Top TV presenter Jamal Rayyan has died aged 73. He was the first face ever seen on Al Jazeera when the channel first launched nearly three decades ago. He died on Sunday, March 15, and no cause of death has been shared. He spent over 50 years on TV, during which he covered global events, including the United States wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the Arab Spring.

He was a role model to his peers and a professional touchstone for generations of journalists, who learned from him the nuances of linguistic precision, the art of authoritative broadcasting, and the weight of media’s mission,” he said in a statement.

Al Jazeera Media Network’s Director General Sheikh Nasser bin Faisal Al Thani paid tribute as he said: "He was a role model to his peers and a professional touchstone for generations of journalists, who learned from him the nuances of linguistic precision, the art of authoritative broadcasting, and the weight of media’s mission

"In his passing, Al Jazeera loses a figure synonymous with its origins and heritage," adding that Rayyan was the "cornerstone" of the channel’s identity and a "fixture in the hearts of its audiences".

Rayyan previously spoke about learning he was the one chosen to be face of the channel as he told Al Jazeera’s In-Depth Studies, a collection of testimonies from the channel’s founders and early staff: "The vice chairman of the board came and said to me, ‘You have been chosen to be the first face on Al Jazeera, but we want one thing from you: do not tell anyone.'"

He continued: "“As the broadcast started, my heart began beating rapidly. However, after I appeared on the screen and said, ‘Welcome to the first broadcast of Al Jazeera channel,’ I returned to my natural state and finished the broadcast. As soon as I finished and exited the studio, the entire room erupted in applause."

He was one of Al Jazeera's most recognisable presenters after decades on air, building up an impresssive following of over 2.3million people on X.