When and where was Middle East Eye founded?
London, England became the birthplace of Middle East Eye in April 2014. A single director named Jamal Bessasso formally owns the organization through a company called M.E.E. Limited.
Questions about Middle East Eye
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Who owns Middle East Eye and what is their nationality?
Jamal Bessasso holds more than 75% of shares and voting rights within the parent company despite listing his nationality as Dutch at Companies House. He is Kuwait-born Palestinian living in London while David Hearst serves as editor-in-chief.
Why did Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states block Middle East Eye?
The governments of Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Bahrain repeatedly accused Middle East Eye of covert backing by Qatar during the diplomatic crisis on the 22nd of June 2017. They viewed the media group as sympathetic to the Muslim Brotherhood and aligned with Qatari interests.
What happened to Middle East Eye websites in April 2020?
Hackers targeted twenty websites including Middle East Eye when cybersecurity experts at ESET linked the attack to an Israeli surveillance firm called Candiru. The website suffered damage through a watering hole attack that served malicious code to specific visitors.
When was Middle East Eye blocked in the UAE and why?
UAE Telecommunications Regulatory Authority blocked Middle East Eye nationwide on the 29th of June 2016 following reports about the country's role in Yemen war and human rights issues. Jordan's Media Commission barred entry to the site in May 2025 after publishing an investigation alleging Jordanian armed forces charged NGOs very high fees sending humanitarian aid to Gaza.