From these relatively modest beginnings, the Saudi Radio Broadcasting Service emerged. In 1964, the Riyadh Broadcasting Station and the Call of Islam Station (based in the Holy City of Makkah) began transmissions.

In the discharge of his duty as the Guardian of the Holy Places and the Kingdom’s role as the center of the Islamic world, King Fahd, following the precedent of his predecessors, has employed radio to strengthen Islam within and outside Saudi Arabia. In 1973, the Kingdom began short wave and high frequency broadcasting in Bembari, Bengali, English, French, Indonesian, Pharsi, Somali, Swahili, Turkestan, Turkish and Urdu. By 1999, the number of radio broadcasting stations had reached 25.

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