Faisal al-Qassem

Dr. Faisal Al-Qassim ( born January 1, 1961), also written as Faisal Al-Kassim (Arabic:فيصل القاسم ) is an internationally renowned British-Syrian veteran and television personality based in Qatar, who is known for hosting the famous and controversial live debate show The Opposite Direction (Arabic:الاتجاه المعاكس ) on Al Jazeera, where two guests with extremely opposed view points debate on current affairs. Fights break out on some occasions.

Al-Qassim is known for his provocative on-screen style, and is frequently credited with playing a large part in Al Jazeera's reputation in the Arab world as willing to break taboos and potentially offend individuals and states. He was listed by Arabian Business Magazine as one of the top most influential Arab personalities for the year 2007, ranked as 64th.

Al-Qassim is married to a Syrian woman who comes from the same village, and has 3 children, a girl, Siba, and two boys, Asil and Adam. Outside his work in media, Al-Qassim enjoys a range of interests and pastimes including internet surfing, shopping, and listening to music.