Sky News Arabia – State Media Monitor

Sky News Arabia is a 24-hour news broadcaster headquartered in Abu Dhabi, with strategic bureaus in London and Washington, D.C. Since its launch in 2012, the channel has positioned itself as a key player in the Arabic-language news landscape, catering to a wide audience across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Known for its fast-paced, rolling coverage and multimedia integration, the channel blends international reporting standards with regional sensitivity.

Media assets

Television: Sky News Arabia

Radio: Sky News

State Media Matrix Typology

Ownership and governance

Sky News Arabia operates as a 50:50 joint venture between Sky Group—a UK-based company owned by the U.S. media conglomerate Comcast—and Abu Dhabi Media Investment Corporation (ADMIC), an investment arm owned by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a senior member of the Emirati royal family.

ADMIC’s stake is held through International Media Investments (IMI), a media investment company that manages several regional assets. The parity in shareholding gives both parties equal say in corporate governance, with neither holding unilateral control over the operation.

Appointed in January 2024, Nadim Koteich serves as both the General Manager and CEO of Sky News Arabia, overseeing editorial tone, programming expansion, and cross-platform content strategy.

Source of funding and budget

While Sky Group does not disclose granular financial data on its subsidiaries, regional analysts and journalists familiar with the UAE media market interviewed for this report in September 2024 indicated that Sky News Arabia is predominantly commercially funded. According to internal estimates cited by Sky Group sources, the channel’s turnover reached approximately USD 108.34 million in 2021. Updated figures for 2024 have not been made public, and no official budget disclosures have been issued since.

Editorial independence

Although no formal editorial mandates have been imposed by the government, questions surrounding editorial independence continue to surface in academic and media circles. At its inception, Sky News Arabia instituted an Editorial Advisory Committee designed to act as a firewall against editorial interference by either shareholder. This mechanism is intended to preserve operational autonomy and prevent political encroachment.

The CEO and Managing Editor plays a central role in shaping the editorial strategy and upholding professional standards. Given the balanced ownership structure—with neither partner exercising a controlling interest—executive editorial decisions are largely delegated to this role, allowing for a measure of independence in day-to-day operations.

Internally, Sky News Arabia employs a suite of monitoring tools and review systems to evaluate its editorial performance. These include routine content audits and feedback loops to ensure alignment with journalistic best practices.

July 2025