Al Majaz launch of Al Jazeera mobile service in assosiation with Etisalat

Al Jazeera Mobile was successfully launched at GITEX 2003, the annual exhibition held at the Dubai World Trade Center. The UAE is the second country to benefit from this service after its initial launch in Qatar earlier this month.

Available through SMS and utilising latest speech recognition Voice Portal facility, 'the service will provide subscribers with breaking news and political, business and sports updates, ensuring they are kept informed at all time about recent developments regionally and globally', said Mr. Ali Kamal, Marketing Director of AlJazeera at a press conference held to announce the launch of this path-breaking service. 'We are happy to enter into this strategic partnership with Al Majaz and Etisalat', Kamal added.

As the number one in the Middle East in mobile and land phone penetration, the UAE has a major market for the AlJazeera Mobile, charging a nominal fee for the latest and most comprehensive news coverage. The service is available for a monthly fee. In addition to the monthly subscription services, GSM subscribers can also 'PULL' the latest headlines, as and when they want, for a minimal fee. More spectacularly, subscribers can have the news read to them from the news services at Al Jazeera.net via the Voice Portal service for the same monthly subscription, though the process will differ from post to pre-paid customers.

After Qatar and the UAE, the service will shortly be extended to other countries in the Middle East and North Africa region, with a plan to cover mobile service networks worldwide.

'With its mobile service, Al Jazeera Channel has moved into the Third Generation Mobile Services', said Mr. Abd Al Aziz Al Mahmood, Chief Editor of AlJazeera.net, the online news platform of the Channel. Considering the outstanding achievements of Al Jazeera and its online service, Mr. Al Mahmood said the SMS-based news service would serve the Arab world in catering to its specific interests.

Al Jazeera, which launched its Arabic online news platform almost three years ago, have recently re-launched its online English language version both enjoying a combined average monthly rate of 20 million visitors and is today among the world's leading news portals.

'The news coverage of Al Jazeera in the post September 11 attacks and the wars in Afghanistan and more recently Iraq, besides the continuing conflict in Palestine, has re-asserted Al Jazeera position globally as a credible alternative source of news and information pertaining to Middle East issues, monitored by major news organizations, academics and observers alike', Mr Al Mahmood said.

Mr. Mohamed El Obaidly, Chief Executive Officer, of Al Majaz Telecommunications Company, said that the unprecedented strategic cooperation on the Al Jazeera Mobile constitutes a crucial point in harnessing the cutting edge of technological developments in the Arab region.

Mr. Obaidly pointed out that Al Majaz is currently engaged in establishing a specialized company based on international standards to provide the most advanced information technology services on mobile telephones. Its joint project with the satellite Channel, Al Jazeera Mobile, will initiate its activities following a six month joint-work period.

'It is our pleasure to provide Al Jazeera and Al Majaz group with the latest and most innovative Speech Recognition Applications that will make this service very user friendly for the consumer market' said Mr. Sassine Mazraani, Managing Director, Emerging Technologies.