The BBC has been accused of creating “propaganda films” for Saudi Arabia, the state behind the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, DeSmog and The Guardian can reveal.

The broadcaster has accepted money to produce a series of “glossy” films on behalf of the country’s sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund (PIF), which is controlled by Saudi ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS).

The content was made by BBC StoryWorks, a studio that produces videos, podcasts, and articles paid for by commercial clients, which it publishes on BBC channels outside the UK. 

BBC StoryWorks boasts on its website that it leverages the reputation of the BBC – “our century-long pedigree as the world’s most trusted storytellers” – to create content for corporations.

However, critics have slammed the broadcaster for “bolstering the reputation” of a regime that is a “proven killer of journalists”.

A version of this article has been published by The Guardian.

“The BBC’s existence depends on its reputation as an unbiased and reliable news outlet that is beholden to no one, and pursues the truth without fear or favour,” said Patrick Howse, the BBC’s former Baghdad bureau chief. “The airing of glossy propaganda films at major junctions seriously undermines that.”

The BBC-produced content sells Saudi Arabia as “a country redefining itself in a bold new era” through PIF’s “truly inspiring” investments, including in clean energy and environmental protection.

In October 2018, Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a critic of Saudi Arabia’s government, was murdered in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. A report by United Nations special rapporteur Agnes Callamard in June 2019 concluded that the Saudi Arabian state was responsible, while U.S. intelligence agencies stated that Mohammed bin Salman had personally ordered the killing – a claim the Saudi ruler has denied.

According to Human Rights Watch, a PIF-controlled airline owned the two planes used by Saudi agents to travel to Istanbul before they murdered Khashoggi.

“There can be no moral justification for any part of the BBC to create promotional content for the Saudi regime,” said Mic Wright, author of Breaking: How the Media Works, When it Doesn’t and Why it Matters. “It is a country that has shown itself to be opposed – fatally so – to the principles of free and honest journalism. It is absolutely disgusting to see the corporation’s commercial arm taking money from a regime that is a proven killer of journalists.”

PIF – a trillion-dollar investment vehicle – has also been accused of committing “serious human rights violations”, including forcibly evicting residents and razing neighbourhoods to pave the way for PIF projects, mistreating migrant workers, and silencing dissent.

This includes allegations that Saudi Arabia permitted the use of lethal force to clear land for PIF’s “Neom” project – as revealed by the BBC.

However, BBC StoryWorks has failed to acknowledge these facts when producing content for PIF – stating that Neom could “propel the Kingdom ahead in the future” and that it is “reshaping and catalysing numerous industries.”

The BBC films also promote the green credentials of Saudi Arabia, a petrostate reliant on fossil fuels for roughly 40 percent of its economic output. They feature PIF project employees boasting of hiring “people who are passionate and knowledgeable about the environment”.

The content also accurately states that “The world is facing the challenge of a fast transition from fossil fuels to reliable, affordable and clean energy alternatives,” yet neglects to mention that Saudi’s state oil company Aramco plans to increase its gas output by 80 percent by 2030 and is estimated to be responsible for more than 4 percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions since 1965.

“PIF investments are an important tool of Saudi soft power and influence, and are used to whitewash Saudi government abuses,” said Joey Shea of Human Rights Watch.

“Through its investments, the PIF seeks to garner uncritical foreign support for MBS’s agenda, spread disinformation about the country’s rights record, neutralise scrutiny, silence critics, and undermine institutions seeking transparency and accountability.

“Businesses should refrain from activities that would bolster the reputation of government entities or officials recently and credibly accused of serious abuses.”

A BBC Studios spokesperson said: “BBC News maintains clear separation between its commercial and editorial departments and our journalists continue to report rigorously, impartially and without fear or favour on all issues, with no consideration of wider commercial relationships.”

PIF was approached for comment.

Petrostates and Polluters

BBC StoryWorks content appears outside the UK on the BBC website – the most viewed news platform in the world – and on its non-UK broadcast channels, with a disclaimer that it has been paid for by an external organisation.

BBC Commercial – which includes StoryWorks – generated £2.2 billion for the broadcaster in 2024/25, a 20 percent increase on the previous year. The BBC has been looking for new sources of funding as the number of people paying the licence fee dwindles.

Over recent years, BBC StoryWorks has regularly produced content for major polluters and some of the world’s leading fossil fuel states, many of which have a poor record on human rights and press freedom. 

This has included the United Arab Emirates (UAE) – a petrostate that, like Saudi Arabia, continues to arrest and imprison those who speak out against its monarchic rulers. Both Saudi Arabia and the UAE have long been known for their oppression of women. Although some restrictions – such as on the right of women to drive – have been lifted in Saudi Arabia, the male guardianship system is still in place and has faced serious criticism from human rights groups.

“Saudi Arabia is pouring billions into cultural and entertainment projects to polish its global image, but its human rights record remains deeply alarming. These glossy ventures risk distracting from ongoing abuses inside the Kingdom,” said Felix Jakens, Amnesty International UK’s head of campaigns.

“Reports that PIF may help finance the BBC raise serious concerns about the risk of soft-power influence and perceived conflicts of interest. Even the appearance of financial ties to governments with troubling human rights records risks undermining its credibility and opening the door to reputational pressure.

“The BBC’s credibility depends on reporting without fear or favour. That trust cannot be for sale, and it must not be compromised by any investment that risks rewriting a human rights record.”

BBC StoryWorks has also worked for other repressive regimes, including China. Deadline reported in December 2022 that BBC StoryWorks had partnered with at least nine Chinese state-affiliated bodies, including a media outlet banned from broadcasting in the UK. 

Critics say that BBC StoryWorks is using the broadcaster’s reputation to make money from commercial content that often flouts its editorial values.

“The BBC is an extremely well-recognised and trusted brand, but close association with repressive regimes endangers that,” Howse said. “The BBC is a huge asset to the UK, and it needs to be properly funded, so that it is not reliant on advertising money from countries that have no regard for democratic values or for the protection of the environment.”

An investigation by DeSmog and Drilled previously revealed that many of the world’s most trusted English-language news outlets regularly promote the fossil fuel industry’s narratives on climate-related topics. Bloomberg, The Economist, the Financial Times, the New York Times, Politico, Reuters, and the Washington Post all have internal commercial studios that have created advertising content for fossil fuel firms.