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Outlet profile

Asharq Al-Awsat

Saudi royal/government-aligned, pan-Arab

Owned bySaudi Research and Media Group (SRMG), controlled through state-linked investment funds tied to Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund; Prince Faisal bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud holds a direct ownership stake
FundingCommercial revenues (print, digital advertising, subscriptions) through SRMG, a publicly listed Saudi joint-stock company; majority shareholding flows through Al Ahli Capital Funds linked to Saudi state financial institutions
On the administrationbroadly supportive

Background

Asharq Al-Awsat (Arabic for 'The Middle East') was founded on July 4, 1978, in London by brothers Hisham and Muhammad Ali Hafez, with backing from the Saudi royal family and government ministers. It was created to serve Arabic-speaking readers across the Arab world rather than a single country, making it one of the first truly pan-Arab newspapers. The paper has been published by the Saudi Research and Media Group (SRMG) since its founding; SRMG's controlling shareholders are state-linked Saudi investment funds, and Prince Faisal bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud holds direct ownership. Asharq Al-Awsat went online in 1995 and has since expanded to multiple print editions across the Arab world. Editorially, it has functioned as a counterweight to media outlets sympathetic to the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamist movements, closely mirroring Riyadh's foreign policy positions. Critics have consistently argued its editorial independence is limited by its Saudi royal and state-linked ownership. Notable former editor Abd al-Rahman al-Rashed was known for columns defending U.S.-Saudi relations and critiquing political Islam. The outlet has provided a platform for senior U.S. officials—including Trump administration advisers—reflecting its role as an establishment channel between Washington and Gulf Arab governments.

Sources

  1. Asharq Al-Awsat – Wikipedia
  2. Asharq al-Awsat Newspaper – Saudipedia
  3. Saudi Research and Media Group (SRMG) – State Media Monitor
  4. Asharq Al-Awsat – Media Bias/Fact Check
  5. Trump Senior Adviser to Asharq Al-Awsat: No Military Solution in Sudan
  6. Former 'Al-Sharq Al-Awsat' Editor Abd Al-Rahman Al-Rashed: 'Which Muslims Are Against Trump?' – MEMRI
  7. About Us – Asharq Al-Awsat

Profile compiled 2026-08-03; refreshed when ownership, funding, or the administration changes.

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