Yalda Hakim is an Afghan-born Australian journalist who has become one of the most recognisable faces in international news. As the lead world news presenter for Sky News, she anchors a nightly programme that covers global affairs. Her journey from a childhood shaped by conflict to a career reporting from the world’s most dangerous zones has made her a figure of considerable public interest, yet many details of her personal life remain private.
Hakim was born on 26 June 1983 in Kabul, Afghanistan. Her family fled the country as refugees when she was a child, eventually settling in Australia. That background, combined with her extensive career at the BBC and now Sky News, has led many viewers to ask a range of questions about who she is, her family, her earnings, and her physical attributes.
This article separates what is verifiably known about Yalda Hakim from what remains unconfirmed, using only the information found in credible public sources.
Who is Yalda Hakim? Age, Ethnicity, and Background
- Name: Yalda Hakim
- Born: 26 June 1983
- Nationality: Afghan-born Australian
- Occupation: Lead World News Presenter at Sky News
Here are the key verified facts about her profile:
- She is an award-winning journalist now presenting The World on Sky News weeknights at 9pm.
- Her birth date, 26 June 1983, makes her 43 years old as of 2026.
- She is described in reliable profiles as Afghan-born Australian; some sources also use the term Afghan-Australian.
- Public sources consistently identify her as of Afghan background. While no formal statement of her specific ethnicity is given, Wikipedia notes a Pashtun heritage.
- Her early life was shaped by displacement: she was born in Kabul and moved to Australia as a refugee after her father fled the Soviet invasion.
- She holds an honorary doctorate from Monash University and has been recognised for her humanitarian and journalistic work.
- In 2018, she founded the Yalda Hakim Foundation, which supports education and professional advancement for talented Afghan women and girls through scholarships and mentoring.
| Attribute | Verified Information |
|---|---|
| Born | 26 June 1983 |
| Age | 43 (as of 2026) |
| Height | Not publicly confirmed |
| Ethnicity | Afghan-born, Australian, Pashtun background |
| Marital status | Unconfirmed in earlier reports, but later sources name a husband |
| Children | One son |
| Salary | Not disclosed; estimated between £100,000 and £200,000 |
| Handle not officially verified in provided results; reported as @yaldahakim |
Is Yalda Hakim Married? Husband and Children
Public curiosity about Yalda Hakim’s personal life is high, but authoritative sources have historically offered very little detail. For a long time, the question of whether she was married or had children remained unanswered in her official bios.
More recently, however, some credible sources have begun to fill in the gaps. Wikipedia, Media Clicks, and the Monash University alumni profile now state that her husband is Abed Rashid. The same sources indicate she has one child, a son.
While these details now appear in multiple outlets, they are not present in Hakim’s official Sky News or foundation biographies, which focus exclusively on her professional work. Readers should treat this information as sourced from secondary profiles rather than directly from the journalist herself.
What is Yalda Hakim’s Salary and Career at Sky News?
Her Professional Trajectory
Yalda Hakim’s career began at Australia’s SBS, where she worked on World News Australia and Dateline. In December 2012, she joined BBC World News as a presenter and correspondent, spending around a decade at the corporation. She eventually became chief presenter on the BBC News Channel before moving to Sky News in 2023.
At Sky News, she presents The World with Yalda Hakim. Her reporting has taken her to conflict zones in Afghanistan, Ukraine, Iraq, Darfur, and the Israel-Gaza region. She has interviewed high-profile figures including Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Antony Blinken, Bill Clinton, Justin Trudeau, Sheikh Hasina, Joko Widodo, and Ashraf Ghani.
Salary and Earnings
There is no publicly disclosed figure for Yalda Hakim’s salary. Her current employer, Sky News, does not publish individual presenter salaries. Some media industry estimates suggest that senior presenters at Sky News typically earn between £100,000 and £200,000 per year. However, this is speculative and has not been confirmed by any official source. Media Clicks explicitly notes that her salary is not publicly disclosed.
Yalda Hakim’s Height and Physical Appearance
In response to frequent online queries about Yalda Hakim’s height, no credible source in the available records provides a measurement. Her height is not listed on any of her official profiles or biographies. The available information does not allow for a reliable statement on this attribute.
How to Follow Yalda Hakim on Social Media?
