CNN opens new operation in Qatar’s Media City

The presence in Qatar will add to CNN’s existing Middle East programming and newsgathering hubs: its regional headquarters in Abu Dhabi, home to Connect the World with Becky Anderson; Dubai, the base for CNN Arabic; and CNN’s bureaus across the region.

The new CNN operation is based in Media City Qatar, which has emerged as a leading hub for media and technology companies, and will go live in the second half of 2025. 

Its focus will be the development of multi-platform content. A team of CNN content creators will be publishing on digital and social platforms and producing a new weekly show for CNN International.

CNN said the expansion would provide it with additional resources in the Gulf and Middle East at a time when the region is central to the global news agenda.

“CNN has a deep commitment to editorial coverage of the Middle East,” said Mike McCarthy, Executive Vice President & Managing Editor of CNN Worldwide. “Whether by adding to our ability to report from the region, providing new, cutting-edge studio facilities, or allowing us to tell a wider range of stories from here in new ways, including via a brand new weekly show, this new operation in Qatar both underscores and expands that commitment.”