Al-Arabiya TV chief resigns
AFP
DUBAI- Abdul Rahman al-Rashid, the director general of Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya television known for his liberal views, has resigned, a member of the channel's editorial management told AFP on Wednesday.
"Rashid announced at Wednesday's editorial meeting that he had submitted his resignation to the chairman of MBC group, Sheikh Walid al-Ibrahim, who will have the last say," the source said on condition of anonymity.
Dubai-based Al-Arabiya, part of Middle East Broadcasting Corp, is a prominent Arab news channel and the main rival of Qatar's Al-Jazeera.
The exact reasons for Rashid's resignation were not clear.
Journalistic circles said it might be linked to his regular liberal-oriented columns in the London-based Saudi daily Asharq al-Awsat, which were discontinued in the past few days.
During the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, Al-Arabiya also aired a series of documentaries on the relations between Islam and the West which included criticism of the ultra-conservative Saudi form of Islam known as Wahhabism.
Launched in 2003, Al-Arabiya stole some of the limelight from Al-Jazeera.
Both channels are backed by wealthy Gulf monarchies and are engaged in a fierce battle over Arab audiences, in a region marked by numerous conflicts and a rise in Islamic fundamentalism.
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The exact reasons for Rashid's resignation were not clear.
Journalistic circles said it might be linked to his regular liberal-oriented columns in the London-based Saudi daily Asharq al-Awsat, which were discontinued in the past few days.
During the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, Al-Arabiya also aired a series of documentaries on the relations between Islam and the West which included criticism of the ultra-conservative Saudi form of Islam known as Wahhabism.
Launched in 2003, Al-Arabiya stole some of the limelight from Al-Jazeera.
Both channels are backed by wealthy Gulf monarchies and are engaged in a fierce battle over Arab audiences, in a region marked by numerous conflicts and a rise in Islamic fundamentalism.
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