Yalda Hakim maintains a presence on multiple social media platforms. The provided research results do not include a verified official Instagram handle, though some sources report an account under the handle @yaldahakim with approximately 1.2 million followers. Her official X (formerly Twitter) profile is @SkyYaldaHakim, where she posts news updates, programme reminders, and professional commentary.
Timeline of Key Life Events
- 1983: Born in Kabul, Afghanistan.
- Early 1990s: Family fled Afghanistan as refugees and moved to Australia.
- 2000s-2010s: Began her journalism career at SBS in Australia, working on World News Australia and Dateline.
- 2012: Joined BBC World News as a presenter and correspondent.
- 2018: Founded the Yalda Hakim Foundation to support Afghan women’s education.
- 2023: Joined Sky News as Lead World News Presenter, launching The World with Yalda Hakim.
What is Confirmed and What Remains Unclear?
| Established Information | Information That Remains Unclear |
|---|---|
| Yalda Hakim was born on 26 June 1983 in Afghanistan. | Her marital status and spouse identity were not confirmed in earlier authoritative sources. |
| She is an award-winning journalist with a decade at the BBC and now Sky News. | Her exact height is not publicly listed. |
| She works at Sky News as Lead World News Presenter. | Salary figures are estimates only and not officially disclosed. |
| She founded the Yalda Hakim Foundation in 2018. | The number of children she has, if any, was initially unknown but later reports name one son. |
Why is Her Personal Life So Private?
Yalda Hakim’s public profile is overwhelmingly focused on her professional achievements. Her official biographies on the Sky News author page and the Yalda Hakim Foundation website make no mention of her husband, children, or physical characteristics. This is consistent with many journalists who choose to keep their personal lives separate from their public role. It also reflects a broader trend: the most authoritative sources—official employer pages and Wikipedia—are primarily encyclopedic and career-oriented. Details about family or appearance are often not included unless the subject chooses to disclose them directly.
What Do the Sources Say?
The primary sources for this article include Wikipedia, the Sky News author page, the Yalda Hakim Foundation site, and other media profiles.
“Lead World News Presenter @skynews The World with Yalda Hakim weekdays at 9pm”
— Instagram bio (as reported)
“An award-winning international correspondent and documentary filmmaker”
— Sky News author page
What’s Next for Yalda Hakim?
Yalda Hakim continues to anchor The World nightly on Sky News, covering the most significant international stories. Her foundation continues its work providing scholarships and mentoring to Afghan women. As of now, no major career changes have been announced.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Yalda Hakim Foundation?
The Yalda Hakim Foundation, established in 2018, supports the education and professional advancement of talented Afghan women and girls through scholarships, internships, and mentoring.
What is ‘The World’ on Sky News?
The World with Yalda Hakim is a weeknight news program airing at 9pm on Sky News, covering global issues and featuring interviews with world leaders.
Where is Yalda Hakim from?
She was born in Kabul, Afghanistan, and raised in Australia after her family fled as refugees.
What is Yalda Hakim’s educational background?
She studied at Monash University in Australia, which later awarded her an honorary doctorate.
Has Yalda Hakim won any awards?
She has been recognised for journalism and humanitarian work, including for her documentaries and conflict-zone reporting.
Does Yalda Hakim have an Instagram account?
Some sources report an account at @yaldahakim, but no verified official handle was found in the provided search results.
What languages does Yalda Hakim speak?
She speaks English and has been quoted discussing her ability to communicate in Dari, though this is not confirmed in official sources.
Why did Yalda Hakim leave the BBC?
She joined Sky News in 2023 to become lead world news presenter; the move was a career change to a new role, not the result of controversy.
Who are Yalda Hakim’s parents?
Her father fled Afghanistan during the Soviet invasion; no other details about her parents are publicly available in the cited sources.
Is Yalda Hakim active on X (Twitter)?
Yes, her official X account is @SkyYaldaHakim, where she posts about news and her programme.
For more biographical profiles of British media figures, you may wish to read about Yinka Bokinni – Biography, Career and Personal Life or Adil Ray – Biography, Career, and Personal Life Explained.
Related stories
Leon Carter is Celebrity & Royals Correspondent at CultureObserver.uk, covering celebrity news, royal coverage and red-carpet reporting.