Jihan El-Tahri was born in Beirut, Lebanon, and is a writer, director and producer of documentary films. She is a French and Egyptian national.

In 1984, she received her BA (Honours) in Political Science, and in 1986 her MA in Political Science from the American University of Cairo . She worked as a news correspondent with U.S. News and World Report and Reuters, TV researcher, and associate producer in Tunisia and Egypt between the years of 1984 to 1990. As a correspondent, El-Tahri covered politics in the Middle East.

In 1990, El-Tahri started directing and producing documentaries for French television, and for the BBC since 1995. In 1992 she filmed Osama bin Laden's training camps in Sudan. She also provided professional support on four of the Steps for the Future films in 2001. Her latest documentary, The House of Saud, appeared on the BBC in 2004 and on PBS in 2005.

Works

• The Koran and the Kalashnikov
• The House of Saud 2004

External links

• PBS - Frontline: House of Saud
• BBC Four - Storyville: The House of Saud with director interview