Al Ekhbariya
Al Ekhbariya (Arabic: الإخبارية, "The News Channel") is a Saudi Arabian news and current affairs satellite television channel based in Riyadh. Owned by the Saudi Broadcasting Authority (SBA) and run under the Saudi Ministry of Media, it is the kingdom's dedicated state news channel, covering domestic affairs, regional politics, the economy and international developments. Launched in January 2004, it has become the official television voice of the Saudi state, transmitting across the Middle East and the Arabic-speaking world, and it is available to viewers in the United Kingdom through its online streaming platforms.
Launch and early ambitions
Al Ekhbariya went on air on 11 January 2004 as the fourth channel of the Saudi state television network, joining the existing Saudi channels in a deliberate expansion of the kingdom's news media. According to its director at the time, the channel's aim was to present "a new image of the Gulf Arab state" to the wider region and the world. The launch reflected a broader effort by Saudi Arabia to build a credible, professional news outlet that could compete in a pan-Arab media market dominated by Al Jazeera. Its creation was framed as part of the development of Saudi news media, and it set out to present detailed, concise newscasts alongside talk shows covering current events.
A milestone for Saudi women in media
Al Ekhbariya's launch made media history in the kingdom. The channel hired several Saudi women, and its very first news bulletin was read by Buthaina Al-Nassr, the first female news presenter on a Saudi television channel. The moment was widely noted at the time as a step forward for the visibility of women in Saudi public life. The channel has retained a commitment to this vision: its stated outlook includes strengthening and empowering Arab women, and Al-Nassr remained associated with the channel long after that first broadcast. In a media environment where such firsts carry real symbolic weight, Al Ekhbariya's launch-day decision defined part of its identity from the outset.
Ownership and the Saudi Broadcasting Authority
Al Ekhbariya is one of seven television channels operated by the Saudi Broadcasting Authority (SBA), which functions under the Saudi Ministry of Media. Like its main competitor Al Jazeera — which is likewise owned by its government — the channel is a state broadcaster, and it is described as the official TV spokesperson for all government-related developments, both domestic and international. Its sister channels in the SBA portfolio include Al Saudiya, SBC, KSA Sports, Quran TV and Sunna TV. In 2017 the Saudi Economic Channel (Al Eqtisadiyah) was merged into Al Ekhbariya, a consolidation that significantly strengthened the economic component of the channel's programming.
Global newsgathering network
From its Riyadh headquarters, Al Ekhbariya maintains correspondents across the Middle East, Europe and America to provide worldwide coverage of news stories. This network of reporters underpins the channel's claim to follow developments from every corner of the globe, not just within Saudi Arabia. Its output is transmitted to the Middle East and the Arabic-speaking world from the Badr 4 satellite at an orbital position of 26.0 degrees East, giving it a footprint that reaches across the region and beyond. The broadcast area extends from Saudi Arabia to audiences in Bangladesh and worldwide, reflecting the global spread of its Arabic-speaking viewership.
Programming and editorial mix
The channel's schedule combines rolling news bulletins with field reports, interviews and discussion programmes. Domestic Saudi affairs receive substantial attention, with the channel giving significant airtime to events and public affairs from different regions of the kingdom, while maintaining coverage of regional and international news. Economic reporting forms a notable part of its output alongside general news and current affairs. Al Ekhbariya presents around ten regular programmes each week, including strands related to current political events — such as coverage of the coalition intervention in Yemen led by Saudi Arabia — as well as documentaries, economics and politics. Notably, the channel also offers a Persian-language programme, an unusual feature for a Saudi state channel that extends its reach to Persian-speaking audiences.
Technical standards and language
Al Ekhbariya broadcasts in Arabic in high definition, using the 1080p MPEG-4 HDTV picture format. Its online presence is multilingual: the channel's website is published in Arabic, English and Persian, attracting visitors from multiple nationalities. The official site also provides a live streaming service, allowing viewers anywhere in the world to watch the channel's output in real time. Social media handles on platforms including Instagram, YouTube, Facebook and X support this digital operation, letting audiences follow, comment and engage with the channel's news coverage directly.
Radio expansion
On 13 February 2022, coinciding with World Radio Day, the Saudi Broadcasting Authority launched the country's first news radio station — the radio branch of Al Ekhbariya. The move extended the channel's news brand into audio broadcasting for the first time, giving it a presence across television, radio and digital. The launch was presented as a further step in the development of Saudi state news media, bringing the Ekhbariya editorial operation to listeners as well as viewers.
Role as the state's news voice
Al Ekhbariya occupies a distinct role in Saudi media: it is the official on-screen voice of the Saudi government. Its news bulletins and current affairs output carry the kingdom's positions on domestic policy and foreign affairs, and it is regarded as the television spokesperson for government-related developments internally and internationally. This proximity to power is the channel's core asset — and the lens through which its journalism is judged. Because it is the government's own channel, Al Ekhbariya's bulletins are often the first place major Saudi announcements appear on television. Its coverage of official visits, cabinet decisions and royal decrees is treated as authoritative by other outlets, and its field correspondents are routinely present at state events. It is, in this sense, the Saudi answer to the question of how a state communicates with its own citizens and the wider Arab world through television.
Competition in the pan-Arab news market
Al Ekhbariya competes in a crowded field of Arabic-language news channels. Its principal rival is Al Jazeera, the Qatari network that pioneered the pan-Arab satellite news model, but it also contends with Saudi-owned rivals such as Al Arabiya and Al Hadath, as well as newer entrants like Asharq News. Within this competitive landscape, Al Ekhbariya's differentiator is its direct state ownership and its status as the Saudi government's own channel — a positioning that gives it unmatched access to official Saudi news while drawing criticism from those who question its editorial independence. Its longevity, now more than two decades on air, makes it one of the established fixtures of Arab satellite news.
Digital presence and contact
The channel's official website is alekhbariya.net, available in Arabic, English and Persian, with a live streaming service for online viewing. The site carries the latest news, talk shows, political analysis and economic reports, alongside the channel's video output. Through this digital platform, and its presence on social media, Al Ekhbariya reaches audiences well beyond its satellite footprint — including Arabic-speaking viewers in the United Kingdom and Europe who follow Saudi and regional news online. Its most-used online topics include regional security, the economy, energy and developments across the Gulf states.
