly impressive Networking List of high profile influential world leaders, royal family members, and affluent international power brokers.

Salaheddine describes herself as hard working and an extremely determined individual– even in the face of all odds. From meeting with the Middle Eastern VIP’s at the Cleveland Clinic, she identified the need to better inform her American counter-parts about the vast Arabian culture, and the concerns of the present political issues between the Middle East and the Western World. Her initial idea was to start a community Middle Eastern newsletter (one that could also be given to members of Cleveland Clinic’s VIP guests and their large entourages for informational purposes), however after deep consideration and the support of the Middle Eastern community in Ohio; she decided to launch her second corporation; the Al-Sahafa Newspaper, which means the Press or the Media in Arabic. (Her first corporation being a well established event-coordinating business since 1997 called; Nonabel Entertainment Inc., which has successfully promoted a considerable number of Middle Eastern concerts and planned huge ethnic weddings in Northeast Ohio).

Coincidentally, the launch of Al-Sahafa was in the summer before September 11^th 2001 arrived – bringing the Arabs, the Middle East, the religion of Islam and Arab Americans to the forefront and controversy of the news and media. Through the Al-Sahafa publication, Salaheddine was determined to initiate and open dialogue to help bridge the gap of tolerance and acceptance each month, by providing news – with the “Arab” viewpoint.  Reminding readers, that “there is always the other side to every story told”.

Professionally, Salaheddine conducts business in the “All-American” style, while living her personal life with a deep sense of culture and Lebanese tradition, passed down generously by her Lebanese parents, (who immigrated from Beirut at the beginning of the Lebanese Civil War).  Having been invited to speak at important annual Conferences in Washington DC and around the world, by the governments of respected countries in Europe and the Middle East (including Paris- France, London – United Kingdom, Beirut - Lebanon, Doha - Qatar, Jeddah - Saudi Arabia, Dubai - United Arab Emirates), has enriched Salaheddine’s experience and has added to the capital of information and inside news and views to readers of her monthly publication; Al-Sahafa.

Salaheddine is an outgoing, open-minded professional lady with a good knowledge of the things going on around the world. She keeps herself current on all political, economic and cultural trends, through her veracious appetite for reading. She consistently creates a sense of optimism and helps to shed light on current world political and humanitarian situations among her employees, friends and clients.

Salaheddine’s typical day at Al-Sahafa is packed with attending meetings, events and conferences, adding to her conglomerate high profile networking list of contacts as well as generating new business ideas for her two companies. As the publisher of Al-Sahafa, she reviews all information, suggests editing on text, design, layout, captions etc. Apart from her excellent writing skills, Salaheddine is very aware of the importance of maintaining factual and legal accuracy. She is full of confidence, puts people at ease, absorbs information quickly, has good leadership skills and is tactful and extremely diplomatic.

It is in gratitude that should be noted; Salaheddine was given honorable mentions and feature interviews in several of the most prestigious Lebanese and Middle Eastern Magazines, published and distributed throughout the entire Middle East such as; Forbes Middle East, the Hasnaa Magazine (Lebanese Magazine), Women in Business (Middle East Magazine published in the Kingdom of Bahrain), Hia Magazine (the Middle East version of “Elle Magazine”, published in the United Arab Emirates).  As well as featured and covered in mainstream International Media distributed throughout Europe and the Middle East including; La Stampa (Italian Newspaper), Le Figaro (French Newspaper), and Sharq Magazine (London’s Arab Lifestyle Magazine).   In 2007, the International Arabic Radio & Television Channel (ART International) featured an interview with Salaheddine on a popular show named; Min America (translates to “From America”), which broadcasts to millions of viewers across the world.  Impressively, Salaheddine’s interview captured the highest rated episode, since the show’s inception.

She has been written about time and again in a plethora of Ohio media for her outstanding community relations, civic involvement and contributions to a wide variety of organizations and ethnic communities such as; The Cleveland Magazine, The Cleveland Plain Dealer, The Sun Newspaper, The Cleveland Jewish News, Crain’s Business Magazine, Fairlawn Magazine, Ohio’s Inside Business Magazine, and the “Cover Girl” for Northern Ohio Live Magazine’s March 2005 issue as a “Media Mogul”.  She was also a face in the 2004 Extraordinary Women of Cleveland Premier Calendar released by the prestigious Women’s Community Foundation. This was in recognition of the philanthropic efforts, strength and perseverance of women of all ages, races and nationalities.