LONDON: The outlook for Qatari-owned sports broadcaster BeIN in Egypt has worsened after it was hit by a fine of 400 million Egyptian pounds ($22.7 million) for breaching competition rules.
Qatar’s BeIN Sports chief executive Nasser Al-Khelaifi, who is also the president of Paris Saint-Germain, was fined by an Egyptian court on Monday, AFP reported.
The ruling — confirmed by a court on March 12 — comes after BeIN announced on Feb. 20 that it will be broadcasting this year’s Fifa World Cup held in Russia across six of its sports channels, broadcasting live for 14 hours every day of the tournament.
The World Cup is of particular interest in the Middle East this year with four Arab nations; Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia, taking part in the competition for the first time in history.
The fine slapped on BeIN highlights the close scrutiny paid to the granting of lucrative sports media rights in many countries, particularly those with fairly new competition legislation, AFP reported.
According to local press, the Egyptian Competition Authority said BeIN had made Egyptian customers replace their existing satellites in order to access BeIN services during the last African Football Cup held in Gabon.
The authority also raised concerns about the way subscriptions were sold, saying it forced viewers to buy sports bundles which included programming they weren’t interested in watching.
Alex Haffner, partner, sports business group at Fladgate law firm, in London, said that sports media rights often face scrutiny as they can potentially generate huge advertising revenue from advertisers keen to catch the eye of millions of sports fans.
“Competition and other regulatory authorities have historically paid a close interest to sports media rights and, specifically, the way they are tendered, packaged and sold to consumers.
“This is borne of the fact that such rights are typically a powerful medium to reach certain viewers, notably those who are highly prized by advertisers but not always easy to engage with via the medium of broadcast, and therefore tend to have a significant impact on competition in the broadcast markets on which they are exploited,” he said.
It could be additionally challenging where competition law is still in its “infancy,” he said, including Egypt in this category. The North African country introduced its competition law in 2005, but only started fully implementing it in the last few years, said Haffner.
“They have less established precedent to rely on and are more prone to being influenced by external factors. It therefore becomes more difficult to forward plan and map out how those authorities are likely to view particular business practices.
“That said, such ‘newer’ authorities, if treated with due reverence and respect are more likely to be open to closer co-operation and engagement with those they regulate,” he said.
The ruling against BeIN also reflects the wider geopolitical environment, with relations between Qatar and Egypt are already deteriorating due to the continued boycott of Qatar by the Saudi-led coalition of states, which includes Egypt, which began in mid-2017.
The reasons behind the boycott are said to be due to Qatar’s alleged support of terror groups — a claim Qatar denies.
“Egypt-Qatar relations were already very tense,” said Jane Kinninmont, senior research fellow and deputy head, MENA program at Chatham House in London.
“Egypt’s grievances against Qatar include a variety of grievances with Qatari media, primarily Al-Jazeera, so Qatar is likely to see this court case as a politicized decision, whether it is or not.
“However, the boycott has never been absolute. A variety of economic relations have continued, including the presence of Egyptians working in Qatar. This decision may underline the pre-existing tensions but is unlikely to be a game-changer,” she said.
BeIN did not respond to Arab News requests for comment. The Egyptian Competition Authority also did not respond to requests for comment.
BeIN Sports loses out in Egypt for breach of competition rules
BeIN Sports loses out in Egypt for breach of competition rules
Major airlines suspend, reroute flights amid US-Israel strikes on Iran
- Saudia says decision taken in line with aviation safety and security standards
- Emirates said it temporarily suspended it's operations out of Dubai
RIYADH: Major international airlines across the Middle East and South Asia have suspended, canceled or rerouted flights following ongoing US-Israel attacks on Iran and the resulting airspace closures, according to official statements issued via X.
Saudia said in an official statement that it had canceled a number of flights due to developments in the region and the closure of airspace.
The airline said the decision was taken in line with aviation safety and security standards, noting that its Emergency Coordination Center is closely monitoring developments with relevant authorities.
Saudia urged passengers to verify the status of their flights before heading to the airport and said guests would be notified of updates through the contact details associated with their bookings.
The carrier added that further information would be announced in a subsequent statement if available.
بيان رسمي من #الخطوط_السعودية pic.twitter.com/CHfjKj9yLX
— Saudia Group | مجموعة السعودية (@SaudiaGroup) February 28, 2026
Air Arabia said its flights were experiencing cancellations, delays or rerouting as a result of the evolving situation and airspace closures.
The airline advised passengers to check the status of their flights before traveling to the airport by visiting its website or contacting its call center.
Customers booked on affected flights will be notified directly, the airline said, adding that further updates would be provided as the situation develops.
Air India announced a broader suspension, stating that “in view of the developing situation in parts of the Middle East, all Air India flights to all destinations in the Middle East have been suspended.”
The airline said it remains committed to maintaining the highest standards of safety for passengers and crew and will continue to assess the safety and security environment for flight operations, adjusting services proactively as required.
Air India said its teams would extend necessary support to passengers and advised customers to check flight status online or contact its 24/7 call center for assistance.
#TravelAdvisory
— Air India (@airindia) February 28, 2026
In view of the developing situation in parts of the Middle East, all Air India flights to all destinations in the Middle East have been suspended. We remain committed to maintaining the highest standards of safety for our passengers and crew. We will continue to…
All flight operations at Dubai International and Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International are suspended until further notice, according to a post by Dubai Media Office on X.
Dubai-based Emirates reported that regional airspace closures had caused disruption to several of its flights and that the airline had temporarily suspended its operations from its hub Dubai.
The airline said it is actively monitoring the situation, engaging with relevant authorities and adjusting operations in line with the latest developments.
The carrier apologized to affected customers and said it is assisting them with rebooking, refunds or alternative travel arrangements, reiterating that the safety and security of passengers and crew remain its highest priority.
Due to multiple regional airspace closures, Emirates has temporarily suspended operations to and from Dubai.
— Emirates Support (@EmiratesSupport) February 28, 2026
Emirates urges customers to check https://t.co/Ucm3UswfVh and https://t.co/yehFUeWZQq for the latest updates before proceeding to the airport.
We are actively monitoring… pic.twitter.com/SLDC7iNaUN
Qatar Airways confirmed a temporary suspension of flights to and from Doha due to the closure of Qatari airspace.
The airline said it is working closely with government stakeholders and relevant authorities to support impacted passengers and will resume operations once the airspace reopens.
It warned that delays are anticipated when usual operations resume and said additional ground staff have been deployed at Hamad International Airport and other key airports to assist passengers.
Temporary Suspension of Qatar Airways Flights due to Qatari Airspace Closure
— Qatar Airways (@qatarairways) February 28, 2026
Qatar Airways Group confirms the temporary suspension of its flights to, and from, Doha due to the closure of Qatari airspace.
The airline is working closely with government stakeholders and the…
Meanwhile, Al Jazeera reported that British Airways had canceled flights to Tel Aviv and Bahrain, adding to the list of carriers adjusting operations.
Across their statements, airlines consistently cited airspace closures and safety considerations as the primary reasons for suspensions and disruptions, while urging passengers to monitor official channels for updates as the situation continues to evolve.
