Gulf News
UAE pro-government
Background
Gulf News launched on September 30, 1978, as a sixteen-page black-and-white tabloid hand-delivered across Dubai, making it one of the earliest English-language newspapers in the UAE. Founded by Abdullah Abulhoul and inaugurated by Dubai's Ruler Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, the paper struggled in its early years with low circulation of roughly 3,000 copies and multiple ownership changes. In November 1984, three Emirati businessmen — Obaid Humaid Al Tayer, Abdullah Al Rostamani, and Juma Al Majid — purchased the paper and established Al Nisr Publishing LLC; the relaunched paper was distributed free on December 10, 1985, and circulation grew rapidly. Al Tayer's dual role as publisher and UAE Minister of State for Financial Affairs has drawn scrutiny, with watchdogs such as Media Bias/Fact Check flagging a lack of ownership transparency. The paper has expanded into a broader media group, publishing lifestyle magazines and running several digital properties. Press freedom organizations including Reporters Without Borders rank the UAE 164th out of 180 countries on its 2025 press freedom index, noting that UAE law permits government censorship and that critical voices face repression — context that shapes how all UAE-based outlets, including Gulf News, operate. Gulf News's coverage reliably promotes positive portrayals of UAE leadership and avoids stories that reflect poorly on the ruling family, such as bypassing BBC-covered stories about the Dubai ruler's wife. Its international reporting, including on the United States, generally mirrors UAE foreign policy positions.
Sources
- Gulf News – Wikipedia
- History of Gulfnews – Gulf News official site
- Gulf News – Bias and Credibility – Media Bias/Fact Check
- Mass media in the United Arab Emirates – Wikipedia
- Al Nisr Publishing LLC (Gulf News) – ATN UAE
- Is Gulf News Biased? – Biasly
- Gulf News – Crunchbase
Profile compiled 2026-07-11; refreshed when ownership, funding, or the administration changes.