The National

UAE state-backed, Gulf state-aligned

Background

The National launched on April 17, 2008, under Abu Dhabi Media, a UAE government entity, with ambitions to be a globally competitive English-language paper. It recruited staff from outlets including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and The Daily Telegraph. In 2016, ownership transferred to International Media Investments (IMI), and the paper was relaunched in July 2017 with a new headquarters and a London bureau. IMI is ultimately controlled by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, a member of Abu Dhabi's ruling family. The Financial Times has described The National as 'a mouthpiece for Abu Dhabi's worldview,' and press-freedom analysts note it self-censors on matters the government considers sensitive. Media Bias/Fact Check rates it right-center with mixed factual reporting and flags it as questionable for poor sourcing, state-propaganda promotion, and lack of transparency. In January 2025 the outlet carried out layoffs across its multimedia, digital, and foreign desks as part of a broader IMI restructuring. Despite those cuts, it maintains bureaus in Beirut, Cairo, London, and Washington and continues to cover global affairs from an English-language Gulf perspective.

Sources

1. The National (Abu Dhabi) – Wikipedia
2. The National (UAE) – Bias and Credibility – Media Bias/Fact Check
3. International Media Investments acquires ownership of The National | The National
4. Editor of The National: 'Disservice' to say we are UAE mouthpiece – Press Gazette
5. Abu Dhabi's The National newspaper cuts jobs in restructuring | Semafor
6. The National: Abu Dhabi's brief experiment in press freedom | The New Republic

Profile compiled 2026-06-25; refreshed when ownership, funding, or the administration changes.

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