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SRMG announces new headquarters in Riyadh’s King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD)

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Updated 08 April 2022
Arab News
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SRMG announces new headquarters in Riyadh’s King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD)

  • ​ The new headquarters commemorates the beginning of SRMG’s global expansion and will house the offices of Asharq network which includes “Asharq News” and “Asharq Business with Bloomberg”
Updated 08 April 2022
Arab News

RIYADH​: The Saudi Research & Media Group (SRMG), today announced its new headquarters in the King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD), the new global center for business and commerce in the capital, Riyadh. The announcement of the new headquarters comes in line with the growth and expansion strategy announced by the Group last year, which aims to cement its leadership position in the media sector in the region, redefine the regional media landscape and support its efforts to become one of the key leading media groups globally. The move lays the foundation for a global creative media hub in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia that brings together the most prominent media, technology and content companies.

The new state-of-the-art headquarters will allow the group to meet the aspirations of millions of readers, viewers, and followers from across the globe monthly. The new environment, which will feature market-leading digital technologies and data capabilities, will enable the group to foster stronger integration and optimize synergies between the Group’s businesses and talent, and support the development and digitization of its media platforms. It will also enable the Group to enter new fields such as events, conferences, exhibitions, and book publishing, as well as support the Group’s research and polling capabilities.

The new headquarters will house the Group’s various media platforms and businesses under one roof including: “Asharq Al-Awsat”; Asharq network which includes “Asharq News” and “Asharq Business with Bloomberg”, “Arab News”, “Independent Arabia,” “Argaam”, “Manga Arabia”, “Sayidaty” and “Hia” magazines, as well as the Group’s businesses: SRMG Media, SRMG X and SRMG Think, ultimately leading to the establishment of a thriving creative media hub at the King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD). The Group’s integration will also strengthen its position as a preferred media partner, and builds on the success of its existing partnerships with leading institutions such as Bloomberg and The Independent.

The new headquarters in the capital, Riyadh, marks the beginning of the Group’s global expansion, including that of Asharq network and its platforms “Asharq News” and “Asharq Business with Bloomberg”, with plans to establish several global offices in Washington and Singapore, in addition to its current offices in London and Dubai. In addition, the Group will employ top-of-the-line studio technologies with data-based capabilities, including social media, podcast and virtual reality studios, and introduce new content offerings such as cultural and scientific documentaries, supporting the Group’s legacy as a trusted source of news and information.

Commenting on the announcement, Chief Executive Officer of SRMG, Jomana Al-Rashid, said: “Our vision for the new headquarters is to drive the creation of a global creative media hub at KAFD in particular and in the city of Riyadh in general. The Group’s headquarters will attract creative talent and provide numerous career opportunities across more than 30 media platforms in all disciplines and fields, including content creation, journalism, production, directing, writing, event management and more. SRMG will also serve as an incubator for entrepreneurs by offering investment and strategic support, and facilitate new business opportunities underpinned by the latest technologies in connectivity, communication, and data analysis, which will ultimately lead to a great positive impact on the Group mainly and the wider media sector”.

“The King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD) is considered an architectural masterpiece, characterised by the integration of its services and its pivotal location, all of which are success factors to attract the greatest talents and produce creative work” added Al-Rashid.

Gautam Sashittal, CEO of King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD), said: “The establishment of the headquarters in KAFD for the most prominent regional media group is an important step in our development as a premium business and lifestyle destination in the region. The presence of the new headquarters of the Saudi Research and Media Group will contribute to enriching the business environment within KAFD, in addition to its contribution to attracting talent and stimulating growth and expansion. We welcome SRMG to KAFD; together we will support the Kingdom's future as a knowledge and information-based economy."

The King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD) is set to host the headquarters of many international companies and serve as the center of the Kingdom’s digital economy. SRMG’s new headquarters is located in the fourth district at KAFD and will consists of 10 floors to accommodate around 1,200 employees. The interior spaces of the new headquarters, to which the Group will gradually move, are designed to encourage cross-collaboration, and provide an interactive working environment.

Topics: SRMG Saudi Research & Media Group Riyadh King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD)

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Facebook restricts war-related content in Palestinian territories, BBC investigation claims

Updated 18 December 2024
Arab News
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Facebook restricts war-related content in Palestinian territories, BBC investigation claims

  • Local news outlets report 77% drop in audience engagement
  • ‘Any implication that we deliberately suppress a particular voice is unequivocally false,’ Meta says
Updated 18 December 2024
Arab News

LONDON: A BBC investigation has claimed that Facebook significantly restricted access to news in Palestinian territories, limiting local news outlets’ ability to reach audiences during the ongoing Israel-Gaza war.

Research conducted by the BBC Arabic team found that 20 newsrooms in Gaza and the West Bank reported a 77 percent decline in audience engagement — a measure of the visibility and impact of social media content — following the Hamas attacks on Oct. 7, 2023.

