Al Jazeera

Al Jazeera Arabic (Arabic: الجزيرة Al-Jazīrah [æl (d)ʒæˈziːrɐ], lit. 'The Island or 'The Peninsula') is a Qatari state-funded Arabic-language news television network. It is based in Doha and operated by the Al Jazeera Media Network, which also operates Al Jazeera English. It is the largest news network in the Middle East and North Africa region. It was founded in 1996 by the then Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani.

Noted for its journalistic professionalism, especially when contrasted with other Arab news organizations, Al Jazeera gained popularity in the Arab world as an alternative to the previous landscape of largely local state-owned broadcasters, with its early coverage being openly critical of autocratic leaders in the region, as well as hosting a wide range of viewpoints, gaining credibility through its extensive frontline coverage of the Second Intifada and the Iraq War. By the early 2000s, Al Jazeera had become the primary source of news for a majority of Arab viewers. The channel's reach and credibility also gave Qatar a powerful diplomatic tool and an outsized influence in regional affairs. Al Jazeera Arabic is editorially independent from Al Jazeera English.