Critics say films lauding country’s attitude to women and green credentials could damage corporation’s reputation
The BBC has been accused of making “glossy propaganda films” for Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund and taking money from a “repressive regime”.
BBC Storyworks, the corporation’s commercial arm, has entered into a partnership with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF). The broadcaster has made a series of films and written articles lauding the country’s supposedly progressive attitude to women and eco-friendly credentials. These are hosted on a mini-site that carried BBC branding.
Some have suggested it is inappropriate for the BBC to be taking money from the Saudi government, after the 2018 murder of the US-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.
The BBC has been looking for other sources of funding as the number of people paying the licence fee dwindles. Last year’s annual report revealed 23.8m licences were in force at the end of the year, down from 24.1m in 2023-24. The drop means a loss of about £50m in revenue for the corporation.