In contrast, Facebook pages belonging to 20 Israeli news outlets, including Yediot Ahronot, Israel Hayom and Channel 13, saw a 37 percent increase in engagement for similar war-related content during the same period.

“Interaction was completely restricted and our posts stopped reaching people,” said Tariq Ziad, a journalist at Palestine TV, which experienced a 60 percent drop in engagement despite having 5.8 million Facebook followers.

With international journalists restricted from accessing Gaza due to Israeli-imposed limitations, local media and social platforms have become critical sources of information around the world. But the disparity in engagement has underscored concerns about a growing “war of narratives” on social media.

Facebook’s parent company, Meta, has previously faced allegations of “shadow banning” Palestinian content. Critics, including human rights groups, claim the platform fails to moderate online activity fairly.

According to an independent report commissioned by Meta in 2021, the company said the loss of engagement was never deliberate, attributing it to a “lack of Arabic-speaking expertise among moderators,” which led to some Arabic phrases being inadvertently flagged as harmful or sensitive.

To test these claims, the BBC analyzed 30 prominent Facebook pages from Arabic news outlets and found an almost 100 percent increase in engagement.

Meta admitted to increasing moderation of Palestinian user comments in response to a “spike in hateful content” but rejected allegations of bias.

A spokesperson told the BBC: “Any implication that we deliberately suppress a particular voice is unequivocally false.”

However, internal communications reviewed by the BBC showed that Meta-owned Instagram’s algorithm had been adjusted shortly after the conflict began, with at least one engineer raising concerns about potential new bias against Palestinian users.

“Within a week of the Hamas attack, the code was changed essentially making it more aggressive toward Palestinian people,” the engineer told the BBC.

Although Meta said these policy changes were reversed, it did not specify when.

A similar investigation by Arab News revealed widespread reports of pro-Palestinian posts and accounts being suspended or banned during Israel’s bombardment of Gaza.

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, at least 144 media workers have been killed since the start of the conflict, 133 of whom were Palestinians, making it the deadliest conflict for journalists in recent history.

Topics: War on Gaza Meta

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Two men arrested in London over attack on British-Iranian journalist

Updated 18 December 2024
Reuters
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Two men arrested in London over attack on British-Iranian journalist

  • Iran International journalist Pouria Zeraati was stabbed outside his home in March in what investigators have identified as a Tehran-orchestrated plot
Updated 18 December 2024
Reuters

LONDON: British police said on Tuesday they arrested two Romanian men over the stabbing of a journalist working for a Persian language media organisation in London in March.

Pouria Zeraati, a British-Iranian journalist who works for Iran International, sustained leg injuries in the attack near his home in Wimbledon, southwest London.

Counter-terrorism police led the investigation over concerns he had been targeted because of his work at the television news network, which is critical of Iran’s government.

Britain’s Crown Prosecution Service said earlier this month that Nandito Badea, 19, and George Stana, 23, had been charged with wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and wounding.

London’s Metropolitan (Met) Police said the two men were taken into custody at Heathrow Airport on Tuesday after they arrived on a flight from Romania. They are due to appear at Westminster Magistrates Court on Dec. 18, the police said.

They had previously been detained by Romanian authorities on Dec. 4 and were returned to the UK by a national extradition unit.

British police, security officials and politicians have issued warnings about what they say is Iran’s growing use of criminal proxies to carry out attacks abroad. Iran rejects those accusations.

“This has been a long-running investigation and I am pleased we have reached a point where two men have now been charged and will face prosecution here in the UK,” said Helen Flanagan from the Met's counter-terrorism command.

Flanagan added: “Now that criminal proceedings are fully active here in the UK, I continue to ask people not speculate about the case or motivation so that the criminal justice process can run its course.”

Topics: Iran International Iran journalist UK

Mother of missing US journalist urges Netanyahu to pause strikes on Syria to aid search for her son

Updated 17 December 2024
Arab News
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Mother of missing US journalist urges Netanyahu to pause strikes on Syria to aid search for her son

  • Austin Tice, a former Marine, was abducted in Syria in August 2012 while reporting on the country’s descent into civil war
  • His mother says ‘credible information’ suggests her son is in a prison close to areas pounded by Israeli strikes
Updated 17 December 2024
Arab News

LONDON: The mother of missing American journalist Austin Tice, who was abducted in Syria 12 years ago, urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to pause airstrikes on Syria so that rescuers can search safely for her son.

In a letter addressed to Netanyahu, Debra Tice said her family has “credible information” that her son might be in a prison close to the Syrian capital, Damascus, and appealed for a halt to nearby Israeli military operations.

“We are aware that your military has an active campaign in the area, preventing rescuers from approaching and accessing the prison facility,” she wrote.

