New Research and Studies Unit exploring Middle East issues launched by Arab News Newspaper

New department will commission papers and host expert debates and policy briefings by high-level officials 

The Arab News, the Middle East’s leading English-language daily, has announced the establishment of a new Research and Studies Unit (RSU) that will provide information on thought-provoking studies on a number of regional issues.

Based at the newspaper’s headquarters in Riyadh, the new unit will deliver thought-provoking studies written by a team of acclaimed resident and non-resident experts on a number of regional affairs. It will also arrange several by-invitation-only roundtable discussions and policy briefings by high-ranking officials. The RSU will also manage Deep Dive, the newspaper’s research-based, long-form journalism department.  

In addition, the newly formed unit will be responsible for the exclusive regional media partnership that the newspaper has established with globally acclaimed online polling firm YouGov. 

Since their inauguration in 2016, Arab News / YouGov polls have helped shed light on regional sentiment toward international events, as well as produce credible research on international opinion on Arab affairs. Some of the most recent polls include “Mosque and State: How Arabs See the Future”, “How US Views the Qatar Crisis”, “How Brits View the Arab World” and “How Arabs View Japan.”

Arab News Editor-in-Chief Faisal J. Abbas said: “Quoted by a large number of media outlets, academic institutions and foreign diplomats, our exclusive YouGov polls have become a staple of the quality, credible content Arab News produces to help get the Middle East better explained.” 

He added: “Our new Research and Studies Unit will manage our YouGov partnership and ensure we produce more of these valuable polls more frequently. In addition, the unit will also be commissioning independent research papers on various issues, and host experts for talks on the topics of the hour, be it over video conferencing or in person at our Riyadh headquarters whenever COVID-19 travel restrictions are removed. 

“Despite living in a region of the world rich in natural resources, we suffer from scarcity when it comes to reliable data and research that help decision makers and business executives form informed views. This is the gap we hope to fill with this unit.”

The RSU’s website is now live and can be visited at www.arabnews.com/Research. Its next big study will be published on Oct. 26, and will be titled “US Elections 2020: What Do Arabs Want?” It will be accompanied by a high-level panel discussion in the US hosted via Zoom on Oct. 30. 

Founded in 1975, Arab News has established itself as the newspaper of record of Saudi Arabia and the Middle East. It offers regional news and views via its multiplatform, multilingual network that includes a print edition, its main English website and its Pakistan, Japan and French digital editions.