Arab TV channel Al Jazeera has appointed Sheikh Ahmad bin Jasem bin Muhammad Al Thani as the new director general after Wadah Khanfar stepped down from the role on Tuesday.

Wadah Khanfar left Al Jazeera after eight years saying that he had accomplished the vision that he had set for Al Jazeera to be a globally recognized media institution.

Sheikh Ahmed, who takes over the new role from today, brings significant international and business experience to Al Jazeera, said a statement from the Arab channel.

He has been a member of the most senior decision making body at Qatargas, where he led more than 247 capital projects.

He has industry experience in France and the US and holds degrees from numerous institutions worldwide including Imperial College in the UK and the Carnegie Mellon Tepper School of Business, it added.

On Khanfar's resignation, an Al Jazeera spokesman said, “Khanfar had made outstanding contributions to Al Jazeera and journalism worldwide.'

'We all recognize his commitment to courageous reporting and want to continue to build upon those achievements,' he said.

“Al Jazeera has expanded massively in the last few years and there are ambitious plans still ahead. All of the staff at Al Jazeera will continue to provide high quality journalism to our audiences across the world,” the spokesman added.-TradeArabia News Service