Mahmoud Al-Maslimi, the senior broadcaster of "Here London" at the BBC Arabic News, passed away in London at the age of nearly seventy. Al-Maslimi closed the final broadcast of BBC Arabic News and shut down the radio studio in London, marking the end of its traditional broadcasting and the shift to digital space in January 2023, as reported by the station about the late broadcaster. He was the last voice heard on BBC Arabic before the station's radio broadcast ended after 85 years.
Almost a year later, the seasoned Egyptian broadcaster, known for his iconic voice, passed away, with his death announced on his personal Facebook page on February 15. With a remarkable career in journalism, broadcasting, and training, he left significant marks in the world of Arabic radio, from presenting news bulletins to working on discussion, political, and cultural programs.
Al-Maslimi joined BBC Radio in 1991 as a presenter and never held any administrative positions, dedicating his life to radio work. His colleague, Dr. Fouad Abdelrazek, noted that he was known for the phrase "Oh my distant star." In addition to his substantial legacy in radio, the late broadcaster trained everyone who joined the station, with colleagues stating he was known for his willingness to assist new teammates, especially in the areas of delivery, correct pronunciation, and Arabic grammar.
Many of his colleagues in the BBC Arabic News team expressed personal feelings of loss over the departure of a colleague and mentor who impacted generations of those working in the Arabic service, particularly because he was known for his humility, sense of humor, and love for beauty.
Al-Maslimi, born in 1957, began his career in Egyptian radio in 1975, a period that refined his experience and allowed him to meet artistic and literary giants such as Naguib Mahfouz, Nour El-Sherif, Tawfik Al-Hakim, and Yahya Haqi, among others. He later moved to the Voice of the Arabs radio station, then to the Oman Radio during the 1980s, before joining BBC Arabic in the early 1990s.
He presented many famous programs on this station, including “Hamzat Wasl”, “Panorama”, “Al-Mashhad”, “Al-Alam Al-Dhuhr” (World at Noon), and “Al-Alam Hatha Al-Masaa” (This Evening's World), and participated in covering significant events such as the Second Gulf War and the American invasion of Iraq. Al-Maslimi’s most famous program was “Hamzat Wasl,” which launched in 2000; initially titled “On Air with Friends,” it was later named by listener choice and achieved great success.
