Sky ends controversial news joint venture in United Arab Emirates

The Guardian has revealed that Sky is ending its news partnership with the UAE in Sky News Arabia, amid growing concern over the channel’s editorial line, particularly its coverage of the war in Sudan and accusations of whitewashing abuses committed by the UAE-backed #RSF militia.

According to the report, Sky will relinquish its strategic and operational stake in the channel to its Emirati partner IMI, while Sky News Arabia will continue using the brand name under a multi-year licensing agreement.

The report linked the move to mounting criticism of the channel’s coverage of Sudan, especially after it aired a report from El Fasher claiming that security and humanitarian conditions had stabilized, despite the city witnessing a siege and widespread violations by the RSF militia and allied groups.

The Guardian also noted that Sudanese authorities had banned Sky News Arabia from operating in the country last November over coverage deemed biased and inconsistent with survivors’ testimonies, satellite imagery, and international reports on atrocities in El Fasher.

The report places Sky News Arabia at the center of controversy over regional media being used to serve the UAE’s position on Sudan, through coverage accused of downplaying the RSF militia’s responsibility and casting doubt on the scale of violations, while the UAE continues to deny accusations of supporting the militia.