Outlet profile

The New Arab

Qatari state-linked, pan-Arab pro-Palestinian

Owned byOwned by Fadaat Media, a Qatar-based media company; the outlet's editor-in-chief and driving figure is Azmi Bishara, a former Israeli-Arab lawmaker close to Qatar's ruling establishment

FundingFunded by Fadaat Media, a private Qatari holding company; Fadaat is not formally a state entity but operates with Qatari capital and is widely seen as aligned with Doha's foreign-policy interests, and the ultimate ownership behind Fadaat is not fully disclosed

On the administrationbroadly critical

Background

Al-Araby Al-Jadeed launched in March 2014 as a digital-first news project bankrolled by Fadaat Media, with Azmi Bishara — a former member of the Israeli Knesset who left politics and settled in Qatar — as its founding intellectual force and effective editorial head. The outlet expanded into an English-language edition, The New Arab, and a satellite channel, Al Araby TV, positioned partly as a rival to Al Jazeera and other Gulf-backed broadcasters. Its reporting consistently favors Palestinian self-determination, is critical of Israeli policy and of Arab governments seen as authoritarian or aligned against Qatar (notably Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE during periods of Gulf rift), and has given favorable platforms to Muslim Brotherhood-linked voices. Media watchdogs and researchers have flagged its coverage as reflecting Doha's geopolitical interests even though it markets itself as independent and progressive. It has drawn criticism for one-sided framing on Israel-related stories and for close alignment with Qatari state priorities, while also being credited with substantive investigative and cultural coverage of the Arab world not always found in Gulf state media.

Sources

Profile compiled 2026-09-25; refreshed when ownership, funding, or the administration changes.

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