CNN Arabic Business launches as digital business platform

This undated file photo shows CNN Arabic's newsroom. (Photo courtesy: CNN Arabic)
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Updated 16 January 2023
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CNN Arabic Business launches as digital business platform

  • Free new channel will deliver global and regional business and finance news and analysis for Arabic speakers around the globe
  • CNN to offer daily, weekly and monthly shows to engage audiences along with insightful podcasts and exclusive interviews

LONDON: CNN Arabic Business has launched as a digital business platform and is officially live from Sunday.

The media company said its free new channel will deliver global and regional economic, business and finance news and analysis for Arabic speakers around the globe.

“CNN Business Arabic is a new, complementary offering to both CNN’s business output and our engagement with Arabic speakers worldwide through our existing CNN Arabic platform,” said Phil Nelson, a CNN Chief Operating Officer.

The plans for CNN Business Arabic were released in June of last year when International Media Investments and CNN International Commercial announced a joint partnership to bring “a website from the Mena region for Arabic speakers all over the world.”

Nelson said he wished IMI “every success in this venture, and look forward to working with the team to bring a fresh approach to how Arabic audiences can access business news and information across a range of digital platforms.”

The new channel will cover a wide range of topics, including sustainability, green investment, cryptocurrency, property, energy and technology.

CNN said it would offer daily, weekly and monthly shows to engage audiences, along with insightful podcasts, and exclusive interviews with both Arab and non-Arabic-speaking business leaders and influencers.

The channel is led by Editor-in-Chief Maher Chmaytelli, who has more than 25 years’ experience working in the Middle East and North Africa for Thomson Reuters and Bloomberg.

“This is an incredibly exciting moment for us, and we are dedicated to providing high quality content that inspires and empowers Arabic speakers around the world, making CNN Business Arabic the go-to business news platform,” Chmaytelli said.


Spain seeks removal of ads for rentals in Israeli settlements

Updated 31 December 2025
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Spain seeks removal of ads for rentals in Israeli settlements

  • The consumer affairs ministry identified 138 listings on platforms operating in Spain and notified the companies to “immediately remove or block” the content

MADRID: Spain’s leftist government has ordered seven online platforms to remove more than 100 listings for vacation rentals in Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories.
The consumer affairs ministry said Tuesday it has identified 138 listings on platforms operating in Spain and notified the companies to “immediately remove or block” the content.
If they fail to comply, the platforms could face further government action, the statement said without specifying what the consequences would be.
The move is part of measures adopted by Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s government backing Palestinians and condemning Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.
A decree approved by lawmakers in October includes an arms embargo on Israel and a ban on the advertising of products “coming from illegal colonies in Gaza and the West Bank.”
Consumer Affairs Minister Pablo Bustinduy said the listings help “normalize and perpetuate a colonial regime considered illegal under international law.”
In October, France’s Human Rights League filed complaints against Airbnb and Booking.com accusing them of promoting “occupation tourism” by featuring properties in settlements.
Most of the international community considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law, while Israel views them as largely legal.
Spain recognized a Palestinian state in 2024 and has become one of the most outspoken European critics of Israel’s actions in Gaza, launched after the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks in southern Israel.