BBC Arabic news available to newspaper websites for the first time through Al Bawaba’s SyndiGate service

11 January 2010, London: BBC Arabic has signed a milestone agreement with Al Bawaba to distribute news via Al Bawaba’s SyndiGate service – the first time BBC Arabic news services have been available for syndication to newspapers.

BBC Arabic news and information will now be available to subscribing newspapers across the Middle East and North Africa for publishing on their respective websites.

BBC Arabic is the BBC’s integrated news and information service for the Arab world. Available on air and on demand 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the service is accessible on television, online and on mobile phones, PDAs and other wireless handheld devices.

Hosam El Sokkari, Head of BBC Arabic Network said: “We are always on the lookout for partners that can bring BBC Arabic closer to audiences in the Arab world. Publishing our content on newspaper websites across the region will complement the range of offers we have on our 24x7 services for TV, radio and online as well as our digital services. This is a mutually beneficial arrangement will give audiences the opportunity to link directly to BBC Arabic from each story ”

Mark Gatty Saunt, Content Sales Director at Al Bawaba commented, “Al Bawaba is extremely proud to be associated with BBC Arabic and to be able to distribute BBC Arabic news to third parties via our SyndiGate service.”

The agreement will see Al Bawaba provide subscribers with the complete BBC Arabic news service, twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. Subscribers will be able to publish full text BBC Arabic stories on their newspaper websites to complement their staff generated news.

Newspapers interested in subscribing to the BBC Arabic news service should contact: Mark Gatty Saunt, Content Sales Director, Al Bawaba, at or on +971 50 8405686 (Dubai, UAE)

Note to Editors:

About Al Bawaba: Al Bawaba, formed in 2000, is a network of advertiser friendly Middle East focused websites, which collectively attract in excess of 6 million visitors per month. Through its SyndiGate product (www.syndigate.info), Al Bawaba supplies custom content feeds and licensed content from 300+ publications to world respected news organizations, content syndicates, wireless companies, websites, intranets, print publications, broadcasters, subscription database companies, major corporations, world-wide organizations and governments.

About BBC Arabic: BBC Arabic is the BBC’s integrated news and information service for the Arab world. It is available on air and on demand 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It is designed to reach audiences on radio, television, the internet (www.bbc.com), mobile phones and handheld computers in whatever way best suits the audience. BBC Arabic is both the largest and the oldest of the BBC’s non-English language services. Launched in 1938, it has evolved into the Arab world’s leading international broadcaster, covering the political, social and cultural issues that matter to its diverse audiences in the Arab world and across the world. With its new 24/7 TV presence, BBC Arabic is bringing the world to Arab audiences – reporting the news wherever it leads. The latest news from BBC Arabic is now available on mobile phones, PDAs and other wireless handheld devices. BBC Arabic breaking news alerts are also offered via mobile operators as a subscription service in Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Yemen and the Palestinian Territories.