BBC World Service: Arabic
(asked on 22nd January 2025) - View Source
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to support the BBC World Service to reopen their Arabic language provision.
Answered by
Baroness Chapman of Darlington
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The BBC Arabic language service continues to operate. Through its digital and TV services it reaches an audience of 35 million across the Middle East and North Africa. The emergency radio service for Gaza reaches approximately 700,000 people a week.
The BBC are operationally and editorially independent and decide the most appropriate way to deliver the World Service, therefore the closure of BBC Arabic radio service in 2023 was a decision for them.
The Government is providing a funding uplift of £32.6 million in 2025/26 to ensure the World Service continues operating in all 42 languages.
Future Government funding for the World Service will be determined through the Spending Review process.