Israeli media mogul Haim Saban is in talks to buy 50 per cent of the Arab television network, Al Jazeera.

Mr Saban, who is originally from Egypt, is worth over $3billion. He made his fortune selling the Power Rangers franchise in the Middle East, and developing the Fox Family television network with Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. He also owns a controlling stake in Israeli telecommunications company Bezeq.

He was rumoured to be interested in a stake in the Qatar-based Al Jazeera as far back as 2004, when he visited Doha with former US president Bill Clinton.

Now an Egyptian newspaper has reported that negotiations between Al Jazeera and Mr Saban have resumed.