Short answers, pulled from the story.
Al Arabiya launched on the 3rd of March 2003 in Dubai Media City, United Arab Emirates. Following a government-ordered relocation, it officially completed its move to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in July 2025.
Al Arabiya was established by relatives of the Saudi royal family in response to Al Jazeera's critical coverage of the Saudi royal family throughout the 1990s. An early funder stated the goal was to provide a "balanced and less provocative" alternative.
On the 26th of January 2009, Barack Obama gave Al Arabiya the first formal interview of his presidency, delivering the message that "Americans are not your enemy." It was the first-ever formal interview with Obama during his first administration.
Al Arabiya operates as a subsidiary of MBC Group. In 2025, the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia acquired a 54% stake in MBC Group, with Waleed bin Ibrahim al Ibrahim retaining a 36% stake.
In September 2003, reporter Mazen al-Tumeizi was killed on camera in Baghdad when a U.S. helicopter fired on a crowd on Haifa Street. In February 2006, three Al Arabiya reporters, including correspondent Atwar Bahjat, were abducted and murdered while covering the bombing aftermath of a mosque in Samarra.
In April 2017, UK regulator Ofcom found Al Arabiya in breach of broadcasting law for airing footage of imprisoned Bahraini opposition leader Hassan Mushaima obtained during his arbitrary detention. Ofcom fined the channel 120,000 and required an on-air apology; Al Arabiya surrendered its UK licence the following month.