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Qatar Advances 5 Positions in Press Freedom Index, Leading the Region

Qatar has made significant progress in promoting press freedom, ranking 79th globally in the 2025 Press Freedom Index, up from 84th last year—a five-place improvement. This advancement positions Qatar at the forefront of Middle Eastern countries in terms of press freedom and journalist protection, reflecting the importance of Qatar's experience in this field and its alignment with international standards.

In the Gulf region, Qatar leads the 2025 Press Freedom Index, followed by Kuwait (128th), Oman (134th), Bahrain (157th), Saudi Arabia (162nd), and the United Arab Emirates (164th).

Reporters Without Borders stated: "The Middle East and North Africa remain the most dangerous regions for journalists, especially amid the ongoing Israeli military actions in Gaza."

The report added: "Except for Qatar (79th), the situation in all other countries in the region ranges from 'difficult' to 'very serious,' with journalism caught between authoritarian repression and ongoing economic instability."

A Leading Position

Qatar has solidified its position on the international map in ensuring freedom of expression and protecting journalists, enabling them to fulfill their noble mission. Qatar has consistently advocated for press and media freedom as a noble endeavor based on conveying facts and ending information monopolies. It has repeatedly emphasized the importance of protecting journalists in conflict zones.

Qatar considers ensuring journalists' safety a priority and a fundamental condition for achieving freedom of expression. Its efforts include assisting in evacuating hundreds of journalists from Afghanistan, hosting the International Conference on the Protection of Journalists in 2012, launching the International Conference on the Protection of Journalists, and the Doha Declaration on the Protection of Journalists in 2016.

Economic Pressure

Under the title "2025 World Press Freedom Index," Anne Bocandé, Editorial Director of Reporters Without Borders, stated: "While physical assaults on journalists are the most visible violations of press freedom, economic pressure is also a major and more insidious problem. The economic indicator in the 2025 Press Freedom Index is at its lowest point ever, reaching a critical level, with a continued decline in 2025."

She added: "In a time when press freedom is declining alarmingly in many parts of the world, a major factor—often underestimated—is severely weakening the media: economic pressure. Much of this is due to ownership concentration, pressure from advertisers and financial backers, and restricted or opaque public aid. Data from the economic indicator clearly shows that news media today are caught between maintaining editorial independence and ensuring economic survival."

She emphasized that guaranteeing freedom, independence, and plurality in today's media landscape requires stable and transparent financial conditions. Without economic independence, there can be no free press. When media outlets face financial distress, they may compromise on report quality to attract audiences and become vulnerable to oligarchs and public authorities seeking to exploit them. Impoverished journalists lose the ability to resist enemies of the press—those who promote misinformation and propaganda.

She concluded: "The media economy must urgently be restored to a state that encourages journalism and ensures the production of reliable information, which is inherently costly. Solutions exist and must be widely implemented. Financial independence of media is essential to guarantee free and reliable information serving the public interest."