Arabic news service Elaph to launch three online portals after BBC deal



The founder of Elaph.com, an Arabic news service, says he plans to launch three online portals by the end of 2017, as he confirmed a deal with BBC Arabic to republish video content.

Othman Al Omeir, a Saudi-born businessman and journalist, founded Elaph in 2001. He based it in London to sidestep what he describes as a lack of media freedom in parts of the Arab world.

But with relatively low advertising revenues from political news, Mr Al Omeir now plans to launch three Elaph-branded websites – covering business, the arts, and women’s interests – over the next two years.

“It is those that generate money, more than politics,” he said. “We are also thinking about having an English website after we publish the three others.”

Mr Al Omeir said it “isn’t easy” to derive advertising income from political news, but said that would not be the case with the new sites. They will also be based in London, as some news outlets in the Middle East lack the “freedoms to tackle all the problems, especially the political or religious problems”.

“We have more freedom because we are outside the Arab world,” said Mr Al Omeir. “There are many writers who write for Elaph what you couldn’t write for a publication in the Middle East.”

Elaph last month signed a deal with BBC Arabic to broadcast video content produced by the BBC. Under the terms of the deal, BBC Arabic will provide about 120 video clips a month to Elaph.

The BBC did not disclose the value of the deal.

Mr Al Omeir said the deal would encourage “real journalism”, which he said was lacking in parts of the wider industry.

“Our goal is to try to transfer the experience of the European countries – like with the BBC and in Germany, and also the United States – to our media. This is what we need,” he said.

Mr Al Omeir said: “We don’t want to just transfer the technology and the quantity. We want to have real journalism and hot stories.”

Elaph currently has journalists in Syria and Yemen covering the conflicts in those countries, unlike many other Arabic news outlets, according to Mr Al Omeir.

“A lot of things are not right in the Arab media. We have two wars, one in Syria and one in Yemen. And how many journalists are there? You will see very few,” he said. “So this is part of what we are trying to introduce, to have the story from its own sources.”

A BBC Arabic spokesman confirmed the agreement reached last month with Elaph.

“The BBC granted Elaph a licence enabling the portal to include on its online pages video content from the BBC Arabic player,” he said.

“The BBC World Service has hundreds of partnership arrangements with media organisations all over the world. BBC Arabic has developed over many years strategic relationships with a range of media organisations across the Middle East and North Africa and beyond.”

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Milestones on the road to union

1970

October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar. 

December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.

1971

March 1:  Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.

July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.

July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.

August 6:  The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.

August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.

September 3: Qatar becomes independent.

November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.

November 29:  At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.

November 30: Despite  a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa. 

November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties

December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.

December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.

December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.

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