Al Jazeera enters the Arabic podcast market with two new shows

Al Jazeera Media Network launches new Arabic Podcast services as the first major mover in the Arabic podcast market. “Al Jazeera Podcasts” aims to be the premier podcast network in the region, offering a range of immersive content for news and current affairs.

Whilst the podcast market in the Arab World is still embryonic, there are major signs for growth potentials. According to a recent study conducted by Northwestern University in Qatar, up to 68% of people over the age of 18 listen to podcasts in some markets across the GCC.

Commenting on the launch, Mohamad Zaoud, Manager of Digital Content Strategy at Al Jazeera said: "Al Jazeera has a major footprint in video across the Arab world, offering news, current affairs and meaningful entertainment. our new Audio product allows audiences to dive deeper into content, and do so more conveniently.”

Zaoud further added that “to make our mark in the podcast industry in the Arab world, we have opted to launch two high-produced shows that are bold and immersive. These two shows are among several others we have in the pipeline.”

“Al Jazeera Podcasts” have begun publishing two shows, with the first titled “Rumooz” published every Sunday. “Rumooz” tells the story of key individuals who have impacted our lives, and tells them in a first-person drama narrative. Season 1 includes people like Steve Jobs, Sadam Hussein and Umm Kulthum.

The second show - "Lahza" – which is published every Wednesday - highlights key milestones in history and interviews people who have contributed to the events, or have been affected by them.

Al Jazeera Podcasts are available on all major podcast apps including Apple Podcast, Google Podcast and Soundcloud. Content is also available on podcast.aljazeera.net. 

About Al Jazeera Digital

Al Jazeera Digital delivers award-winning news reporting via more than 36 distinct digital properties — including AlJazeera.com (English), AlJazeera.net (Arabic), AJ+ (English, Spanish, French & Arabic), Contrast (VR), Jetty (audio) and more. Headquartered in Doha, Qatar, Al Jazeera Digital pioneers new and emerging storytelling techniques to give voice to the voiceless across all digital media formats, with dedicated offerings for desktop, mobile, audio, video, Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality and smart home. With expansive reach, offices, and bureaus across the globe, Al Jazeera Digital ranks among the largest and most diverse global news operations on the planet.