Rainer Sollich to lead Deutsche Welle’s Arabic department

Already responsible for the Arabic online content produced in Bonn, Sollich will now also direct DW's Arabic television production in Berlin. Mustafa Isaid, former head of DW’s Arabic TV programming, is moving on to take up the position of editor in chief at Sky News Arabia in Abu Dhabi.

Sollich, 46 years old, led the merger of the radio and online sections of the Arabic service after 2007. His journalistic expertise covers the Middle East and North Africa, as well as issues concerning Muslims in Germany and Europe and the Euro-Islamic dialogue. He has worked as a journalist in Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Yemen, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Israel and the autonomous Palestinian territories.

Sollich studied Political Science in Cologne. He came to Deutsche Welle in 1997, after working as a freelancer in radio and print. Sollich also completed a journalistic traineeship at the Kölner Stadtanzeiger, a daily newspaper in Cologne. From 1999 to 2001 Sollich worked as a DW guest editor with Dutsche Welle's then partner station Radio China International, in Beijing.

Multimedia offerings for the Arab world

Deutsche Welle offers extensive services to the people from the Arab world, one of Deutsche Welle's key target areas. DW( Arabia) broadcasts ten hours of Arabic-language programming daily, which can be received via Nilesat 102 and Badr-4 throughout the region.

At www.dw.de/arabic, DW’s Arabic online portal, users can access texts, audio and video material in Arabic.Its offerings on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube are among Deutsche Welle's most successful and fastest growing services. DW cooperates with numerous TV networks, online portals and social media partners in the region, as well as producing radio offerings for partner stations in Iraq, Lebanon and the Palestinian territories.