Educational and entertainment radio station launched in UAE

Dubai: 360 Radio, an online radio station for expatriates and families in the Gulf region with education as thrust area, was launched on Wednesday.

Abu Rashid, a renowned Arab media personality in the UAE, inaugurated the radio station. “Radio 360 has started with a good idea as it targets students, families and education alike,” he said. Abu Rashid praised the new technology being used by 360 Radio during the opening ceremony.

“I hope that 360 Radio, as the first educational radio in the UAE, will be a project in support of the educational programmes and a platform to spread the messages of students and teachers, and cordially collaborate with authorities such as the Ministry of Education for various academic and non-academic projects,” he added.

Sheikh Sultan Bin Saqr Al Nuaimi, vice chairman of Ajman Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and chairman of 360 Radio, said: “The cosmopolitanism of the UAE is a beautiful asset and 360 Radio cherishes it. Listening to people who are different enable us to learn new things about the world we live in, which is why the station’s motto is “Listening is a virtue” and 360 Radio facilitates these conversations among the expatriates for whom UAE is their foster land, while remembering their motherland, cultures and languages.”

Equipped with the latest smart software and technologies, the radio station envisages a world in which people listen more and understand each other better through educational and entertainment programmes.

Bilingual station

The bilingual station, operating primarily in English and Malayalam, will also be incorporating entertainment and educational programmes in Hindi, Tamil, Bengali and other Indian and South Asian languages.

In addition, 360 Radio will make its educational programmes available as podcasts on the website, while the social media accounts will be presenting current affairs, expatriate news and youth expressions.

It will work as a hub of teachers, students, parents and educational administrators from different schools and colleges in the UAE through talks, debates and workshops, enhancing their subject knowledge, interest and exposure. In addition to programmes for the needs and interests of different members of the family, there are also programmes meant for family collective listening.

Culture and history

The station will also produce programmes that throw light on Emirati culture and history as well as on the history and lives of migration to the UAE, introduce individuals from different communities whose work in the fields of art, culture, social work, business and innovation is remarkable, alongside giving expression to expatriate youth.

Available through the website of 360 Radio and 360 Radio UAE app, the station has also arranged many contests with prizes for students and homemakers.

Binju Kochunny, programme director, added: “Radios have been a wonderful companion for people both on the long roads and in busy traffic. After COVID-19, we know how creatively technology can be used in the process of learning and we must make the best of such possibilities. There is a student in every listener and there is a listener in every student who wants to be entertained while learning something new. 360 Radio addresses exactly this aspect.”