🇸🇦 Asharq Al-Awsat

About Asharq Al-Awsat

Asharq Al-Awsat is owned by the Saudi Research and Media Group (SRMG), a Saudi joint stock company, which is closely aligned with the Saudi government. Faisal bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, a member of the Saudi royal family, owns the newspaper. It was founded in London in 1978 by Hisham Hafez and Mohammed Hafez with the approval of the Saudi royal family and government ministers.

Media Bias/Fact Check rates Asharq Al-Awsat as right-center biased with mixed factual reporting and medium credibility, noting it consistently publishes favorable information about the Saudi government, acting as propaganda. Grokipedia also highlights a right-leaning bias and occasional lapses in factual accuracy, particularly in politically charged stories favoring pro-Saudi narratives over adversarial regimes. Reporters Without Borders ranks Saudi Arabia among the worst countries for press freedom, stating that free media is nearly nonexistent and subject to strict state control, with no real space for editorial independence. Freedom House also describes Saudi Arabia's media environment as highly repressive, with direct censorship and self-censorship common. The outlet has faced accusations of aligning its editorial line with Saudi government interests, leading to selective reporting, such as propagating 'fact-free denials' regarding the Jamal Khashoggi murder and exhibiting linguist