Doha, Qatar: Qatar has advanced five spots in the RSF World Press Freedom Index 2025, achieving its third consecutive year of improvement. 

As per the RSF report, Qatar now holds the 79th position globally, its highest ranking to date, and leads the Middle East region, including Israel.

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region continues to be the most perilous area globally for journalists. The destruction of media infrastructure in Gaza by the Israeli army is identified as a significant contributing factor. Every country in the region is categorized as facing a "difficult" or "very serious" press freedom situation, except for Qatar.