Sky News Arabia host ignites fury over Gaza vs Abu Dhabi comparison

Nadim Koteich, host of Sky News Arabia's show "Tonight with Nadim," is facing public backlash following his callous remarks that appear to downplay the enormous hardships endured by the besieged Palestinians in Gaza while highlighting the economic successes of Abu Dhabi.

Following a segment aired by Sky News Arabia on Monday, Koteich drew sharp criticism for seemingly presenting an insensitive choice between supporting Gaza's struggles or embracing the economic prosperity seen in the UAE capital Abu Dhabi.

Koteich, in his remarks, argued there are two Middle Easts — one on the brink of famine where the "biggest dream is a loaf of bread" and another "three hours away by plane, in Abu Dhabi" where he said deals worth more than $100 billion were announced in the areas of artificial intelligence [AI] and semiconductors.

"Saudi Arabia is also three hours away by plane from Gaza. It will also invest $40 billion in AI," the presenter said.

Koteich's comments sparked immediate outcry, with viewers and social media users expressing disapproval over what they perceived as a callous and disrespectful comparison.

One X user, Ahmad Mas, lamented what he saw as a decline in media morality and intellectual depth.

"Three hours are enough to reveal the extent of moral decay and ethical vacuity among figures like Nadim Koteich," Mas remarked.

Ahmed Abass questioned the moral integrity of prioritising investments in artificial intelligence [AI] while turning a blind eye to the humanitarian crisis just hours away.

"Why invest billions in AI while a famine looms in our backyard?" Abass queried.

Rachid Gholam condemned Koteich's comments as "villainy in its most despicable manifestation," emphasising the importance of upholding principles of honour and dignity.

Koteich's commentary, which highlighted Abu Dhabi's substantial investments in AI and Saudi Arabia's parallel endeavours, drew further criticism across social media platforms.

Many questioned the moral compass guiding such priorities and the validity of the comparison.

Nada Ourir's reflection encapsulated the prevailing sentiment: "Shame on us for prioritising artificial intelligence over addressing the dire plight of our brethren in Gaza. True goodness is measured by our actions in times of adversity."

Others, challenged the logic of Koteich's argument, questioning whether Abu Dhabi's economic feats could have been achieved under the oppressive weight of decades-long occupation.

Koteich's remarks amid genocide accusations

Koteich is a Lebanese-Emirati and also works as general manager at Sky News Arabia. He is based in Abu Dhabi and is known for promoting Arab recognition of Israeli occupation of Palestine.

Koteich remarks have come at a time when Israel is being accused of carrying out genocide in Gaza.

Tel Aviv has waged a deadly military invasion on the Palestinian enclave since the Hamas blitz of October 7, killing more than 32,000 Palestinians, 70 percent of them women and children, and wounding 75,000 others amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

The Israeli war has pushed 85 percent of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60 percent of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.​​​​​​​

In occupied West Bank as well, violence by Israeli troops and illegal Zionist settlers since October 7 has claimed the lives of more than 450 Palestinians.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

On Monday, a leading UN rights expert said there were "reasonable grounds" to determine that Israel has committed several acts of "genocide" in its war in Gaza, also evoking "ethnic cleansing".

Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on the rights situation in the Palestinian territories, said there were clear indications that Israel had violated three of the five acts listed under the UN Genocide Convention.

Also on Monday, the UN Security Council for the first time demanded an "immediate ceasefire for the month of Ramadan respected by all parties leading to a lasting sustainable ceasefire."