Alarab News Channel staff are seen on duty at the editorial office in Manama.
Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal will tomorrow launch a pan-Arab satellite news channel aimed at challenging established networks in the region.
Broadcasting from 1300 GMT tomorrow, his Bahrain-based Alarab News Channel will be the latest player in the Arabic-language television market, after Al Jazeera became the first regional news broadcaster 19 years ago.
It will also be a rival for Dubai-based Al Arabiya, established in 2003.
Jamal Khashoggi, Alarab’s general manager, said the new channel will be even-handed.
“We are not going to take sides,” he told AFP.
“I think a news channel should not have a political agenda... We should just be a news channel that provides accurate, objective information.”
Khashoggi declined to reveal Alarab’s budget but said the channel will have about 280 staff, including correspondents in 30 countries.
Riyadh will be the largest bureau with around 20 employees.
