Al Arabiya news channel was launched in 2003 as the 24/7 free-to-air news and current affairs satellite outlet. Al Arabiya soon became the news source of choice for Arabs seeking credible news and information about the Middle East and the world beyond. Al Arabiya’s reputation for sober and balanced reporting now extends beyond its natural geographic and cultural domain, i.e. the Middle East. A number of renowned international news organisations and research institutes interested in the Arab and Islamic worlds regularly monitor Al Arabiya.