Bloomberg Television hires Dubai reporter

Bloomberg Television announced Friday that Lara Setrakian has joined the channel as a reporter based in Dubai.

Setrakian, who joins Bloomberg from ABC News in Dubai, has expertise covering the Gulf.  Most recently, she reported on the unrest in the Middle East from Saudi Arabia and Cairo’s Tahrir Square.  While at ABC, Setrakian covered the 2009 Iranian presidential election, energy prices in Saudi Arabia, Dubai’s financial crisis and other key economic and political stories.

Setrakian joins Bloomberg’s expanding news operations in Dubai, currently the company’s largest bureau in the Middle East with more than 15 journalists covering markets, energy, finance, government and other news.

This week, Bloomberg L.P. unveiled its Dubai office, the company’s 10^th global hub, to house Bloomberg’s expanding news operations and provide customer support for a growing client base in the region.

“Lara is a seasoned journalist with a strong understanding of the important news stories coming out of the Gulf,” said Malcolm Fried, Managing Editor, EMEA for Bloomberg Television, in a statement. “Her on-the-ground expertise and contacts will offer our global audience a unique perspective on how the Middle East is impacting politics and business worldwide.”

Setrakian joined ABC News in 2005 as a contributor to the network’s legal and investigative coverage. She will continue to make contributions to ABC News on television, radio and digital platforms as part of her new role at Bloomberg Television.  Setrakian previously served worked as a business analyst with McKinsey & Co. She graduated magna cum laude from Harvard College with a degree in government. Setrakian speaks Arabic, Armenian, French and Spanish, and has studied Persian and Portuguese.