i24News channel will open a new office in the Dubai Media City free zone to strengthen coverage of the Middle East region. The network will be the first Israel-based media entity to set up in the United Arab Emirates since the signing of the Israel–United Arab Emirates peace agreement in September 2020.

The company’s chief executive Frank Melloul said: “In the past year, we have witnessed regional diplomatic changes that enable business ties and opportunities for partnerships… The establishment of our office in Dubai Media City gives us a strategic platform to expand our coverage of the Middle East right from the heart of the region’s media industry hub.”

Dubai Media City was established in 2000 by the local government to strengthen media operations in the emirate and has now become a hub for broadcast facilities, news outlets, online media and publishing companies.

In December, i24News Channel signed a deal with Abu Dhabi Media for shared reporting and archival content. Additionally, two main Emirati telecom operators, Etisalat and DU, will carry content from i24News, which broadcasts in Arabic, English and French. The company currently has bases in Tel Aviv, Paris and Washington and is part of France-based Altice Media Group, which publishes national newspapers such as L’Express and Libération.