70 UK jobs at risk as Al Jazeera English plans London broadcast center move to Qatar
AJE announced plans to close its London office in The Shard scyscraper
The decision could affect correspondents and camera crew covering UK news
Updated 12 April 2023
Arab News
LONDON: Al Jazeera English has revealed plans to move its London live broadcast activity to the Qatari capital Doha.
The decision to close the newscaster’s office in The Shard skyscraper could see up to 70 UK correspondents and camera crew lose their jobs, The Guardian reported.
In an email to staff, Giles Trendle, managing director of the English service, said Al Jazeera was “looking to undertake a restructure involving the move of AJE live programming to Doha.
“The move would include the news bulletins between 19:00 GMT and 23:00 GMT produced from London, and ‘The Stream’ program produced from Washington, D.C.”
He pointed out that staff responsible for the live broadcast would be offered “the opportunity to relocate to Doha.”
A spokesperson for the Bectu trade union, which represents around 30 of the network’s technical staff in London, described the plan as “extremely disappointing,” adding that it had no further information on the situation.
“The union is seeking more detail on the proposals, including which positions have been earmarked for redundancy and how that figure was reached, and will be meeting with the company this coming Monday,” the spokesperson said.
In 2022, staff of Al Jazeera English’s London office won a 9 percent pay raise following threats of strike action ahead of the Qatar World Cup.
The National Union of Journalists balloted 40 UK-based staff members in September after the latter rejected Al Jazeera’s offer of “4.5 percent plus an unconsolidated £500 for those earning less than £50,000,” as per an NUJ press statement.
Hundreds of media jobs in the UK have been cut or put at risk within the last year. In September, the BBC World Service announced significant service cuts and the loss of some 382 jobs.
The Independent put about 20 percent of its workforce at risk of redundancy in November 2022, citing a worsening advertising market and economic situation.
And earlier this year, DC Thomson announced plans to shut almost 40 magazines as part of a “digital reset,” cutting 300 of its 1,600 staff members.
Gems of Arabia magazine launched to spotlight talents shaping Saudi Arabia’s evolving cultural landscape
The publication features established and emerging talents elevating the region across design, fashion, art, tech, music, architecture and media
Saudi fashion designer Hatem Alakeel seeks to highlight the richness of the Kingdom, and wider modern Arab culture to global audiences
Updated 15 January 2026
Sherouk Zakaria
DUBAI: When Saudi fashion designer Hatem Alakeel interviewed Princess Reema bint Bandar Al-Saud before her appointment as Saudi ambassador to the US, the longtime advocate of women’s empowerment made a powerful prediction: “I look forward to the day that the Saudi woman is no longer the story but rather a phenomenal achievement.”
That moment would become the foundation for Gems of Arabia, an arts and culture audio-visual podcast that spotlights the creative talents shaping the landscape of Saudi Arabia and the broader region.
Over six years, Gems of Arabia has documented the sweeping transformation of the Kingdom’s art and culture scene, and is now evolving into a full-fledged magazine.
Hatem Alakeel is a Saudi fashion designer. (Supplied)
“It started off as a column I used to write, and from there, it turned into a podcast. Now it is growing into a magazine,” Dubai-based Alakeel, the magazine’s founder and editor-in-chief, told Arab News ahead of the launch of the digital publication on Thursday.
Besides spotlighting celebrated regional artists, Alakeel said Gems of Arabia is in search of the “hidden gems” elevating the region across design, fashion, art, tech, music, architecture and media.
The magazine serves as a platform for talented, authentic creatives and tech entrepreneurs unable to articulate their work “because they don’t have the public relations or capacity to promote themselves even through social media.”
Alakeel added: “Our job is to identify all these authentic people; you don’t have to be famous, you just have to be authentic, and have a great story to tell.”
The digital publication offers a dynamic blend of short-form podcasts, coverage of regional cultural events, in-depth features and editorials, long-form interviews and artist profiles — spotlighting both celebrated and emerging talents. This is complemented by social media vox pops and bite-sized coverage of art events across the region.
Alakeel, who also runs Authenticite, a consulting and creative production agency connecting creators and brands who want to understand Saudi culture, said the magazine content is “carefully curated” to feature topics and personalities that resonate in the region.
What differentiates Gems of Arabia, he said, is its story of continuity and substance amassed over the years that has captured the evolution of the wider regional landscape.
“The website represents an archive of nearly 150 articles compiled through years of podcasts and long-form conversations that show continuity and depth changes,” he said.
“So, it’s an evolution and it’s another home for all our content and our community.”
Growing up in France, Alakeel said his mission started early on when he felt the need to represent his Saudi culture “in a way where it can hold its own internationally.”
Through his first brand, Toby, he sought to bring the traditional thobe into modern designs and introduce it to the luxury fashion world. This mission was accomplished when his thobe designs were placed alongside global labels such as Harvey Nichols, Dolce & Gabbana and Prada.
What began as a personal design mission would soon expand into a broader platform to champion Saudi talent.
“I was articulating my culture through fashion and it just felt natural to do that through the incredible people that the region has,” Alakeel said, adding that the magazine aims to highlight the richness of the Kingdom, and wider modern Arab culture to global audiences.
“Art is such a great way of learning about a culture and a country,” he said.
On the ground in Saudi Arabia, the publication hosts GEMS Forum, a series of live cultural gatherings that bring together prominent artistic figures for in-depth conversations later transformed into podcast episodes recorded with a live audience.
Alakeel said the print edition of Gems of Arabia will debut in March, designed as a collectible coffee-table quarterly distributed across the Gulf.
He envisions the platform growing into a long-term cultural record.
“It's a Saudi-centric magazine, but the idea is to make it inclusive to the region and everyone authentic has a seat at the table,” said Alakeel.
