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31-618: It started broadcasting on 30 May 1964 distinguishing itself from its main pan-Arab rival Voice of the Arabs (إذاعة صوت العرب transliterated as Sawt al-Arab) with more popular programming as opposed to its rival's more dogmatic and propagandist content. The station ran at times ads targeting the Middle East and North Africa through its powerful medium wave broadcasting facilities. The broadcasts were extended to reach 24 hours per day in 1996 (Ramadan 1416 Hijri). The station has progressed into

62-470: A dual focus on internal diversification and external stabilization. By investing in new economic sectors and pursuing diplomatic avenues for conflict resolution, these states aim to secure their futures in a post-oil era while navigating the complex dynamics of Middle Eastern politics. This strategic approach underscores the intricate link between regional stability and economic prosperity in the Gulf, highlighting

93-488: A half-hour radio program on Cairo Radio. Quickly, the show developed into its own radio station broadcasting across the Arab world . A year after its initial broadcast, the service's transmission time tripled. By 1962, the service expanded to broadcasting 15 hours a day. This expansion made Egypt the "dominant broadcaster in the Middle East and a major international broadcaster" during the 1950s and 1960s. The following decade,

124-542: A large audience and does not play a significant role in domestic Egyptian or regional politics. Although disagreement exists about who initiated the service, most media observers recognize that Gamal Abdel Nasser , one of the coup leaders at the time and later President of Egypt , was the main driving force behind the project. According to Douglas Boyd, the idea of the service came from Mohammed Abdel-Kader Hatem , who would become Minister of Information. Until 1967, director and chief announcer Ahmed Said headed and managed

155-666: A major local Egyptian network broadcasting within Egypt on 89.5 FM in Greater Cairo with rebroadcasts on 96.3 FM in El Mahalla El Kubra and on NileSat 11766H Voice of the Arabs Voice of the Arabs or Sawt al-Arab ( Arabic : صوت العرب )‎ (621 kHz on Mediumwave to Egypt, 9800 kHz, and many other frequencies on Shortwave to the Middle East, the rest of Europe and North America)

186-423: A propaganda tool but also to attract listeners to "serious programs schedule adjacent to the musical programs." Frequently, Nasser's speeches would be broadcast after a musical performance by Umm Kulthum. While the audience for the service was broadly the whole Arab-speaking world, changing social and political conditions influenced programming and subjects for discussion. The service designed targeted programs for

217-583: Is popularly elected. In the United Arab Emirates , a federation of seven monarchical emirates, the Federal National Council , functions only as an advisory body, but some of its members are now chosen via a limited electoral college nominated by the seven rulers. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia remains a hereditary monarchy with limited political representation. In Qatar , an elected national parliament has been mooted and

248-495: Is written into the new constitution, but elections are yet to be held. Saudi Arabia and Qatar are the two Arab states and absolute monarchies to have never held elections since their respective establishments as nations in 1932 and 1971 respectively. Iraq is the only federal republic situated in the Persian Gulf . Mass media in the seven Arab Persian gulf states have varying degrees of freedom , with Kuwait topping

279-608: The Arab League in the region: Bahrain , Kuwait , Iraq , Oman , Qatar , Saudi Arabia , and the United Arab Emirates . Yemen is bound to the six countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council , based on history and culture . The term has been used in different contexts to refer to a number of Arab states in the Persian Gulf region. The prominent regional political union Gulf Cooperation Council includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and

310-558: The Arab states of the Persian Gulf , Lebanon , Syria and Yemen. Voice of the Arabs functioned as Nasser's main vehicle in propagating his pan-Arabist views; it played a key role in propelling him to the leadership of the Arab nationalist movement . The service filled with declarations on Arab unity and statements that highlighted Egypt's and Nasser's roles as leaders of this movement. In 1954, it declared on air that "the Voice of

