To counter piracy and protect intellectual property rights, the UAE National Media Council (NMC) commended the Saudi frequent, effective measures, and affirmed its rejection of any kind of piracy or illegal broadcast that breaches national laws and regulations.

In a statement announced on Thursday, the NMC condemned Qatar’s attempts to involve beIN Sports into politics, and targeted Saudi Arabia and a number of Arab countries.

"The NMC appreciates relentless efforts being exerted by the Saudi Ministry of Media in fighting media piracy by a pirate entity named ‘beoutQ’, as part of Saudi government's commitment to protecting IP rights," said the statement said.

The statement also censured Qatar’s attempts to drag the kingdom into this issue, saying "Qatar is trying to cover its clear technical failure of protecting its sports channels against piracy."