Jamal Rayyan (; 23 August 1953 â 15 March 2026) was a Palestinian television anchorman with the Al Jazeera Television Network. He was the first broadcaster to appear on Al Jazeera Arabic channel when it was launched, and the presenter of the first news bulletin on the channel in 1996. Before that, he had worked for the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).
Jamal Rayyan was born in Tulkarm, West Bank on 23 August 1953.
From 1974 to 1989, Rayan worked as news reporter and presenter for the Jordan Radio and Television Corporation in Amman, Jordan.
Rayan worked as a news reporter for the Korean Broadcasting System. He also worked for the BBC Arabic World Service in London and for Emirati television.
From 1996 to 1997, Rayan worked with the Al Jazeera network in Doha, Qatar. He was the first broadcaster to appear on Al Jazeera Arabic channel when it was launched, and the presenter of the first news bulletin on the channel in 1996. He assisted in the channel's creation and in training and mentoring news presenters. Rayyan participated in news coverage of Iraq War, the War in Afghanistan, and the Arab Spring.
Rayyan died in Qatar on 15 March 2026, at the age of 72.