BBC Eye Investigations (Arabic)

The BBC World Service’s award-winning Arabic-language investigative documentary team

Do you have a story you think the BBC should investigate and share with a global audience?

Who we are

We are the BBC World Service’s award-winning Arabic-language documentary team, producing fearless and engrossing films and other content for digital platforms and TV.

We make high-impact films that investigate crime and abuse, holding powerful people to account, and exposing the kind of serious wrongdoing that our viewers deserve to know about.

We reach audiences in more than 40 languages and across the Arabic-speaking region. We’re looking for the most compelling stories, those that may contain major new revelations built on evidence that cannot be ignored, or that focus on pressing issues affecting people’s everyday lives, which other media would struggle to tell.

We work on stories that carry global relevance, often collaborating with other parts of the BBC and have received widespread critical acclaim for the innovation and creativity of our films.

Our journalism has impact, makes a difference, and will be seen and heard in multiple languages across BBC platforms.

Recent highlights

The core of our work is investigative. For example: Death in Dubai (موت في دبي), Putin's Foreign Fighters (نحو المجهول: مقاتلو بوتين العرب), Haditha: No Justice, Just Kills (حديثة: قتل بدون عدالة), Syria's Stolen Children (أطفال سوريا المسروقون) and The mystery of Shia cleric Musa al-Sadr (لغز اختفاء موسى الصدر).

We’ve been leaders in applying forensic levels of scrutiny to make new discoveries about crimes and abuses through open source investigative journalism techniques (OSINT) to combat disinformation and make new discoveries about crimes and abuses, such as The Child Cancer Scam (‏استغلال الأطفال مرضى السرطان) and Lebanon’s Deadly Attack (أعنف هجوم في لبنان).

Visit our playlist on the BBC Arabic Documentaries YouTube channel or our global BBC Eye YouTube channel for English-language versions to watch some recent content highlights.

What we’re looking for

We seek unique, unexplored stories that require in-depth investigation, particularly those of significance to the Middle East, the Gulf and North Africa.

We commission investigations, as well as observational, access-based films where that access is both exclusive and revelatory.

Our documentaries should have the potential to make headlines, with real-world impact and the ability to reach audiences around the globe.

We have a particular focus on younger and female audiences and are interested in stories and treatments that will best serve these groups.

We value originality, depth of research and access, and actively seek out strong human stories and narratives.

We are keen to receive ideas from younger journalists, including first-time filmmakers. Before sending us an idea, please consider the following key questions:

Does this story expose serious wrongdoing?
Does this story hold a powerful person or institution to account?
Is this story centred on a new revelation?
Is this story centred on a significant or consequential revelation?
Can we get the visual evidence needed to show the wrongdoing?

What to include in ideas

Provide enough information to demonstrate the potential of your story, including any preliminary evidence, sources, or data that you believe supports your idea. However, detailed in-depth research is not expected at the proposal stage.

If it’s a high-risk story, please flag this and share less rather than more so we can establish a safe way of communicating first.

It's crucial to adhere to high ethical standards in journalism. This includes respecting privacy, avoiding conflicts of interest, ensuring the accuracy of your information, and operating within legal boundaries. Read the BBC Editorial Guidelines to find out more.

Key things to avoid:

Vague or overly broad topics: provide a clear investigative angle or unique access.
Ignoring audience relevance: the story should be primarily for the Arabic-speaking world, but it should also feel accessible for global audiences. Clearly articulate why the story will matter to them.
Lack of originality: highlight what makes the pitch different from what has been published before.

How to send us ideas

Please contact the BBC Eye Investigations team on +447971150045 on Signal (preferred), Telegram or WhatsApp in Arabic or English or by email if you are not investigating any government entity.

First messages should be no longer than 500 words.

We aim to respond to all pitches within four weeks.