British broadcaster Sky is ending its ownership role in Sky News Arabia, concluding a partnership with the United Arab Emirates that has lasted more than a decade and comes amid growing controversy surrounding the channel’s coverage of the war in Sudan, according to a report by The Guardian.
Sky and its Emirati partner IMI, the media investment group controlled by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, announced a new agreement under which the UK broadcaster will relinquish all strategic and operational ownership of Sky News Arabia. The Abu Dhabi-based channel will, however, continue to operate under the Sky News Arabia brand through a long-term licensing arrangement.
The move marks a significant shift for the Arabic-language news network, which was launched in 2012 as a joint venture aimed at competing with major regional broadcasters such as Al Jazeera and the BBC’s Arabic-language service.
In a statement cited by The Guardian, David Rhodes, Executive Chairman of Sky News Group, said the company was proud of what had been achieved through the partnership and described the decision as the beginning of a new phase in the relationship between the two media organizations.
The development comes as Sky News Arabia has faced criticism over its reporting on Sudan’s ongoing conflict. Critics have accused the channel of downplaying atrocities committed during the war and presenting coverage that aligns with narratives favorable to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the paramilitary group accused of committing serious human rights violations.
According to The Guardian, concerns have grown within Sky regarding the editorial direction adopted by the channel on regional issues, particularly the conflict in Sudan, where international organizations and human rights groups have documented allegations of mass killings, ethnic violence, and forced displacement.
The controversy intensified after Sudanese authorities banned Sky News Arabia from operating inside the country in late 2025 following a report from El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, that portrayed security and humanitarian conditions as improving despite ongoing fighting and reports of civilian suffering.
The Guardian also reported that the journalist who prepared the report was married to a senior official in the RSF-affiliated parallel administration, a detail that fueled criticism of the channel’s coverage and raised questions about editorial independence.
Subsequent reports published by the channel reportedly challenged accounts based on satellite imagery and testimony from survivors, suggesting there was insufficient evidence to support some allegations regarding atrocities committed during the conflict.
In February, a United Nations-mandated fact-finding mission concluded that the siege and occupation of El Fasher by the RSF and allied militias bore the “hallmarks of genocide,” finding evidence that ethnic minority communities had been deliberately targeted. The UAE has repeatedly denied responsibility for any atrocities attributed to the RSF.
For IMI, the acquisition of full control over Sky News Arabia represents an opportunity to further expand one of the Arab world's largest multimedia news platforms. Company executives said the network has built a strong presence across television, digital, audio, and social media platforms over the past decade.
The decision also reflects a broader restructuring of Sky’s international media partnerships under Comcast, the US-based media giant that acquired Sky in 2018. In recent years, the company has reduced its involvement in overseas news ventures, including ending arrangements related to the Sky News brand in Australia.
While Sky will no longer play a direct operational role in the Arabic-language channel, the continuation of the Sky News Arabia brand suggests that ties between the two sides will remain in place. The ownership change nevertheless marks the end of an era for one of the region’s most prominent international media partnerships and comes at a time when scrutiny of media coverage of the Sudan conflict continues to intensify.
