Advertisement

Qatar's BeIN sports network back on air in UAE

The beIN sports television network has the rights to broadcast hugely popular European football leagues across much of the Middle East

Qatar's BeIN sports network was broadcasting again Saturday in the United Arab Emirates, according to subscribers to its channels which have been blocked since the start of a Gulf crisis. "We are again receiving the network of BeIN sports channels, distributed by Du," one of two telecommunications companies in the Emirates, one customer told AFP. Etisalat, a UAE-based telecommunications giant, had also reinstated BeIN sports, according to several subscribers to its channels. Customers were informed of the move in an email from Etisalat. "We would like to advise that starting 22 July 2017 the BeIN package will be available to customers and normal charges will apply," the message said. "The provision of the BeIN package will be subject to an ongoing review." It was unclear what was behind the decision to bring BeIN back on air. BeIN, which has the rights to broadcast hugely popular European football leagues, is a subsidiary of the Qatari satellite network Al-Jazeera. The sports network went offline in the United Arab Emirates last month when a bloc of Arab nations, led by Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia and including the UAE, cut diplomatic ties with Qatar. The bloc accused Qatar of backing extremism and fostering ties with their Shiite rival Iran. The gas-rich emirate denies the allegations.