4 News websites kicked off to promote Saudi, UAE policies

SANAA, July 20 (YPA) – The British Independent newspaper has announced an exclusive licensing agreement with the Saudi Research and Marketing Group (SRMG), which will create four new online news services to promote Saudi and UAE policies.
The Saudi and UAE authorities continue their strategy of acquiring local, Arab and international media in order to promote their policies internally and externally, and battles in the region.

The four websites will provide “high-quality, independent news and analysis” on global affairs and local events, and will be published in Arabic, Urdu, Turkish and Persian languages.

The ownership and operation of the new sites , which called, Independent Arabia, Independent Urdu, Independent Turk, and Independent Bergen – will be part of the Saudi Research and Marketing Group.
The new sites are expected to launch later this year.
The Saudi Research and Marketing Group is the largest publishing house in the Middle East and is associated with the royal family in Saudi Arabia and owned by King Salman bin Abdul Aziz for years, and now for his son Mohammed Bin Salman, one of its most prominent publications is Al-Sharq Al-Awsat.
The British Middle East site talked about the new partnership between The Independent newspaper and the Saudi Research and Marketing Group, expressing fears that the editorial line of the four news websites would not be independent.
In this regard, the site pointed out that the Saudi investor, Sultan Abu Al-Jadeel, last year owned about a third of the shares of the Independent newspaper; which raised concerns about the independence of the newspaper, owned by Russian billionaire, Avgene Lebedev.

Sameera Hassn