UAE Football Commentators Resign From Qatar-Based BeIN Sports

Two of the UAE’s top football commentators "have left regional broadcaster beIN Sports," according to Kyle Sinclair of THE NATIONAL. Faris Awad and Ali Saeed Al Kaabi "resigned from the Qatar-based sports channels on Saturday." Awad "thanked supporters and staff on Twitter." He indicated that "he would continue to work with Dubai Sports." It is "unclear if the resignations relate to current diplomatic tensions between the UAE and Qatar" (THE NATIONAL, 3/9). AL JAZEERA reported Awad and Al Kaabi "resigned from the channel under pressure from their government." The news comes as media reports said that the UAE and Saudi Arabia "had called on their nationals working for Qatari media outlets to resign." The Saudi Ministry of Culture & Information reportedly "asked Saudi columnists to stop writing for Qatari newspapers, but there were no further reports of pressure for Saudi nationals who work in Qatar to quit." At least five Saudi journalists "are continuing their work as usual in beIN Sports" (AL JAZEERA, 3/9).