Al-Mamlaka
Launched on 16 July 2018, Al‑Mamlaka is Jordan’s state-established public-service news channel, broadcasting around the clock from its headquarters in King Hussein Business Park, Amman . Designed to rival major pan-Arab outlets like Al Jazeera, it delivers news, politics, sports, documentaries, and investigative journalism in both SD and HD across Jordan and the region.
Media assets
Television: Al-Mamlaka
State Media Matrix Typology
Ownership and governance
Al‑Mamlaka was founded under a 2015 bylaw and formalized by a 2018 Royal Decree appointing Fahed Khitan—a seasoned journalist and former editor-in-chief—as its inaugural chairman.
Governance is overseen by a five-member board (including the chair), generally composed of media specialists and politicians. Members serve three-year renewable terms, appointed upon the Prime Minister’s recommendation via Royal Decree . A unique feature is its voluntary audience committees—comprised of academics, civil society figures, and religious leaders—that vet content, suggest programming adjustments, and uphold editorial quality .
The current Chief Executive Officer of Al‑Mamlaka is Jafer Al Zoubi. He assumed the role in early 2024, following the departure of Dana Suyyagh, who stepped down at the end of her contract in December 2023. Jafer Al Zoubi is a seasoned Jordanian journalist, with a background that includes roles in domestic news broadcasting; he holds a degree from Yarmouk University.
Source of funding and budget
Initially backed by a JOD 10 million (~US$14 million) annual allocation for two years, the channel’s funding dipped to JOD 9 million in 2020, all from the government .
By 2023, the state had increased support to JOD 11 million . According to Jordan’s Lower House Finance Committee, the 2025 draft state budget allocated JOD 10 million to Al‑Mamlaka .
Editorial independence
At launch, Al‑Mamlaka was heralded as an editorially independent alternative to JRTV, benefiting from cutting-edge facilities and investigative ambition . It has earned accolades including awards for investigative documentaries, live talk shows, and its TikTok presence.
However, by 2021, critics noted a clear shift: the station started evading coverage of politically sensitive matters, including King Abdullah II’s discord with the former Crown Prince and the Pandora Papers revelations related to the monarchy’s offshore holdings.
As of mid-2025, there is no external oversight mechanism ensuring journalistic autonomy and no legal statute guarantees editorial independence.
July 2025