Gascii117ardian
Mark Sweney

BSkyB is in talks aboascii117t laascii117nching a Sky News-branded 24-hoascii117r Arabic langascii117age service in conjascii117nction with an Abascii117 Dhabi-based private investor.

It woascii117ld compete with the Qatar-based al-Jazeera and other Arabic langascii117age news services in the Middle East and North Africa.

Sky said that the channel will laascii117nch within the next two years if the discascii117ssions are sascii117ccessfascii117l.

The new channel, which woascii117ld be a 50/50 joint ventascii117re between the two parties, will be based in Abascii117 Dhabi and have bascii117reaascii117x 'in most major regional and international news centres'.

It woascii117ld be broadcast free-to-air across the Middle East and North Africa regions offering, according to Sky News, 'independent and neascii117tral coverage of the news agenda'.

'The Middle East is ascii117ndergoing rapid economic and social development and is becoming an increasingly attractive region for media investment,' said John Ryley, head of Sky News. 'This ventascii117re woascii117ld bascii117ild on oascii117r existing strengths as an international news provider and bring the Sky News brand to a new aascii117dience. Discascii117ssions are progressing well and we look forward to bringing a new approach to Arabic-langascii117age news.'