RIYADH: Saudi Research and Marketing Group (SRMG) today said it has entered a long-term agreement with US-headquartered media firm Bloomberg to launch a multi-platform Arabic-language business and financial news service.
SRMG — publisher of Asharq Al-Awsat, Arab News and Aleqtisadiah — plans a 24-hour television and radio network and dedicated digital platform under the “Bloomberg Al-Arabiya” brand.
It will also publish “Bloomberg Businessweek” magazine in Arabic and launch a new conference and live events series, according to a statement from the company.
The Bloomberg Al-Arabiya platforms will provide Arabic-speaking audiences around the world with news and analysis on the companies, markets, economies and politics shaping the Middle East, the statement said.
Prince Bader bin Abdullah Al-Saud, chairman of SRMG, said the deal would give a boost to the regional media industry.
“We are very pleased with this promising partnership with Bloomberg. In addition to the many business opportunities this collaboration brings, we believe the partnership will greatly enhance the media landscape in our region,” he said.
“This is an exciting development for SRMG and a strong progression in our quest to offer the highest quality financial and business journalism from, and about the Middle East.”
Michael R. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg and former mayor of New York City, said, “The Middle East is an important, economically diverse region and our agreement with SRMG allows us to deliver the sharpest global business and financial insights to a critical audience of business decision makers.”
Headquartered in the Gulf, the Bloomberg Al Arabiya team will be managed by SRMG with support from Bloomberg, and will draw on its financial and economic content and data as well as its 2,700 reporters and analysts globally.
“Our partnership with SRMG is a significant milestone in our regional growth story, building on the introduction of an expanded suite of new media platforms in the Middle East last year,” said Justin B. Smith, CEO of Bloomberg Media Group. “This agreement is an integral part of our strategy of forming partnerships with leading news providers in markets that have a compelling economic growth story, as we look to further expand our localized international presence.”
Dr. Ghassan Al-Shibl, managing director and CEO of SRMG, said: “As one of the biggest media publishing houses in the Middle East, this partnership between SRMG and Bloomberg will see us expand into the international television business. With the new era of business and economic transformation in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, such a significant agreement between two leading brands will pave the way for a multi-platform ecosystem of specialized business and financial content of international standards. This is the beginning of a new chapter in the history of media and publishing in the region.”
Bloomberg editor in chief John Micklethwait said: “Bloomberg Al Arabiya will enable us to build on more than 20 years of newsgathering across the Arab world to deliver the best of Bloomberg’s news, insight and analysis.”
Saudi media group SRMG inks deal to launch ‘Bloomberg Al Arabiya’ network
Saudi media group SRMG inks deal to launch ‘Bloomberg Al Arabiya’ network
Media watchdog condemns alleged torture, sexual violence against Palestinian journalist in Israeli prison
- Sami Al‑Sai detailed his account during a public forum organized by the Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms in Ramallah
- He described severe mistreatment, including beatings, blindfolding, shackling and humiliation
LONDON: The Committee to Protect Journalists has condemned horrifying testimony shared by Palestinian freelance journalist Sami Al‑Sai, who was allegedly subjected to torture and sexual violence while being held in Israel’s Megiddo Prison.
Al‑Sai, who has reported for Qatari broadcaster Al Jazeera Mubasher and local station Al‑Fajer TV, detailed his account during a public forum organized by the Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms in Ramallah on Sunday. He was released from prison in June this year.
Israeli authorities detained the journalist in the occupied West Bank on Feb. 23, 2024, and held him under administrative detention — a policy that allows suspects to be held without formal charges or access to evidence — on the grounds that he posed a “threat to national security,” Al‑Sai said in his testimony.
While in custody at Megiddo Prison, he described severe mistreatment, including beatings, blindfolding, shackling and humiliation. He testified that guards also sexually assaulted him in an incident involving the insertion of a hard object into his body.
In his account, Al‑Sai said he was taken by several guards to an area of the prison where he was repeatedly beaten and insulted before the sexual assault occurred.
Sara Qudah, CPJ’s regional director, described the allegations as “deeply alarming” and said they reflected a concerning pattern consistent with other testimonies from journalists detained by Israeli authorities. She added that the allegations “point to a troubling and systemic pattern of abuse,” and called for urgent independent investigations, full transparency and accountability for those responsible.
While CPJ said it could not independently verify the details of Al‑Sai’s testimony, the organization said that his account aligns with descriptions from other human rights groups of harsh conditions and mistreatment faced by Palestinians in custody.
The testimony comes amid increased international scrutiny of the treatment of Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons. Alleged mistreatment has surged since the Israel-Hamas war began in October 2023.
At least 9,300 Palestinians are reported to be held in Israeli prisons. According to CPJ records, about 30 Palestinian journalists are imprisoned in Israel as of Dec. 16.
