The network was rebranded on 30 January 2000 as a service aimed at the Arabic-speaking diaspora. Under this format, the channel began carrying a wide range of news programmes, as well as entertainment programs catered to Arabic audiences; as a result, it began to become competitive against rival networks MBC and Dubai TV. One of the network's most popular programmes was the game show ; the programme premiered on 16 September 2002 and was canceled in early 2003 due to an invasion of Iraq by the United States, which resulted in the beginning of the Iraq War.