Sky News Arabia slammed online for 'legitimising' UAE-backed Yemen secessionists

Social media users have criticised the UAE-funded Sky News Arabia channel, accusing it of “blatant promotion” and “legitimisation” of paramilitary forces accused of destabilising Yemen and Sudan.

The UAE, which owns 50 percent of Sky News Arabia through International Media Investments (IMI), backs Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and Yemen’s Southern Transitional Council (STC), both of which face allegations of human rights abuses.

The RSF has been implicated in mass killings and widespread abuses since the war in Sudan began in 2023, some of which were documented by its own fighters and later corroborated by satellite imagery.

The STC, which seized large parts of southern Yemen ahead of a planned referendum on independence from the north, has also faced accusations of human rights violations.

Sky News Arabia came under renewed scrutiny after critics accused it of acting as a “propagandist” for the two groups.

In a post on X directed at David Rhodes, executive chairman of UK-based Sky News Group, Saudi Arabian political researcher Salman al-Ansari called for an investigation into the channel acting as a "propagandist".

"Its coverage has repeatedly obscured, minimized, or ignored well documented crimes, including massacres, looting, and widespread sexual violence, committed by these militias," he said, adding that it has "actively supported and legitimised" the UAE-backed groups. 

Ansari said such coverage "stands in stark contrast to the journalistic integrity traditionally associated with the Sky News network", accusing its Arabic-language broadcaster of continuing to "shield and blatantly promote" the forces. 

Yes, Sky News Arabia works on covering acts of violence and encourages violence and the commission of crimes against civilians, in a clear violation of the standards of professional journalistic practice.

We request an investigation and a review of its coverage in Yemen, as it…

— عصام بلغيث Esam Balghaith (@esambalghaith) January 2, 2026

Others echoed the criticism.

Yemeni journalist Yaser al-Hasani warned that what he described as Sky News Arabia’s “media manipulation” risked damaging the wider network’s reputation.

"It is crucial for media outlets to uphold their responsibility in conveying the truth and documenting human rights violations, rather than justifying crimes and distorting facts," Hasani said. 

Taha Saleh, a journalist from Taiz, southwestern Yemen, said he worked for the channel for five years but said it failed to meet international journalistic standards.

"The channel was not working or respecting the international journalistic standards followed by Sky News," he said.

He said their coverage "worsened" since he left, becoming a platform to "spread rumours and false and incorrect news".

Indeed, anyone following the channel can see the extent to which it aligns with the criminal actions of the militias that kill civilians in Yemen and Sudan. This channel has become a stain of disgrace on the forehead of honest journalism. pic.twitter.com/gQLIG8V55X

— أحمد | 🇸🇦AL MUBARAKI (@AALMUBARAKI1_) January 2, 2026

Some users said they were considering cancelling subscriptions to other Sky News outlets.

Others, however, questioned the backlash.

Somaliland newspaper owner Yusuf Gabobe said some of the criticism was hypocritical.

"The same voices screaming about bias at Sky News have never uttered a single word about the blatant impartiality and outright propaganda pushed by their favored outlets," Gabobe said. 

"Selective outrage isn’t media criticism. It’s political obedience, and rank dishonesty." 

Past controversies

Sky News Arabia is not new to accusations of biased coverage.

In November, the channel sparked controversy after sending a reporter to Sudan’s el-Fasher, where she met an RSF officer accused of inciting sexual violence against Sudanese women.

The reporter, Tsabih Mubarak, was in the capital of North Darfur to report on the RSF’s capture of the city, amid the group’s war with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) since April 2023.

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Mubarak posted pictures and videos on her social media accounts, meeting with women and children in the city.

In one video, she is seen smiling, gesturing a thumbs-up and recording a selfie video with a female RSF officer identified online as Shiraz Khalid. Mubarak tells her: “This is our country; we are with you.”

A viral video showed the same RSF officer stating that the paramilitary group would move from el-Fasher to other major cities and regions in Sudan under army control, including Omdurman, Port Sudan and the Northern State. 

“The Northern State! It's something else. You will all head there only for the women, to cleanse their lineage,” the RSF officer said. 

Mubarak's presence in el-Fasher has been heavily criticised by Sudanese figures and social media users. 

"Sky News Arabia runs cover for the RSF militia as it slaughters Sudanese civilians," said Ammar Mahmoud, Sudan's representative to the United Nations. "The ICC [International Criminal Court] should take note."