What is The National News?: The National News is an English-language daily newspaper based in Abu Dhabi, UAE, founded in 2008 and owned by International Media Investments (IMI), a state-linked Abu Dhabi media group. It covers the Middle East and international affairs for a Gulf and global readership.Source: The National
What did Iran's foreign minister tell The National about the war?: Abbas Araghchi told The National that Iran does not believe in a Ceasefire and wants the war ended on all fronts. Conditions include the US halting attacks, pledging never to repeat them, withdrawing all bases from the region, and paying reparations. Araghchi denied any contact with Washington.Source: The National
Who owns The National newspaper in Abu Dhabi?: The National is owned by International Media Investments (IMI), a media holding group established by Abu Dhabi decree. IMI is state-linked, though the paper operates with editorial independence on international coverage.Source: The National
What is the difference between The National and Al Jazeera?: The National is an Abu Dhabi-based English-language newspaper owned by a UAE state-linked group, focused on the Gulf and international affairs. Al Jazeera is a Qatar-based broadcaster with Arabic and English services and a broader Arab-world editorial focus. Both are Gulf state-linked but represent different governments and editorial positions.Source: The National
Did The National report on al-Aqsa being closed at Eid 2026?: Yes. The National was the primary cited source for the account that Israeli authorities barred Muslim worshippers from al-Aqsa during Eid al-Fitr in 2026, describing it as the first such closure since 1967. Israeli police used tear gas and stun grenades against hundreds of worshippers.Source: The National

Background

The National News is an Abu Dhabi-based English-language daily founded in 2008, owned by International Media Investments (IMI), a media group established by Abu Dhabi government decree. It serves an international readership across the Gulf and beyond, positioned as the English-language paper of record for the Arabian Peninsula. State ownership via IMI is editorially load-bearing for any reader assessing its sourcing: the outlet operates with evident editorial independence on many stories, but its institutional relationship to Abu Dhabi government positions it within UAE Foreign Policy constraints.

In the Iran-US conflict, The National secured an exclusive interview with Abbas Araghchi, Iran's Foreign Minister, setting out Tehran's war conditions: a US halt to strikes, full regional military withdrawal, and reparations. Araghchi denied any back-channel contact with Washington. The National also reported Brent Crude settling at $105.30 on 25 April with an 18% weekly gain — figures that appeared in update #79 as the primary Brent citation.

The outlet's access to senior Iranian officials reflects the UAE's diplomatic dual-track: Abu Dhabi maintains ties with Tehran while remaining inside the Gulf security architecture aligned with Washington. That structural position gives The National interviews Western outlets cannot obtain, published in English for a transatlantic audience. Readers should weight the outlet's Iran war reporting with awareness that Abu Dhabi has specific exposure: UAE territory absorbed an estimated 83% of Iranian strikes in the early weeks of the conflict, giving Abu Dhabi a material interest in the shape of any settlement.

Source Material

The National News The National (Abu Dhabi)