Israel-based channel and UAE broadcaster ink partnership

Israel-based broadcaster i24NEWS and Abu Dhabi Media, a public conglomerate in the United Arab Emirates, announced Monday a content sharing arrangement after the Jewish state and UAE normalised ties.

i24NEWS, which broadcasts in French, Arabic and English, and Abu Dhabi Media have signed a memorandum of understanding that allows for shared reporting and archival content.

Frank Melloul, chief executive of i24NEWS, said in a statement that the arrangement highlighted “the many possibilities that have opened up to us in the wake of the Abraham Accords”.

Under the US-brokered accords, Israel has established ties with UAE and Bahrain, only the third and fourth Arab nations to normalise relations with the Jewish state after its neighbours Egypt and Jordan.

The accords have been condemned by the Palestinians as they break with years of Arab League policy which has held that there should be no relations with Israel until it makes peace with the Palestinians.

Israel has already signed a raft of deals with both UAE and Bahrain, ranging from tourism to aviation and financial services.

Abu Dhabi Media, whose content includes news and sports, said in a statement it was committed to establishing “strong and solid relationships” with media organisations across the Middle East.