Dubai Media Incorporated (DMI) is the principal state-run media conglomerate of the Dubai Government. Established in 2003, the group manages a wide portfolio of media assets including television channels (Dubai TV, Sama Dubai, Dubai One), newspapers (Al Bayan, Emarat Al Youm), radio stations (Noor Dubai Radio, Dubai FM), and the online news platform Emirates 24/7. These outlets serve both Arabic- and English-speaking audiences across the UAE and the wider region.
Media assets
Television: Dubai TV, Sama Dubai, Dubai One, Dubai Sports, Dubai Racing
Radio: Noor Dubai, Radio Dubai
Publishing: Al Bayan, Emarat Al Youm
Online: Emirates 247
State Media Matrix Typology
Captured Public/State-Managed (CaPu)
Ownership and governance
DMI is wholly owned by the Government of Dubai. Prior to its formal incorporation in 2003, its media operations were managed directly under the government’s media department. As per official decrees, the government appoints the company’s top leadership. In August 2022, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum issued Decree No. (11), appointing Sheikh Hasher Bin Maktoum Bin Juma Al Maktoum as Chairman of the Board and Mohammed Sulaiman Al Mulla as Chief Executive Officer.
Source of funding and budget
While DMI’s exact financial statements remain undisclosed, multiple journalists and analysts familiar with the UAE media landscape interviewed in March 2024 and May 2025 confirmed that the group operates through a mixed funding model. Advertising and commercial partnerships provide a significant share of DMI’s income, while the Dubai Government supplies supplementary funding. However, this subsidy is estimated to represent less than half of the group’s overall annual budget, allowing DMI a degree of operational flexibility while maintaining strategic alignment with state interests.
Editorial independence
Although there are no publicly available editorial statutes or explicit governmental censorship protocols formally imposed on DMI’s outlets, editorial control is exercised indirectly. The government’s influence is channelled through its hand-picked top management, many of whom are longstanding insiders and political loyalists. As a result, the editorial line across DMI’s platforms consistently aligns with government narratives, steering clear of critical or investigative coverage of UAE authorities.
On occasion, DMI outlets have pursued human interest stories and regional reporting that appear bold by local standards. However, such efforts tend to fall well within the parameters of permissible discourse, avoiding any substantive challenge to state policy or leadership.
No domestic law or independent body currently exists to safeguard or verify the editorial autonomy of DMI’s media. Consequently, the group is widely perceived by media freedom advocates as an arm of the state, serving to reinforce the official image of the emirate both at home and abroad.
July 2025