29 Facts About Rageh Omaar

Rageh Omaar is a Somali-born British journalist and writer.

Rageh Omaar was a BBC world affairs correspondent, where he made his name reporting from Iraq.

The Rageh Omaar Report, first aired in February 2010, is a one-hour, monthly investigative documentary in which he reports on international current affairs stories.

Since September 2017, Rageh Omaar has occasionally presented the ITV Lunchtime News including the ITV News London Lunchtime Bulletin and the ITV Evening News.

Rageh Omaar was born in 1967 in Mogadishu, Somali Republic, to Abdullahi and Sahra Rageh Omaar.

Rageh Omaar's father was an accountant who became a businessman, a representative of Massey Ferguson tractors, founder of the country's first independent newspaper, and was responsible for introducing Coca-Cola to Somalia.

Rageh Omaar moved to the United Kingdom at the age of two.

Rageh Omaar has several siblings: his elder brother, Mohamed Abdullahi Omaar, was a former Foreign Minister of Somalia.

Rageh Omaar was educated at the Dragon School, Oxford, and Cheltenham College in Gloucestershire.

Rageh Omaar then studied Modern History at New College, Oxford.

Rageh Omaar began his journalistic career as a trainee for The Voice newspaper.

Rageh Omaar moved to South Africa after having been appointed the BBC's Africa correspondent.

Rageh Omaar covered the Iraq invasion for the weekday BBC news bulletins and BBC News.

Rageh Omaar has written a book about his time as the BBC's Iraq correspondent called Revolution Day.

Rageh Omaar suggested that the BBC working environment was somewhat exclusivist on a class basis, and that he was guilty of this as well to some degree as a consequence of his public school upbringing.

Additionally, Rageh Omaar has expressed regret about the way in which he covered the invasion of Iraq during his time as a BBC correspondent.

Rageh Omaar suggested that he and his colleagues did pieces on Saddam Hussein, his regime and weapons inspectors, giving little coverage to the Iraqi people.

Rageh Omaar served as a Middle Eastern correspondent for its London division.

Rageh Omaar hosted the monthly The Rageh Omaar Report, his own investigative documentaries.

In January 2013, it was announced that Rageh Omaar would be joining ITV News as a special correspondent.

Rageh Omaar was promoted the following year to ITV News' International Affairs Editor.

Since October 2015, alongside his duties as international affairs editor, Rageh Omaar has been a deputy newscaster of ITV News at Ten.

Since September 2017, Rageh Omaar has occasionally presented the ITV Lunchtime News, including the ITV News London Lunchtime Bulletin, and the ITV Evening News.

In 2003, Rageh Omaar was the recipient of an Ethnic Multicultural Media Academy award for the best TV journalist.

In January 2014 and 2015, Rageh Omaar was nominated for the Services to Media award at the British Muslim Awards.

In 2000, Rageh Omaar married Alexander technique instructor Georgiana Rose "Nina" Montgomery-Cuninghame, the daughter of Sir John Montgomery-Cuninghame of Corsehill.

Rageh Omaar maintains close contact with his family in Somalia, is an activist for the Somali community, and regularly attends its lectures and events.

Rageh Omaar became noticeably unwell during a live broadcast of the ITV News at Ten on 26 April 2024.

Rageh Omaar returned to News at Ten on Monday 27 January 2025.