Badih Serbey

In 1953, Badih Serbey published the first issue of “Al-Mawed” and was considered the founder of a pioneering school in artistic journalism. “Al-Maw’id” was initially a bi-monthly magazine, but soon became a weekly magazine at the request of the “Star of the East”, the artist Umm Kulthum.

Member of the Supreme Council of the Lebanese Press, and served as Secretary of the Lebanese Press Syndicate for more than ten years. He served as Media Advisor to the Prime Minister during the era of Presidents Saeb Salam and Takieddine Solh.

His journalistic work
He began his journalistic career in the newspapers "Beirut" and "Beirut Al-Masaa" when he was eighteen years old. He worked as a correspondent for the Egyptian newspaper "Akhbar Al-Youm", and was one of the first program producers and presenters on the Near East Radio.

In 1953, he published Al-Maw'id magazine, and was considered the founder of a pioneering school in artistic journalism.

In 1954, he began his career in Lebanese political journalism, as publisher and editor-in-chief of the weekly political magazine “Kul Shi”, which he continued to publish during the Lebanese Civil War until it ceased publication in 1990.

Al-Mawed Magazine
He issued the Al-Maw'ed magazine on a semi-monthly basis on the first day of 1953, and soon began issuing it on a weekly basis, at the request of the Star of the East, Umm Kulthum. He continued issuing it on a weekly basis since that period, and achieved wide circulation in Lebanon, Egypt, and all parts of the Arab world. After his death, his daughters took over the issuance of Al-Maw'ed magazine, until its paper version stopped in 2016.

Mohamed Badie Sarbi is considered a pioneer in artistic journalism. Readers in Egypt and Lebanon used to look forward to his weekly column in Al-Maw’ed magazine, which was called “Star Street.” He used to write journalistic articles in which he expressed his opinions, and he also hosted art stars and giants over the course of weeks, published in serial episodes. These episodes were often journalistic triumphs, including information, rare photos, and exclusives for Al-Maw’ed magazine. Al-Maw’ed magazine was also famous for being the first to publish serial episodes that dealt with the life stories of artistic figures, kings, Arab and foreign princes, sports and journalistic celebrities, businessmen and economists, and Arab and foreign historical figures.

He was the first to create competitions and polls for the readers of “Al-Maw’ed” magazine to choose their favorite stars through the works they presented each year. He was also the first to hold parties to distribute “Al-Maw’ed” magazine cups to the winning stars. These parties were attended only by the stars, and were not commercial parties.

He was the first to make the audience engage in a direct dialogue with the artist, through the “Hello Al-Mawed” corner, where the audience contacts the Al-Mawed offices in Beirut and a guest artist is on the line, answering the audience’s questions. He had announced the artist’s name and the time of his presence at the Al-Mawed offices in a previous issue, and all the audience’s questions and the artist’s responses were published in the following week’s issue of Al-Mawed. The neighbors of Al-Mawed’s office recall how the street on which the magazine’s office is located in the Ras Al-Nabaa area in Beirut was crowded with Al-Mawed’s readers and the audience, waiting to meet the stars.

It is reported that Muhammad Badi’ Sarbiyeh convinced the late star Nadia Lutfi to become part of the editorial staff of Al-Maw’id to respond, in her own handwriting, on a weekly basis to the readers’ problems. The name of the column was “You Ask and Nadia Lutfi Answers.”

Muhammad Badi’ Sarbi’ was known for publishing only the correct news, and for checking carefully before publishing any information. He gained people’s trust, until Al-Maw’id became a source of honest news for readers and also for celebrities.

"Kol Shay" Magazine
He achieved several journalistic victories in his eventful professional life, starting with a very important journalistic interview with the Egyptian Queen Nariman, following the July 23 Revolution that overthrew King Farouk.

He was the first Arab journalist to meet the late President Gamal Abdel Nasser and conduct a press interview with him for the magazine "Kul Shi", following the July 23 Revolution. He also scored a journalistic scoop in 1960 by conducting an interview with President Gamal Abdel Nasser, in which the late president responded to rumors of his assassination. The interview was reported that day by all Arab and foreign media agencies.

"Nora" Magazine
In the early eighties, he published “Noura” magazine, which was the first illustrated magazine in the Arabic language in the Arab world, producing, writing, and publishing exclusive illustrated stories starring Arab stars. It later turned into an artistic, social, women’s, and cultural magazine.

'Ayoub Al Mawhoub" Magazine
In 1981, he published the magazine “Ayyub Al-Muhabib,” which is a children’s magazine that includes cartoon stories, the most prominent of which is about the adventures of the boy Ayyub, a cartoon character whose stories were written and drawn by Arab creators. Each issue also included competitions, educational information for children, and translated cartoon stories.

His relationship with the stars
Mohamed Badie Sarbi adopted many young talents, and launched a group of well-known stars in the world of art. He was a friend of major artists and gave some artistic titles to the stars, until these titles became an alternative to the names of the artists. He gave:

• Mohamed Abdel Wahab was given the title of "Musician of Generations"
• Faten Hamama was given the title of "Lady of the Arab Screen" while Al-Maw'ed magazine presented her with the cup because she won as the best star in several polls conducted by Al-Maw'ed.
• Abdel Halim Hafez was nicknamed "The Brown Nightingale"
• Soad Hosni nicknamed "Cinderella"
• Shadia is nicknamed "the screen's darling"

He was friends with the great artists, and he did not trade or bargain with the secrets he knew, because he wrote a slogan for the appointment:

Art journalism is not a show of extravagance. It brings to the masses pure and innocent entertainment that fills their souls with joy and optimism. This is how we wanted “Al-Maw’ed” to be.