Al Arabiya prevails in Saudi Arabia

The report revealed the Dubai-based broadcaster as the prime source of news and information with most Saudis tuning in to Al Arabiya than any other source. The report found Al Arabiya enjoying nearly 24% audience reach during primetime, with a 1.4% lead over its closest competitor, the Qatari-owned Al Jazeera.

The results are significant because it reflects the extent to which Al Arabiya has come since its inception three years ago - in this short period, the Dubai based news channel has risen to the top in the region's largest market.

"The figures speak for themselves. They are indicative of the clear trend developing in the Arab news media scene. We are certainly elated at such achievements in a relatively short time, especially as the latest results come on the heels of yet another set of research that places Al Arabiya in pole position in Iraq, far ahead of its main competitor in the news category," says Jihad Ballout, Al Arabiya's Director of Corporate Communications. Ballout adds: "These figures are validation of our commitment to objective and professional journalism in a responsible manner, be it news gathering and dissemination or providing documentaries or analysis. It is also a response to public demand for journalism with sense rather than sensationalism".

This comes in the wake of recent research results conducted by Ipsos-Stat (May-June 2005) establishing Al Arabiya as the most watched satellite news station in Iraq.

Moreover, a separate study confirms Al Arabiya is in prime position as the region's news provider. Results from Internet-traffic reports by Amazon-owned Alexa show AlArabiya.net up 19% points, suggesting the news channel is a fierce competitor in cyber space as well.