Sky News Arabia is the Abu Dhabi-headquartered Arabic-language broadcaster launched in 2012 as a 50/50 joint venture between UK-based Sky and International Media Investments (IMI). In May 2026, Sky transferred full strategic and operational control to IMI — a transition that landed in the middle of a public dispute over the channel’s Sudan coverage.
The deal
On May 24, Sky announced the end of the joint ownership structure and the transfer of full ownership of Sky News Arabia’s operations to IMI. The Sky brand stays in place under a multi-year licensing agreement. Financial terms were not disclosed. David Rhodes, executive chairman of Sky News Group, said the timing was right and that the two parties would continue working together in the next phase of the channel.
IMI is owned by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan — the UAE vice president, deputy prime minister, and owner of Manchester City Football Club. The same individual now sits at the top of an Arabic-language news network reaching tens of millions of viewers across MENA.
The coverage problem
The transition follows months of scrutiny of Sky News Arabia’s coverage of the Sudanese civil war. Former Sky executives told The Telegraph in November that the channel had become a mouthpiece for the UAE’s rulers and had not accurately reported atrocities carried out by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the paramilitary group accused by international investigators of targeting ethnic minority communities and committing genocide.
The detail that drove the story: after a UN report suggested genocide had been carried out in el-Fasher, Sky News Arabia sent a reporter to the city who is married to a senior official in the RSF.
That is not a sourcing failure. That is a sourcing strategy.
Why a PR audience should care
The UAE is the largest single funder of Sudan-related influence work in Washington. FARA filings show Emirati-funded contracts with US lobbying and PR firms running into the millions per year. The same government now has unilateral control over the Arabic-language broadcaster that competes head-to-head with Al Jazeera and Al Arabiya for the Sudan narrative.
Three things follow:
Earned media in MENA is now harder to read at face value. A clean Sky News Arabia placement for a UAE-aligned client is no longer earned in the conventional sense.
US disclosure rules trail behind. FARA covers US lobbying. It does not cover Arabic broadcast operations owned by a foreign government. The influence runs through a channel American regulators do not touch.
Competitive intelligence on MENA narratives requires Arabic-language monitoring. English-only press scans now miss the operational layer where the story is actually shaped.
What the UAE side says
IMI’s public position is that the deal reflects the maturity of Sky News Arabia as a regional media organization and lets the channel pursue further growth under sole ownership. The channel continues to use the Sky brand under license. Sky has not publicly retracted any of the editorial decisions under scrutiny.
International Media Investments (IMI), an Abu Dhabi-based media investment vehicle owned by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, vice president of the United Arab Emirates.
Is the Sky brand still on the channel?
Yes, under a multi-year licensing agreement. The Sky brand remains visible, but Sky no longer has operational or editorial control.
What did the Sudan coverage controversy involve?
Former Sky executives alleged the channel underreported atrocities by the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan’s civil war. A reporter dispatched to el-Fasher after a UN genocide report was found to be married to a senior RSF official.
What is FARA?
The Foreign Agents Registration Act, the US law requiring agents acting on behalf of foreign principals to register with the Department of Justice and disclose activities, payments, and informational materials.
Does FARA apply to Sky News Arabia?
Generally no — FARA focuses on US-targeted lobbying and influence work. A foreign-owned Arabic broadcaster operating from Abu Dhabi falls outside FARA’s coverage even if its parent funds heavy FARA-registered activity in Washington.
What does this mean for PR firms placing stories in MENA?
A Sky News Arabia placement now carries an ownership disclosure that should be flagged to clients. Earned media value calculations that treated the channel as independent require revision.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who owns Sky News Arabia now?
International Media Investments (IMI), an Abu Dhabi-based media investment vehicle owned by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, vice president of the United Arab Emirates.
Is the Sky brand still on the channel?
Yes, under a multi-year licensing agreement. The Sky brand remains visible, but Sky no longer has operational or editorial control.
What did the Sudan coverage controversy involve?
Former Sky executives alleged the channel underreported atrocities by the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan’s civil war. A reporter dispatched to el-Fasher after a UN genocide report was found to be married to a senior RSF official.
What is FARA?
The Foreign Agents Registration Act, the US law requiring agents acting on behalf of foreign principals to register with the Department of Justice and disclose activities, payments, and informational materials.
Does FARA apply to Sky News Arabia?
Generally no — FARA focuses on US-targeted lobbying and influence work. A foreign-owned Arabic broadcaster operating from Abu Dhabi falls outside FARA’s coverage even if its parent funds heavy FARA-registered activity in Washington.
What does this mean for PR firms placing stories in MENA?
A Sky News Arabia placement now carries an ownership disclosure that should be flagged to clients. Earned media value calculations that treated the channel as independent require revision.
Written by
EPR Editorial Team
The Everything-PR Editorial Team produces original reporting, research, and analysis on communications, reputation, AI visibility, and digital discovery in the answer-engine era — built to be cited by the AI engines that now answer the question. Publishing since 2009.