“We have no way of knowing if the prisoners there have food and water. We urgently request you pause strikes on this area and deploy Israeli assets to search for Austin Tice and other prisoners. Time is of the essence.”

The prime minister’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment, The New York Times reported.

The Israeli military has been bombing weapons depots and air defenses in Syria in what it described as an attempt to prevent military equipment falling into the hands of extremists.

Austin Tice, who before becoming a journalist served as an officer in the US Marine Corps, was kidnapped on Aug. 13, 2012, while reporting from Syria as the country descended into civil war. He was 31 years old at the time. The only evidence of his capture and captivity remains a 47-second video released in September 2012 that showed him bound and blindfolded.

In the 12 years since then, the US government has maintained its belief that he was alive and in the custody of the Syrian government. No group or organization has publicly claimed responsibility for his detention.

The fall of the Assad regime this month to rebel forces led by militant group Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham sparked renewed efforts to locate Tice. It comes as thousands of prisoners, including the regime’s political opponents, civilians and foreigners, have been freed from detention centers in Damascus.

Debra Tice believes her son is held in a prison located beneath a Syrian military museum in the Mount Qasioun area near Damascus. She described a system of tunnels thought to connect the facility to a government palace and nearby neighborhoods.

Citing anonymous sources, Reuters reported on Monday that Tice managed to escape from his captors after just five months of captivity but was recaptured by forces loyal to Assad. Credible information about his whereabouts grew increasingly scarce over the years, though US officials remain cautiously optimistic that he is alive.

The recent escalation of Israeli attacks on targets in Syria raised concerns that Tice might have been killed in the airstrikes or trapped underground. US officials also fear that power cuts in Damascus prisons, orchestrated by Assad’s forces before he was toppled, could have deprived underground cells of breathable air.

Hopes were briefly raised this week amid reports that an American man had been spotted in Damascus. However, he turned out to be Travis Timmerman from Missouri, who had been freed by rebel forces. He was arrested this year for entering the country illegally after traveling to Syria on a “spiritual mission.”

The State Department said on Monday no US government officials are in Syria to assist in the search for Tice but finding him remains a “top priority.”

Concerns continue to grow over the fate of remaining detainees in the country, particularly in areas still affected by military strikes and instability.

Topics: Israeli strikes in Syria Debra Tice Benjamin Netanyahu

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Media watchdog condemns Israel over killing of 4 Gaza journalists, demands accountability

Updated 17 December 2024
Arab News
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Media watchdog condemns Israel over killing of 4 Gaza journalists, demands accountability

  • Iman Al-Shanti, Mohammed Al-Qrinawi, Mohammed Balousha, and Ahmed Al-Louh were killed between Dec. 11 and 15
  • At least in two cases, the attacks were described as ‘deliberate,’ Committee to Protect Journalists reported
Updated 17 December 2024
Arab News

LONDON: The Committee to Protect Journalists has condemned Israel’s recent attacks in Gaza, which have killed four journalists in the past week alone, and renewed calls for the international community to hold Tel Aviv accountable for its actions against media workers.

“At least 95 journalists and media workers have been killed worldwide in 2024,” CPJ’s CEO Jodie Ginsberg said in New York. “Israel is responsible for two-thirds of those deaths and yet continues to act with total impunity when it comes to the killing of journalists and its attacks on the media.”

Between Dec. 11 and 15, Israeli forces carried out multiple deadly strikes targeting media workers in Gaza, killing Iman Al-Shanti, Mohammed Al-Qrinawi, Mohammed Balousha, and Ahmed Al-Louh. Sources claim that at least two of the journalists were clearly identifiable by their press vests and accused the Israeli army of deliberately targeting civilians in the area.

On Wednesday, Al-Shanti, a 36-year-old journalist who worked for Al Aqsa Radio and contributed to Al Jazeera’s AJ+ platform, was killed alongside her family in an Israeli airstrike on Gaza’s Sheikh Radwan neighborhood.

On Friday, Al-Qrinawi, editor at the local Snd news agency, was killed with his wife and three children in an Israeli strike on Al-Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza.

That same day, Balousha, a 38-year-old journalist reporting for Dubai-based Al Mashhad Media, died in a direct Israeli drone strike while returning from a medical checkup in northern Gaza City. Al Mashhad described the attack as deliberate.

On Saturday, Al-Louh, a 39-year-old freelance journalist who contributed to multiple outlets, including Al Jazeera, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Nuseirat camp in Gaza City. He became the seventh journalist from Al Jazeera to be killed during the war.

Following Al-Louh’s death, Israeli Defense Forces spokesperson for Arabic media Avichay Adraee accused him of being a member of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. However, as in similar past claims, Adraee failed to provide evidence to support the allegation. Al Jazeera condemned the killing as a “war crime” and part of a “systematic targeting of journalists in Gaza aimed at intimidating and deterring them.”

