Al Arabiya English is an English language service of the Saudi state-owned Al-Arabiya News Channel.

Al Arabiya English
Type of site
News website
Available inEnglish
OwnerMBC Group
(Saudi Arabian Government (60%); Waleed bin Ibrahim Al Ibrahim (40%))
EditorMamdouh Almuhaini
ParentAl Arabiya Network
URLenglish.alarabiya.net
CommercialYes
RegistrationNo
Current statusOnline

Foundation and early days

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Former logo, used until early February 2021.

Al-Arabiya English was launched in 2007.[1] The website carried wire news and selected translated articles from Al Arabiya's main Arabic language news site.

In November 2013, the site was relaunched with a new design that provided captioned and searchable news clips from the main Al Arabiya news channel.

Staffing

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The Al Arabiya English website began under the same editorial management as the channel's Arabic website.[2]

In July 2012, Faisal J. Abbas, a Huffington Post blogger, Middle East correspondent and former media editor of London-based daily Asharq Al Awsat, was appointed editor-in-chief of the Al Arabiya English Service. He held the role until 2016.[3][4][5]

In 2019, Mohammed Al Yahya assumed the role of editor-in-chief. Al Yahya oversaw a comprehensive restructuring of the operation and a revamp of its website.[6][7]

A number of editors were brought in to manage the service independently, including American journalist Courtney Radsch[8] and Pranay Gupte,[9] from 2011 from 2012.

In September 2017, Saudi columnist Mamdouh Almuhaini was appointed as editor-in-chief of all of Al Arabiya's digital platforms, which include the English, Arabic, Urdu and Persion websites. In 2019, he was appointed general manager of Al Arabiya Network.

In 2024, Al Arabiya contracted Riz Khan as a host, who formerly hosted for BBC and CNN.[10][11][12]

Criticism

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In 2012, Al Arabiya English published a series of stories discussing a number of leaked emails belonging to Sherri Jaafari, the daughter of Syria's UN envoy Bashar Jaafari. The leaked emails showed Sherri requesting an internship with US television host Charlie Rose in exchange for securing an interview with President Assad.[13] Al Arabiya English's stories were carried by a number of US media outlets, including the New York Post[14] and The Huffington Post.[15]

Following an op-ed published in March 2015[16] calling for President Barack Obama to "listen to [Israeli PM] Netanyahu" regarding the Iranian nuclear deal,[16] a number of global media outlets criticized Al Arabiya English's editorial stance. Based on this op-ed, the London Independent journalist Robert Fisk wrote that the column, which was written by Al Arabiya English's editor-in-chief at the time, would not have been published unless it was blessed by the Saudi monarchy.[17]

References

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  1. ^ Löhr, Nadine. "About Al Arabiya" (PDF).
  2. ^ Löhr, Nadine. "About Al Arabiya" (PDF).
  3. ^ "Faisal J. Abbas appointed editor-in-chief of Arab News". Arab News. 26 September 2016. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
  4. ^ "Al Arabiya obtains new leaked emails of Assad's New York-based media advisor". Al Arabiya English. 23 July 2012. Archived from the original on 23 September 2016. Retrieved 16 October 2016.
  5. ^ "Faisal J. Abbas appointed editor-in-chief of Arab News". Arab News. 26 September 2016. Retrieved 27 May 2024.
  6. ^ "Mohammed Alyahya, Former Editor-in-Chief of Al Arabiya English, Named Senior Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School's Middle East Initiative | Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs". www.belfercenter.org. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
  7. ^ "Mohammed Alyahya, Former Editor-in-Chief of Al Arabiya English, Named Senior Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School's Middle East Initiative | Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs". www.belfercenter.org. Retrieved 27 May 2024.
  8. ^ "Dr. Courtney C. Radsch Biography" (PDF). Congress.gov. 9 December 2020.
  9. ^ "Pranay Gupte: My Career". Pranaygupte.com. Archived from the original on 6 October 2008. Retrieved 16 October 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  10. ^ "Riz Khan Sits Down for Interview With Robert F. Kennedy, Jr". Kennedy24. 16 February 2024. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
  11. ^ "Riz Khan full interview with Robert F. Kennedy Jr". New Zealand Issues Forum. 2 March 2024. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
  12. ^ "Riz Khan". WSB. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
  13. ^ "What Asad's Leaked Emails Tell Us - Middle East Policy Council". mepc.org. 20 March 2012. Retrieved 27 May 2024.
  14. ^ Bennett, Chuck (28 July 2012). "Aide to Syrian president asked Charlie Rose for a job while trying to arrange interview with boss". New York Post. Retrieved 16 October 2016.
  15. ^ "Syria Leaks: Al Arabiya English Reports On Assad's PR Firm". Huffington Post. Retrieved 16 October 2016.
  16. ^ a b Abbas, Faisal J. (3 March 2015). "President Obama, listen to Netanyahu on Iran". Al Arabiya English. Retrieved 16 October 2016.
  17. ^ Fisk, Robert (6 March 2015). "Who can the Saudis trust when they find themselves on Netanyahu's side?". The Independent. Archived from the original on 8 March 2015. Retrieved 16 October 2016.
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