Reuters News Agency to Launch Arabic-language Sports Service

Reuters is to launch an Arabic language sports service, covering the world's big sporting events as well as games in Middle Eastern countries including Iraq, Lebanon and Egypt.

The new wire service will provide international real-time sports coverage and data including results, analysis, news, features, statistics and pre- and post-game reports.

Monique Villa, the managing director of Reuters Media, said: "With interest in sports at an all-time high, we continue to invest in our coverage, both in pictures and text.

"The Reuters Arabic Sports Service will complement our Arabic general and business news offering as well as the demand for regional sports news."

The service will provide on average 90 stories a day, with coverage increasing significantly during big events such as the Olympic Games and the World Cup.

Coordinated from Reuters' Cairo bureau, coverage will be supported by a network of reporters on the ground to cover Arab sporting events.

The countries Reuters will cover include Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates. There will also be special reports from Iraq, Mauritania, Sudan and Yemen.

Reuters promises extensive coverage of important football and tennis tournaments as well as reports on basketball, handball, volleyball, swimming, motor-racing and motorcycling events.

It claims the service will break new ground in the Arab region with the addition of in-depth coverage of golf, baseball and National Hockey League news.