Al Arabiya SuccessStory

With this in mind, the channel promised to not cause problems for the Arab countries or create sensationalism, but just stick to the truth.

Al Jazeera had become less popular after Arab Spring, a revolutionary protest in the region, due to its apparent bias towards Muslim Brotherhood. Al Arabiya benefited from this and became the second most popular news channel in the Middle Eastern region. The channel has the regular household viewership for about 5 million.

Al Arabiya has a number of programs that are popular. Its Special Mission program is its longest running and most successful to date. Since it began in October 19th, 2003, it has won several accolades for investigative journalism. The program focuses on many issues in the region and the world and digs deeply to reveal the truth, presenting it in a manner that the audience would understand.

The show Rawafed, on the other hand, focuses on arts and culture, showcasing the regions rich heritage and highlighting the multitude of great talents from the Middle East. The famous and well-established novelist Ahmed Ali El Zein hosts the programme, hoping to bring back the old Middle Eastern love for art, the written word and poetry.

Al Arabiya hasn’t escaped controversy and some believe it was created for the sole purpose of promoting the Saudi agenda. It was banned in Iraq on November 2004 and September 7, 2006 for their alleged imprecise coverage of the country.

Al Arabiya has faced criticism on home ground for portraying the religious conservatives and social problems in a stark, honest manner. Moreover, it lost four reporters in September 2003 and February 2006 while reporting. One correspondent was apprehended in 2012 in Philippines but was released after 18 months, highlighting dangers of reporting in conflicted territory for a channel known for its stark portrayal of problems.

Despite all these troubles, Al Arabiya remains a well-watched and popular news channel from the Middle East.