BBC World Service appoints ASDA'A for the Arab world

Notes and media contacts

For further information, please contact:
Ma'moon Sbeih/Fakher Daghestani
ASDA'A Public Relations
Exclusive Edelman affiliate
Dubai, UAE- Tel: +971-4-3344550; Fax: +971-4-3344556

About BBC World Service

The BBC World Service's global audience in 2005 is 149 million per week

Monthly page impressions to the BBC's international news site, which include audio and visual content and offer users opportunities to discuss world events, is 350 million. This equates to over 20 million monthly unique users.

BBC World Service is funded through Grant-in-Aid from the UK Government. The grant for 2005/6 is £239 million. BBC World Service is an international radio and online broadcaster delivering programmes and services in more than 40 languages.

It uses multiple platforms to reach 149 million listeners globally, including Short Wave, AM, FM, digital satellite and cable channels.

It has more than 2,000 partner radio stations around the world, which take BBC content, and numerous partnerships supplying content to mobile phones.

BBC World, the BBC's commercially funded English language international 24-hour news and information channel, is available in over 200 countries and territories and is owned and operated by BBC World Ltd, a member of the BBC's commercial group of companies.

About BBC Arabic Service

Apart from English, the BBC Arabic Service was the first, and therefore the oldest, of the World Service's 42-language service. It was launched on January 1, 1938. It is now the biggest service in terms of staff and budget. It draws its staff from a large number of countries, and has reporters in every Arabic-speaking country. It is a Service, which attracts top commentators and contributors.

Since 2001, it has broadcast 24 hours a day, with a mixture of news, analysis, features and English-language teaching. It is clear from media surveys in the Arab world that the BBC's Arabic radio service is very popular - the leading international station in Arabic. In those countries can be measured, we know that regular listeners exceed 12 million people a week.

However, it faces strong competition from satellite television companies, especially in countries where FM broadcasting is not available to the BBC for its news output such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Syria and North Africa.

The World Service's Arabic Online Service, bbcarabic.com is by far the leading Arabic news site on the web, with its 24 hour news and analysis presence; this was confirmed when the site won two years running the international accolade as 'Best Arabic News Site'. The site attracts around 17 million page impressions each month.

About ASDA'A Public Relations

With 10 wholly owned offices across the Middle East and North Africa and over 150 PR professionals, ASDA'A Public Relations is the region's leading PR firm offering a complete range of cutting-edge consultancy services from reputation management, change management and issues and crisis communications.

Six specialised practice teams in corporate affairs, financial communications, consumer marketing, healthcare, technology and public affairs manage a growing portfolio of local, regional and multinational clients. The portfolio of blue-chip clients include the UAE Ministry of Finance and Industry, Jordan Tourism Board, Department of Economic Development of the Government of Dubai, BBC World Service, EMAAR Properties, National Bank of Kuwait, Dubai Islamic Bank, Dubai International Financial Centre, Dubai Metals and Commodities Centre, General Electric, Microsoft, MTC Vodafone, Samsung Electronics, Johnson & Johnson, DHL, Hilton, Adidas, Computer Associates, US Aid and the World Economic Forum.

ASDA'A Public Relations is part of The Holding Group (THG), the region's biggest communications network comprising advertising leaders TEAM/Young & Rubicam and Intermarkets; direct marketing specialists Wunderman and media buying arm mediaedge:cia.