Al Arabiya News

What Al Arabiya News does

Al Arabiya is a pan-Arab 24-hour news network founded in 1993 and headquartered in Dubai Media City, United Arab Emirates. It operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Middle East Broadcasting Center (MBC) Group, a major Saudi-linked media conglomerate, and serves Arabic-speaking audiences across the Middle East and North Africa alongside international audiences through English, Farsi, and Urdu language editions.

The network distributes news content across multiple platforms: a 24-hour Arabic-language television channel broadcast via satellite and cable; the sister channel Al Hadath (launched 2014); dedicated websites in four languages (alarabiya.net, english.alarabiya.net, farsi.alarabiya.net, urdu.alarabiya.net); mobile applications for iOS and Android; Al Arabiya FM audio; podcast programming; and a WhatsApp broadcast channel. Editorial coverage spans Gulf, Middle East, North Africa, World, Saudi Arabia, United States, Business, Energy, Opinion, Lifestyle, and Sports categories, with on-the-ground reporting across conflict zones including Yemen.

The business model is advertising-led, with revenue generated primarily through television advertising placements on the 24-hour news channel, digital and web advertising across its online properties (display, sponsored content, video), and broadcast licensing and content distribution to third-party media outlets. Content is provided free to consumers; no subscription or paywall model is in operation. The network's customer base is mass-market and consumer-facing, with no disclosed enterprise or B2B anchor clients.

Name

Al Arabiya News

Legal name

Al Arabiya Network

Website

https://english.alarabiya.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Al Arabiya is a Dubai-headquartered pan-Arab 24-hour news network owned by MBC Group, delivering multi-language news coverage in Arabic, English, Farsi, and Urdu across television, web, mobile, FM radio, and WhatsApp to Middle Eastern and global audiences.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

News Broadcasting and Media

NAICS

Television Broadcasting Stations (51612), Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (5162)

SIC

Television Broadcasting Stations (4833), Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro primary industry

24/7 National & International News Channels (MPABAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

International News & Current Affairs Broadcasters (MPABAEAD)

Keywords

• News broadcasting
• Digital news media
• Multimedia journalism
• Arabic news coverage
• Breaking news service

Headquarters

HQ city

Dubai

HQ country

United Arab Emirates

HQ region

Middle East

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Television Advertising: The primary revenue stream comes from advertising placements during news broadcasts and programming, targeting viewers across the Middle East and globally through the 24-hour news channel.
2. Digital/Web Advertising: Online advertising revenue generated through the english.alarabiya.net website and other digital platforms, including display ads, sponsored content, and video advertising.
3. Broadcast Licensing and Content Distribution: Revenue from licensing news content and broadcasting rights to other media outlets and distributors.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Al Arabiya News is a 24-hour multimedia news broadcaster that produces and distributes Arabic, English, Farsi, and Urdu-language news and current-affairs content across television, websites, mobile apps, FM radio, and podcasts. The network covers Gulf, Middle East, North African, and global news alongside business, energy, sports, lifestyle, and opinion content, monetized primarily through advertising. Its digital hub at english.alarabiya.net and sister channel Al Hadath extend its reach to both regional and international audiences.

Product overview

Al Arabiya News is a multimedia news organization operated by the Al Arabiya Network. The company delivers news content across multiple platforms and languages, including Arabic, English, Farsi, and Urdu editions. Its offerings include the Al Arabiya television channel, the Al Hadath sister channel, Al Arabiya FM radio, and digital web content accessible through its website and WhatsApp channel. The portfolio represents a broadcast media operation providing breaking news, regional coverage, opinion pieces, business reporting, sports news, and lifestyle content across web, television, and audio formats.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Al Hadath: Arabic-language sister news channel operating under the Al Arabiya Network, providing 24-hour Arabic news coverage.

