Jamal Rayyan

Jamal Rayyan
جمال ريان
Born(1953-08-23)23 August 1953
Tulkarm, Palestine
Died15 March 2026(2026-03-15) (aged 72)
Qatar
Other nameAbū Murād (kunya)
Occupations
  • Commentator
  • news anchor
  • journalist
  • syndicated columnist
Years active1974–2026
Height180 cm (5 ft 11 in)

Jamal Rayyan (Arabic: جمال ريان; 23 August 1953 – 15 March 2026) was a Palestinian journalist and media personality notable for his career with the Al Jazeera Media Network and the BBC.

Life and career

Jamal Rayyan was born in Tulkarm in the West Bank, then administered by Jordan, on 23 August 1953. He held Jordanian citizenship.

From 1974 to 1989, Rayyan worked as a news reporter and presenter for the Jordan Radio and Television Corporation in Amman, Jordan.

Rayyan worked as a news reporter for the Korean Broadcasting System. He also worked for the BBC Arabic World Service in London and for Emirati television.

Rayyan joined the Al Jazeera network in Doha, Qatar, when it was created in 1996. He was the first broadcaster to appear on the Al Jazeera Arabic channel and presented its first news bulletin. He assisted in the channel's creation and in training and mentoring news presenters. Rayyan participated in news coverage of Iraq War, the War in Afghanistan, and the Arab Spring.

Rayyan died in Qatar on 15 March 2026, at the age of 72.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Fandy, Mamoun (2007). (Un)civil war of words: media and politics in the Arab world. Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 98–. ISBN 978-0-275-99393-1. Retrieved 25 July 2011.
  2. ↑ "جمال ريان". Al Jazeera (in Arabic). Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  3. ↑ "جمال ريان: الموت يُغيب أول مذيع ظهر على شبكة الجزيرة". BBC News Arabic (in Arabic). 16 March 2026. Retrieved 5 September 2026.
  4. ↑ "Veteran Al Jazeera journalist Jamal Rayyan dies aged 72". Middle East Eye. 15 March 2026. Retrieved 5 September 2026.
  5. 1 2 "Al Jazeera". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 31 March 2014. Retrieved 15 March 2026.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "Jamal Rayyan, the first face of Al Jazeera, dies at 73". Al Jazeera. 15 March 2026. Retrieved 15 March 2026.
  7. ↑ "جمال ريان". الجزيرة نت (in Arabic). Archived from the original on 2 July 2025. Retrieved 15 March 2026.
  8. ↑ "News anchor Jamal Rayyan passes away at 72". Roya News. 15 March 2026. Retrieved 15 March 2026.