MBC 1 (Middle East and North Africa)
 | |
| Broadcast area | Middle East and North Africa (main audience free-to-air) Horn of Africa (peripheral free-to-air via satellite) United States (pay-TV) |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia |
| Programming | |
| Language(s) | Arabic |
| Picture format | 1080i (HDTV) 576i (SDTV) |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | MBC Group |
| Sister channels | |
| History | |
| Launched | 18 September 1991 |
MBC 1 is a free-to-air Saudi Arabian general entertainment television channel. It is owned by the media conglomerate MBC Group.[1]
MBC Group was launched in the early 1990s with the start of broadcasting on MBC (now known as MBC 1) as the first free-to-air satellite television channel owned by the private sector, broadcasting 24/7. The channel offered a mix of entertainment and news programming, which helped it gain a wide audience throughout the Arab world.[2]
Programming
MBC 1 offers a diverse range of Arabic series and programs. On the religious front, the channel broadcasts numerous Islamic reports during religious occasions and offers religious and educational programs during the holy month of Ramadan, in addition to charitable programs such as Qalby Etmi'nan The channel also provides comprehensive coverage of the Day of Arafah, one of the most important religious events for Muslims, with the participation of dozens of correspondents.
The channel has ventured into local production with the production and broadcast of "Driven," a program specializing in the world of cars, racing, speed, and car modification, which has aired for four seasons. Alongside "Driven," which is dubbed into Arabic with some scenes censored.
The channel was among the first Arabic channels to broadcast the latest foreign movies dubbed into Arabic, offering a selection of American and Indian movies between October 2009 and August 2010. Today, the channel continues to dub popular Bollywood movies, with its inaugural movie being Jab Tak Hai Jaan, starring Katrina Kaif, Anushka Sharma, and Shah Rukh Khan. Among the channel's most prominent presenters is Mustafa Al-Agha.
References
- ↑ "TASI gets first listing of 2024 as MBC Group debuts". ArgaamPlus. Retrieved 2025-11-23.
- ↑ "MBC تحتكر الفضاء العربي بـ(25) سنة من الريادة والزيادة". www.al-jazirah.com (in Arabic). Retrieved 2025-11-23.