341-635: The Baghdad Pact . It also appealed directly to Jordanian citizens, calling them to campaign against Jordan's potential participation in the Baghdad Pact. This continued until the 1958 Iraqi Revolution overthrew the Iraqi monarchy , and Iraq subsequently withdrew its participation from the organization. Voice of the Arabs widely broadcast Nasser's nationalization of the Suez Canal in 1956 and

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372-564: The FLN's struggle against the French and broadcasting anti-French propaganda. The service then turned its attention eastward; Iraq and Jordan became the next targets of Nasser's anti-colonial rhetoric and broadcasts. In an effort rid the Arab world of any Western influence, Voice of the Arabs launched a propaganda war against Iraq's then-Prime Minister Nuri as-Said , criticizing Iraq's participation in

403-484: The Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP)'s Global Peace Index of 2016, the six governments had varying degrees of success in maintaining peace amongst their respective borders with Qatar ranked number 1 amongst its regional peers as the most peaceful regional and Middle Eastern nation (and ranked 34 worldwide), while Kuwait ranks second both in the Persian Gulf and Middle East regions (and 51 worldwide), followed by

434-576: The 1960s, Voice of the Arabs also gave expression to anti-British sentiments vis-à-vis its broadcast in North Yemen . The service provoked action against the British presence in Aden ( Southern Yemen ), a move countered by Saudi Arabian-supported pro-British radio broadcasts from Aden. Voice of the Arabs then took a more aggressive stance against Saudi Arabia. Following the union with Syria in 1958 and

465-546: The Arab Persian gulf states. The seven Arab gulf states lie in a volatile region and their seven governments, with varying degrees of success and effort, try and advance peace in their own countries and other countries. However, Arab countries in the Persian Gulf region—specifically Qatar—stand accused of funding militant Islamist organizations , such as Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood . According to

496-482: The Arabs speaks for the Arabs, struggles for them and expresses their unity". The programming was also characterized by an anti-colonial tone and a rejection of Western imperialism. On one occasion, the service announced that Voice of the Arabs was "in the service of the Arab nation and its struggle against Western imperialism and its lackeys in the Arab world." The first three years of its broadcasts focused on North African political struggles. The service supported

527-680: The Egyptians, East Jerusalem and the West Bank from the Jordanians, and the Golan Heights from Syrians, the Voice continued to report an Arab victory. Other radio stations also broadcast Said's initial claims that Egypt was winning the war, contributing to the build-up of hope that victory was near. This made the eventual let down bigger and cost the station its credibility. Said was dismissed from his position, though Nasser had made

558-508: The UAE in the third spot (61 worldwide). Most of these Arab states have significant revenues from petroleum . The United Arab Emirates has been successfully diversifying its economy . 79% of UAE's total GDP comes from non-oil sectors. Oil accounts for only 2% of Dubai's GDP. Bahrain has the Persian Gulf's first "post-oil" economy because the Bahraini economy does not rely on oil. Since

589-669: The United Arab Emirates. In modern history, various former British Empire protectorates , including the Trucial States were Arab states along the Persian Gulf . Some of the Persian gulf states are constitutional monarchies with elected parliaments. Bahrain ( Majlis al Watani ) and Kuwait ( Majlis al Ummah ) have legislatures with members elected by the population. The Sultanate of Oman also has an advisory council ( Majlis ash-Shura ) that

620-542: The causes of French-exiled Sultan Mohammed V in Morocco and Habib Bourguiba 's Neo-Destour Party in Tunisia . As an expression of Nasser's anti-colonial stance, the service enabled and encouraged exiled Algerians to update Algerian followers on their activities. Voice of the Arabs supported Algerian revolutionaries not only by allowing them to use the services and facilities of the station but also by explicitly favoring

651-498: The decisions behind the false broadcasting. The Voice of the Arabs and Said's handling later symbolized Egypt's self-deception, and the Voice of the Arabs station has not regained its former reach or impact. Arab states of the Persian Gulf The Arab states of the Persian Gulf ( Arabic : دول الخليج الفارسي ) refers to a group of Arab states bordering the Persian Gulf . There are seven member states of

