Saudi Radio

Saudi Radio is the official live and recorded broadcasting service in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, overseen by the Saudi Broadcasting Authority (SBA) and affiliated with the Saudi Ministry of Media. The official broadcast includes six stations, with the first station launched in 1949 during the reign of the Founding King Abdulaziz Bin Abdulrahman Al Saud.

The official radio stations in Saudi Arabia include Riyadh Radio, Jeddah Radio, Nida Al-Islam Radio, Quran Radio, Saudia Radio, and the Saudi International Radio stations.

Riyadh Radio operates as the general and official voice of Saudi Arabia, while Jeddah Radio is classified as a general variety station. Nida Al-Islam Radio and Quran Radio are the religious radio stations of Saudi Arabia. Saudia Radio broadcasts general and variety programs for English-speaking communities. The Saudi International Radio stations air their programs to audiences outside of Saudi Arabia in eight languages: French, Swahili, Persian, Urdu, Bengali, Indonesian, Turkish, and Turkestan.

King Saud Bin Abdulaziz (then Crown Prince) presented the idea of establishing a radio station for Saudi Arabia to the Founding King Abdulaziz Bin Abdulrahman Al Saud. In 1949, a Royal Decree was issued outlining its general framework, objectives, and commitment to objectivity and integrity. Prince (later King) Faisal Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the Deputy King of Hejaz at the time, was tasked with overseeing its implementation.

The transmission of Jeddah Radio began on October 1, 1949, during the Hajj season, with a speech delivered by Prince Faisal Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. The speech included congratulations to the pilgrims for performing Hajj and welcoming them to the Holy Lands. Jeddah Radio represented the foundation of broadcasting in Saudi Arabia.

In 1965, radio broadcasting began from the capital, Riyadh. In the same year, the general program became independent from Riyadh, becoming the first official radio station, while the second program was broadcast from Jeddah Radio.

Saudi radio often reaches its peak during the Hajj season. In the season of 2018, international radio stations did a total of 390 program hours, including live reports, interviews, coverage, and cognitive and religious programs related to Hajj.

Saudi radio is subject to the Audiovisual Media Law, issued in 2017. The law includes twenty-five articles that regulate and define the broadcasting and content guidelines, as well as general operations in the field, in addition to the licensing requirements, legal consequences, and violations.