Products and services

• Al Arabiya Television Channel 24-hour Arabic-language satellite and cable news channel providing continuous breaking news, in-depth analysis, and live event coverage of Gulf, Middle East, North Africa, and international affairs for Arabic-speaking audiences across the MENA region and globally.
• Al Hadath News Channel Arabic-language sister news channel operating under the Al Arabiya Network umbrella, providing additional 24-hour Arabic news coverage with complementary editorial programming.
• Al Arabiya English News Website English-language digital news platform at english.alarabiya.net providing comprehensive Middle East and international news, business, energy, sports, and lifestyle coverage with video, podcasts, and breaking-news alerts for global English-speaking audiences.
• Al Arabiya Arabic News Website Primary Arabic-language news website (alarabiya.net) serving regional MENA audiences with continuous news updates, video content, opinion pieces, and category-specific coverage in Arabic.
• Farsi News Website Dedicated Farsi-language news website (farsi.alarabiya.net) serving Farsi-speaking audiences in the region with Middle East and global news coverage.
• Urdu News Website Dedicated Urdu-language news website (urdu.alarabiya.net) serving Urdu-speaking audiences with Middle East and global news coverage.
• Al Arabiya Mobile Applications Mobile applications providing on-the-go access to Al Arabiya news content, breaking alerts, and video coverage for smartphone users across supported language editions.
• Al Arabiya FM and Podcast Service Audio news platform (Al Arabiya FM) and podcast content available through audio streaming services, providing continuous news coverage and on-demand audio programming as a complement to Al Arabiya's television and digital offerings.

Quantifiable outcome

• Al Arabiya was the first to obtain and publish the final draft of the US-Iran preliminary memorandum of understanding in 2026, demonstrating its breaking news capabilities and source access.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Al Arabiya (as news source)minorOthers · 25 June 2026Journalist Mohammed Aydah was reporting for Al Arabiya television and its sister channel Al Hadath when he was killed in a car bomb attack in Yemen. This incident demonstrates Al Arabiya's operational presence as a news gatherer in conflict zones.
• Al HadathcoreOthersAl Hadath is the sister channel of Al Arabiya, providing additional Arabic-language news coverage. Both channels operate under the Al Arabiya Network umbrella, serving complementary audiences with 24-hour news content.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• BBC Arabic: BBC's Arabic-language news service delivering continuous regional and international coverage across web, mobile, and social. Competes with Al Arabiya for credibility-driven Arabic-speaking news consumers, particularly outside the Gulf.
• Asharq News: Arabic-language business and general news network launched with Bloomberg Media and Saudi Research and Marketing Group. Competes directly with Al Arabiya for Gulf business and political news audiences, with a strong focus on financial and economic coverage.
• France 24 Arabic: Arabic-language service of France 24, a French state-funded international broadcaster. Directly comparable in targeting pan-Arab and international audiences with continuous news, analysis, and field reporting.
• Al Jazeera English: English-language arm of Al Jazeera and the closest analogue to Al Arabiya's English website, serving international audiences with Middle East-focused news. Operates with the same multi-platform distribution model and competes directly for English-speaking MENA-focused readers.
• Sky News Arabia: Abu Dhabi-based 24-hour Arabic news channel backed by a major Western media brand. Competes with Al Arabiya across broadcast, web, and social for Gulf and pan-Arab audiences, with comparable premium-news positioning.
• Al Jazeera: Qatar-based 24-hour Arabic-language news network and Al Arabiya's principal regional competitor. Both operate continuous news channels, multi-language platforms, and extensive digital newsrooms targeting Arab and global audiences with similar editorial breadth.
• Al Hadath: Sister channel of Al Arabiya under MBC Group providing additional Arabic-language 24-hour news. Operates in the same pan-Arab news market with overlapping distribution and editorial resourcing, and is the most directly comparable broadcaster in terms of mandate and audience.
• RT Arabic: Russian state-backed Arabic-language news service offering continuous coverage of regional and international affairs. Competes with Al Arabiya for Arabic-speaking audiences seeking alternative geopolitical perspectives and multilingual digital reach.
• CNBC Arabia: Arabic-language business news channel focused on markets, economics, and corporate coverage. Comparable to Al Arabiya's Business and Energy verticals, targeting Gulf-based business decision-makers.

Broad incumbents

• Al Jazeera Mubasher: Al Jazeera's dedicated live-events and continuous news channel, focused on unedited breaking-news coverage. Comparable in live-broadcast mandate and competes with Al Arabiya for time-sensitive viewership.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AlArabiya_Eng
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@alarabiya
• Facebookfacebook.com/alarabiya.english
• Instagraminstagram.com/alarabiya
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/2291644

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Al Arabiya News