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682-513: The expansion of Egypt's transmitter power, the service also promoted liberation struggles in African countries south of the Sahara. The station's popularity was tied to Nasser's accomplishments and successes as president and symbol of Arab unity. Therefore, the lack of spectacular success for Pan-Arabism and Nasser between 1958 and 1967 heavily contributed to gradual loss of credibility and fame of

713-471: The late 20th century, Bahrain has heavily invested in the banking and tourism sectors. The country's capital, Manama , is home to many large financial structures. The UAE and Bahrain have a high Human Development Index (ranking 31 and 42 worldwide respectively in 2019) and was recognised by the World Bank as high income economies . According to the World Bank , most of these Arab states have been

744-406: The league with a lively press that enjoys considerably more freedom than its gulf counterparts according to Freedom House and Reporters Without Borders . Both organizations rank Kuwait's press as the freest of all Arab states of the Persian Gulf . Kuwait ranks amongst the top three for free press in the Arab world. Qatar and Oman come in second and third respectively within the regional ranks of

775-444: The removal of British Forces from Egypt, contributing to the service's popularity and heightened concern among Western powers regarding the service. Combined with attacks on British and French allies in the region, these events led Britain and France to increase monitoring of Egyptian broadcast. Violent and non-violent efforts to silence the radio failed and contributed to the radio's and Nasser's prestige and popularity. From 1956 to

806-610: The service had expanded to 24-hour-a-day broadcasting. Under Nasser's presidency and the leadership of Said, the revolutionary fervor of the coup leaders' ideology, the promotion of pan-Arabism , an anti-imperialist tone and the legendary voice of Egyptian singer Umm Kulthum characterized the service. Voice of the Arabs also called for the liberation of Palestine and galvanized Arabs in North Africa , Iraq and Yemen to rise up against colonial and monarchical rule. The station's tagline, which Ahmed Said claims to have written,

837-479: The service. Unlike the press, which the new government did not control until 1960, the radio fell under the monopoly of the government, who used this to their advantage. Recognizing the immense potential of radio, Nasser devoted "considerable financial resources to the expansion of public broadcasting." Voice of the Arabs first aired on 4 July 1953, one year after the Egyptian Revolution of 1952 as

868-584: The station. Transmission of false reports during the Six-Day War consolidated its decline. From the start of the war, the Egyptian military relayed updates from front to the service, yet some reports had been false. Though Israel defeated Egyptian, Syrian and Jordanian forces on every front, Said reported great victories. Days after the war's start and Israeli forces had captured the Gaza Strip from

899-591: The world's most generous donors of aid as a share of GDP. The persistent instability in the Middle East, particularly the ongoing conflict between Hamas and Israel, poses a considerable threat to the Gulf Cooperation Council states' economic ambitions. Regional stability is paramount for these nations to achieve their goals, as it directly impacts the investment climate and their capacity to engage in global trade and tourism. The Gulf states' economic and political strategies are thus characterized by

930-612: Was "Sawt al-Arab, calling to the Arab nation from the heart of Cairo" ("صوت العرب ينادى أمة العرب من قلب القاهرة"). During what came to be known as the "Ahmed Said Era" (1953–1967), programming consisted of news, commentary on political topics, speeches by public officials including Nasser, talks by and interviews with various Arab political figures and dramas with political themes. The service also regularly featured nationalistic songs by popular musicians, like Abdel Wahab and Umm Kulthum, praising Nasser and his accomplishments and promoting pan-Arabism. The radio station used music not only as

961-466: Was one of the first and most prominent Egyptian transnational Arabic-language radio services. Based in Cairo , the service became known to many Arabs and non-alike, as the main medium through which former Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser spread his messages on Arab unity and revolutions across the Arab world. Despite its unmatched popularity in most of the 1950s and 1960s, the service no longer commands

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