English-language Islamic channel to start in Ramadan

DUBAI, 21 October — The world’s first English-language Islamic satellite television channel, Al-Majd 2, said yesterday it will start broadcasting on the first day of Ramadan, the fasting month.

"As the majority of the world’s Muslims are non-Arabs we felt it was natural to launch this channel in English," said Wajdi Al-Ghazzawi, chief executive officer of Al-Majd 2.

"There are approximately 100 million satellite TV households across the Islamic world," Ghazzawi said in a statement, adding that transmission will begin from studios in Dubai, Riyadh and Cairo.

Ramadan will begin this year in the first week of November.