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Outlet profile

The National (Opinion)

Emirati state-aligned (Abu Dhabi)

Owned byInternational Media Investments (IMI), a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Media Investment Corporation (ADMIC). ADMIC is privately owned by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a UAE Vice President and member of the Abu Dhabi ruling family. He also owns Manchester City's parent group.
FundingMainly the owner's backing, plus advertising and some commercial partnerships. It is a privately held company tied to the ruling family, with no public financial disclosure. It restructured and cut jobs in early 2025.
On the administrationmixed

Background

The National launched on 17 April 2008 as a print daily under Abu Dhabi Media, which the Abu Dhabi government owned. In 2017 it was sold to International Media Investments and relaunched as a private company, though it stayed linked to the ruling family. Over time it moved toward digital publishing and regional and international coverage, with offices in London, Washington and elsewhere. Editor-in-chief Mina Al-Oraibi, appointed in 2022, has rejected the label of 'UAE mouthpiece'. The Financial Times has described the paper as seen as a mouthpiece for Abu Dhabi's worldview, and critics say it avoids or softens topics the government finds sensitive, such as domestic politics and human rights. The opinion section carries staff columnists, regional analysts, academics and some foreign contributors, usually favoring stability, diplomacy, economic diversification and the UAE's regional positions. Readers should not confuse it with The National in Scotland (owned by Newsquest, pro-independence) or The National in Wales, which are unrelated.

Sources

  1. The National (Abu Dhabi) – Wikipedia
  2. Editor of The National: 'Disservice' to say we are UAE mouthpiece – Press Gazette
  3. Man City owner buys The National newspaper – Arab News
  4. Abu Dhabi's The National newspaper cuts jobs in restructuring – Semafor
  5. About Us – The National

Profile compiled 2026-10-21; refreshed when ownership, funding, or the administration changes.

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