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- Dubai 05:15 06:31 12:06 15:11 17:35 18:51
A presenter looks on from the newsroom during a media tour of the Sky News Arabia studios in Abu Dhabi April 3, 2012. The channel launches on May 6, and will be competing against popular channels like AlJazeera and AlArabiya for Arab-speaking viewers. (REUTERS)
Sky News Arabia, a 24-hour Arabic language news channel based in Abu Dhabi, is to go on air on May 6, following in the footsteps of Al Jazeera and Al Arabiya.
"Our aim has been to create an impartial and independent breaking news channel for the Arab world across multiple platforms," Nart Bouran, the channel's head, said in a statement announcing the launch date.
Sky News Arabia is a joint venture between British Sky Broadcasting, BSkyB, and Abu Dhabi Media Investment Corp.
"Sky News Arabia will offer the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region a fresh approach to television news with an independent editorial mandate at the heart of everything we do," Bouran said.
Qatar's Al Jazeera and Saudi-owned Al Arabiya, based in Dubai, are prominent in Arabic-language television news. Their competitors include BBC Arabic, France 24, Iran's Al Alam and Russia Today channels.
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