Qatar Radio Live — Free Online Stations

Qatar's first radio station broadcast only on Fridays. In 1965 it carried Quranic recitation, religious programmes and news, one day a week. Today Qatar Radio broadcasts around the clock in Arabic, English, French and Urdu, a reflection of a country where people of more than a hundred nationalities live side by side. That journey is the story behind the stations you find when you search for Qatar radio live or want to listen to Qatari radio online.

25 June 1968: the official launch

The Friday broadcasts paved the way for the official foundation of Qatar Radio on 25 June 1968, transmitting from the Al Kheesa station north of Doha. It began on medium wave with five hours of Arabic programming a day, split between an hour and a half in the morning and three hours in the evening. At the end of that first year its transmitter was upgraded from 10 to 50 kilowatts, so its signal could reach much further across the Gulf.

Growing hour by hour

The station grew quickly with the country. Daily transmission rose to nine hours in 1969, thirteen in 1970 and nineteen by 1982, and in the early 2000s Qatar Radio began broadcasting around the clock. A new shortwave transmitter installed in 1979 helped it reach listeners far beyond the peninsula.

A radio for residents as well as citizens

Qatar's population has always included many residents from other countries, and radio adapted. An English programme began in 1971 with a single hour a day and grew to nineteen hours by 2004. Services in French and Urdu followed, making Qatar Radio a multilingual public broadcaster. A dedicated Quran station became one of the most listened-to channels, especially during Ramadan.

Keeper of Qatari heritage

Beyond news, Qatar Radio has played an important part in preserving the country's oral heritage: Nabati poetry, sea songs from the pearl-diving era, traditional music and the memories of older generations. Its archive holds more than fifty thousand recordings on old media, including speeches of the country's rulers and testimonies about its modern history, and work is under way to digitise them.

From the dial to satellite and streaming

Today Qatar Radio broadcasts on FM, on satellites that cover the Arab world and online, and its studios have been modernised for the digital age. Its anniversary programmes regularly bring back the voices of the presenters who accompanied listeners for decades. Below you can play the Qatari radio stations online we index, free in your browser.