Ofcom finds UAE-backed Telegraph bid would have threatened free press as Abu Dhabi rejects verdict

Ofcom has concluded that RedBird IMI's attempted takeover of the Telegraph would have operated against the public interest by undermining free expression, with the regulator finding the UAE had "clear incentives" to influence the paper's coverage. The reports, by both Ofcom and the Competition and Markets Authority, were published by Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy after a two-and-a-half year delay. RedBird IMI is majority-owned by Abu Dhabi's International Media Investments, a fund controlled by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The findings add diplomatic strain to an already tense UK-UAE relationship following Manchester City's Premier League spending rules conviction.

IMI shot back, accusing Ofcom of ignoring its actual track record and reaching its verdict 'before the evidence was examined.'

The bid collapsed after a 2024 government ban on foreign state ownership of British newspapers, with Axel Springer subsequently acquiring the Telegraph.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham faces scrutiny over his ties to Manchester City's Abu Dhabi owners, who reportedly backed regeneration projects during his time as Greater Manchester mayor.