Saudi Arabia allows broadcast by Qatar-based beIN Sports TV

Sports channel back on Saudi screens despite there being no confirmation of network resuming activity in the kingdom.

Saudi Arabian authorities lifted a three-year ban on Qatar-based TV broadcaster beIN Sports in the latest step towards full reconciliation between the two Gulf nations. It was unclear if the ban was officially lifted but several cafes and restaurants in the capital Riyadh were using satellite dishes to show football matches from the English Premier League on beIN Sports channels, witnesses told Reuters news agency. Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Competition said in July 2020 it permanently cancelled beIN’s licence after it was barred from broadcasting in the kingdom in mid-2017 over a bitter dispute with Qatar.