MUMBAI: The international radio news service BBC Arabic has increased its presence in the Middle East with a new partnership.

Listeners in Beirut and throughout Lebanon can now hear the BBC Arabic Service for two hours every day on the Voice of Lebanon 93.3 FM. Listeners can enjoy BBC Arabic's flagship news programme Al alam hatha al sabah - The World This Morning - which sets the day's agenda every morning at 6 am.

Hadeeth Al-Sa'a is the daily programme analysing and discussing key stories in the news at 3 pm. Nuqtat Hewar - Talking Point - enables listeners to share their political, social and sporting views at 6 pm. Visitors to bbcarabic.com can also listen to and participate in Nuqtat Hewar online.

BBC Arabic head Hosam El Sokkari said, "Our partnership with Voice of Lebanon is an important addition to the BBC's presence in the Arab world. I hope that the availability of BBC programmes, in Arabic, in crystal clear quality, will further expand our listener base in this region."

Voice of Lebanon CEOc said, "Broadcasting BBC programming in Arabic and English represents an important phase in the growth and development of the Voice of Lebanon. The BBC will complement our already rich source of programming by bringing a wider international news perspective which is valuable in a fast-changing world."

BBC Arabic programming on the Voice of Lebanon 93.3 FM is the latest development in the BBC's strategy to increase partnerships in the Arab world.

The BBC Arabic service claims to have 12.5 million listeners in the Middle East and North Africa and can currently be heard on FM in Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Palestinian Territories / West Bank and Sudan.

Voice of Lebanon was founded in 1975 and is the first commercial radio station to broadcast in Lebanon.