The Palestinian anchor delivered the network’s first bulletin when it went on air in 1996.
Posted on March 15, 2026
Al Jazeera Arabic presenter Jamal Rayyan, the first face seen on the channel when it launched almost three decades ago, has died at the age of 73.
Rayyan died on Sunday after a television career that spanned more than five decades, during which he covered major global and regional events for the network, from the US wars in Afghanistan and Iraq to the Arab Spring.
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He had been with Al Jazeera since its first day on the air, November 1, 1996, when he presented the channel’s opening bulletin at the start of what would become a major broadcaster in the Arab world.
Born in Tulkarem in the occupied West Bank in 1953, the Palestinian presenter began his career at Jordanian Radio and Television in 1974 before working with several broadcasters in the region and beyond, including Emirati Television, South Korean Public Broadcasting and BBC Arabic.
Rayyan later recalled being sworn to secrecy after being quietly cast in the historic role.
“The vice-chairman of the board came to me and said, ‘You have been chosen to be the first face of Al Jazeera, but we want one thing from you: don’t tell anyone,’” he told Al Jazeera’s In-Depth Studies, a collection of testimonies from the channel’s founders and former staff.
Measured delivery, distinctive voice.
The announcement that Rayyan would present the first bulletin was made public half an hour before the broadcast. She deliberately entered the studio on an empty stomach, she recalled, to ensure she could breathe well and give birth.
“When the broadcast began, my heart started beating rapidly. However, after I appeared on the screen and said, ‘Welcome to the first broadcast of the Al Jazeera channel,’ I returned to my natural state and finished the broadcast. As soon as I finished and left the studio, the entire room erupted in applause,” Rayyan said.
He spent almost three decades as one of Al Jazeera’s most recognized presenters, amassing 2.3 million followers on X.
Over the years, Rayyan became a familiar presence in homes across the Arab world, and his measured expression and distinctive voice became closely associated with Al Jazeera news bulletins.
In the Arab world and beyond, its broadcasts and the channel’s editorial approach reached wide audiences and helped shape regional news coverage for years to come.
