Mass media in Saudi Arabia

Overview

As of 2006, the government has allowed some critical stories to be written by selected journalists. Although self-censorship continues to be a method of self-preservation for the nation's media outlets, government censorship seems to be decreasing, especially on journalistic inquiries into crime and terrorism. Newspapers are created by royal decree. There are more than a dozen dailies. Private TV stations cannot operate from Saudi soil. Although government officials monitor Internet sites for material deemed pornographic, politically offensive, or anti-Islamic, Saudi Internet users can gain access to most sites by simply connecting through an alternative server. The government created an appeals process circa 2006 by which citizens can request that particular websites be unblocked. As of 2014 there were 17.4 million internet users.

Article 39 of the "Basic Law" of the kingdom states:

Mass media and all other vehicles of expression shall employ civil and polite language, contribute towards the education of the nation and strengthen unity. It is prohibited to commit acts leading to disorder and division, affecting the security of the state and its public relations, or undermining human dignity and rights.

Pan-Arab broadcasting

Saudi media has influence outside of the borders of the kingdom, as the country is "a major market for pan-Arab satellite and pay-TV". Saudi investors are behind the major networks Middle East Broadcasting Center (MBC), which is based in Dubai, and Bahrain-based Orbit Showtime. Middle East Broadcasting Center (MBC) was launched in London, shortly after the 1991 Gulf War. In 1993 the entertainment, music and sport network Arab Radio and Television Network was founded by Saudi mogul Saleh Abdullah Kamel. From 1994 until 1996 when it was pulled off the air, BBC Arabic Television channel was run by Rome-based Orbit Communications Company, a subsidiary of the Saudi Arabian Mawarid Holding. It was launched again in March 2008 as part of BBC World Service. Saudi Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal owns the Rotana Group media entertainment conglomerate and in late 2011 acquired a $300 million stake in the social media site Twitter.

According to As'ad AbuKhalil, (author and political science professor at California State University, Stanislaus), “It is now a taboo in Arab culture to criticize Saudi. Even [Lebanon's] Hezbullah media is careful, and in Qatar media criticism has been going down, it has been very sensitive." One reason for this caution is that journalists who run critical stories "jeopardize their future careers, particularly if they aspire to work for the higher paying Gulf and Saudi networks." According to AbuKhalil, “As a journalist today you cannot criticize Saudi – where would you work?” Another is that "40-70% of the region's advertising" comes from Saudi Arabian companies, organizations, etc. "Networks, TV channels and publications are not going to risk jeopardizing their cash flow by upsetting their prime advertising market in the region's largest economy," according to Arab Media & Society.

Freedom of speech

Saudi Arabia does not tolerate dissidents and impose penalties on such people. It is responsible for executing Saudi-American journalist, Jamal Khashoggi, in 2018. As he entered a Saudi embassy in Istanbul, Turkey, a group of Saudi assassins murdered him.

Television channels

• Al Ekhbariya (News)
• Al Arabiya (News)
• Al-Hadath (News)
• KSA SPORTS
• MBC 1 (TV shows &news$ talk shows)Middle East
• MBC 2 (Hollywood movies)
• MBC 3 (Kids)
• MBC 4 (Hollywood TV shows)
• Rotana Cinema
• Rotana Khalejiah (Talk shows $ Arab TV shows)
• Rotana Music
• MBC Drama (Middle East)
• MBC Max (Hollywood movies)
• MBC+ Drama
• Saudi T.V. Channel 1
• QURAN TV
• SUUNA TV
• Wanasah (Music)
• Faaliat (Main events)
• MBC Bollywood

Newspapers

Arabic daily newspapers

• Al-Bilad
• Al Eqtisadiah
• Al Jazirah
• Al Madina
• Al Nadwa (newspaper)
• Al Riyadh
• Al Watan
• Al Yaum
• Okaz

English daily newspapers

• Al-Hayat (ceased in 2020)
• Arab News
• Asharq Al-Awsat
• Saudi Gazette

Malayalam daily newspapers

• Madhyamam
  • Jeddah edition – January 16, 2006
  • Riyadh edition – December 10, 2007
  • Dammam edition – May 24, 2008
  • Abha edition – January 1, 2011
• Gulf Thejas
  • Riyadh edition – March 2011
  • Dammam edition – March 2011
  • Jeddah edition – March 2011

References

References

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2. (2023-09-29). "Saudi Arabia {{!}} RSF".
3. Pan, Jennifer. (2020). "How Saudi Crackdowns Fail to Silence Online Dissent". American Political Science Review.
4. (2025-08-11). "Saudi Arabia: Executions Surge in 2025".
5. (2025-06-15). "Saudi Arabia executes a journalist after 7 years behind bars. Activists say it was over his tweets".
6. Whitehead, Jacob. (April 24, 2025). "Special report: Turki Al-Sheikh and the two sides of boxing’s new king". [[The Athletic]].
7. [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-14702705 BBC article]
8. Abdulaziz H. Al Fahad. (May 2004). "From Exclusivism to Accomodation [sic]". NYU Law Review.
9. (22 August 2013). "Saudi Arabia profile". BBC News.
10. "Saudi Arabia".
11. [http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/profiles/Saudi Arabia.pdf Saudi Arabia country profile]. [[Library of Congress]] [[Federal Research Division]] (September 2006). ''This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the [[public domain]].''
12. "Mohammadi, Ali 1998. Electronic empires: an Islamic perspective. in Daya Kishan Thussu (ed.) Electronic empires: Global Media and Local Resistance.".
13. "THE BASIC LAW OF GOVERNANCE". Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia.
14. "Saudi Arabia's Media Influence".
15. (17 October 2018). "Jamal Khashoggi: What the Arab world needs most is free expression". The Washington Post.
16. "Madhyamam History".
17. "Indian regional daily launches Saudi edition".