According to CPJ, at least 133 journalists have been killed in Gaza since the outbreak of the conflict 15 months ago, making it the deadliest conflict for journalists since record-keeping began. The real toll is believed to be significantly higher.

Media watchdogs and international organizations have repeatedly called for Israel and its leaders to be held accountable for what some human rights groups describe as ethnic cleansing. However, these demands have so far failed to produce tangible results.

The CPJ reached out to the Israeli military’s North America Media Desk, asking whether the IDF was aware of civilian presence in the areas it bombed and if journalists had been targeted for their work. The IDF replied that it required more time to investigate but did not specify a timeline for its response.

Topics: War on Gaza Israel Journalists

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TikTok turns to US Supreme Court in last-ditch bid to avert ban

Updated 17 December 2024
Reuters
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TikTok turns to US Supreme Court in last-ditch bid to avert ban

  • Justice Department calls TikTok threat to US security
  • Trump says he has a “warm spot in my heart” for TikTok
Updated 17 December 2024
Reuters

WASHINGTON: TikTok made a last-ditch effort on Monday to continue operating in the United States, asking the Supreme Court to temporarily block a law intended to force ByteDance, its China-based parent company, to divest the short-video app by Jan. 19 or face a ban.
TikTok and ByteDance filed an emergency request to the justices for an injunction to halt the looming ban on the social media app used by about 170 million Americans while they appeal a lower court’s ruling that upheld the law. A group of US users of the app filed a similar request on Monday as well.
Congress passed the law in April. The Justice Department has said that as a Chinese company, TikTok poses “a national-security threat of immense depth and scale” because of its access to vast amounts of data on American users, from locations to private messages, and its ability to secretly manipulate content that Americans view on the app.
The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in Washington on Dec. 6 rejected TikTok’s arguments that the law violates free speech protections under the US Constitution’s First Amendment.
In their filing to the Supreme Court, TikTok and ByteDance said that “if Americans, duly informed of the alleged risks of ‘covert’ content manipulation, choose to continue viewing content on TikTok with their eyes wide open, the First Amendment entrusts them with making that choice, free from the government’s censorship.”
“And if the D.C. Circuit’s contrary holding stands, then Congress will have free rein to ban any American from speaking simply by identifying some risk that the speech is influenced by a foreign entity,” they added.
The companies said that being shuttered for even one month would cause TikTok to lose about a third of its US users and undermine its ability to attract advertisers and recruit content creators and employee talent.
Calling itself one of the “most important speech platforms” used in the United States, TikTok has said that there is no imminent threat to US national security and that delaying enforcement of the law would allow the Supreme Court to consider the legality of the ban, and the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump to evaluate the law as well.
Trump, who unsuccessfully tried to ban TikTok during his first term in 2020, has reversed his stance and promised during the presidential race this year that he would try to save TikTok. Trump takes office on Jan. 20, the day after the TikTok deadline under the law.
The law would “shutter one of America’s most popular speech platforms the day before a presidential inauguration,” the companies said in their filing. “A federal law singling out and banning a speech platform used by half of Americans is extraordinary.”
Asked on Monday at a press conference what he would do to stop a ban on TikTok, Trump said that he has “a warm spot in my heart for TikTok” and that he would “take a look” at the matter.
The companies asked the Supreme Court to issue a decision on its request by Jan. 6 to allow, in the event it is rejected, for the “complex task of shutting down TikTok” in the United States and to coordinate with service providers by the deadline set under the law.
The dispute comes amid growing trade tensions between China and the United States, the world’s two biggest economies.

‘RIGOROUS SCRUTINY’

TikTok has denied that it has or ever would share US user data, accusing US lawmakers of advancing speculative concerns.
TikTok spokesperson Michael Hughes said after the filing that “we are asking the court to do what it has traditionally done in free speech cases: apply the most rigorous scrutiny to speech bans and conclude that it violates the First Amendment.”
In its ruling, the D.C. Circuit wrote, “The First Amendment exists to protect free speech in the United States. Here the government acted solely to protect that freedom from a foreign adversary nation and to limit that adversary’s ability to gather data on people in the United States.”
Without an injunction, the ban on TikTok would make the company far less valuable to ByteDance and its investors, and hurt businesses that depend on TikTok to drive their sales.
The law would bar providing certain services to TikTok and other foreign adversary-controlled apps including offering it through app stores such as Apple and Alphabet’s Google, effectively preventing its continued US use unless ByteDance divests TikTok by the deadline.
A ban could open the door to a future US crackdown on other foreign-owned apps. In 2020, Trump tried to ban WeChat, owned by Chinese company Tencent, but was blocked by the courts.

Topics: TikTok US

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