MANAMA, Bahrain, Dec. 28 (UPI) -- Al-Arab News, Saudi billionaire Prince al-Waleed bin Talal's new Arabic-language news network, will be based at headquarters in Manama, Bahrain, officials said.
Manama successfully competed to become host for the network's headquarters beating out Beirut and other major Persian Gulf cities, Gulf News reported Wednesday.
Sheik Fawaz bin Mohammad al-Khalifa, president of Bahrain's Information Affairs Authority, said al-Arab News will broadcast internationally in Arabic and has signed a deal with the U.S. business news service Bloomberg to provide content.
Al-Arab News studios will be located in the new Media City office complex in Manama, Bahrain's capital and largest city, and is to begin broadcasting Dec. 12, 2012, with a staff of about 300 people.
The network plans to cover political, economic and social issues in the Arab world.
Jamal Khashoggi, former editor of al-Watan, an independent newspaper in Saudi Arabia, has been named to head the network, which will compete with Doha-based al-Jazeera and Dubai-based al-Arabiya.
Bahrain officials also said the Arab-language Rotana media network, with 12 entertainment channels, is relocating offices for 100 management staffers to the Media City complex.
