WSJ names Amon its bureau chief for Middle East and North Africa

Wall Street Journal world coverage chief Gordon Fairclough sent out the following on Tuesday:

All: I am excited to share the news that Michael Amon has been named The Wall Street Journal’s bureau chief for the Middle East and North Africa. After a fantastic run as chief of the law bureau in New York, Mike will move to Dubai to oversee coverage of this important and fast-changing region.

It will be Mike’s second tour in the Middle East. In 2018 and 2019, he was the deputy chief, leading the bureau’s coverage of business and economics. He reported on the cultural changes upending Saudi society, two wild Israeli elections and Dubai’s penchant for gold-infused food and drink.

For the past two years as head of the law group, he oversaw coverage of criminal and civil courts across the country, along with the industry of lawyers and their firms, at a time of momentous developments, including the cases related to the Jan. 6^th storming of the capital by a pro-Trump mob.

Before that, Mike was based in London, overseeing reporting on the Middle East oil industry, OPEC and major international energy companies. He has worked for The Wall Street Journal since 2011, when he joined the Greater New York section.

Mike is a native of Yankton, South Dakota and a long-suffering fan of the Mets, Jets, Knicks and Arsenal. He is moving with his wife, Lisa Fleisher, and 21-month-old daughter, Simone.

Please join me in congratulating him on his new role.

Best,

Gordon