DUBAI, 2 April 2006 -- Saudi Research & Publishing Company (SRPC), one of the investment arms of the Saudi Research & Marketing Group (SRMG), yesterday launched the Gulf edition of Arab News by printing the paper in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Arab News Gulf edition was on UAE newsstands yesterday.
The edition helps Arab News, one of the 15 daily newspapers and weekly magazines published by SRPC, to establish its presence in Gulf markets on the same day. "This is the first English daily of an Arab publishing house to take such a dynamic step," a press statement issued by the SRMG said.
Dr. Azzam M. Al-Dakhil, executive vice president of the group, its board member, and managing director of SRPC, said Arab News Gulf edition was planned in line with the company's strategy to expand to other markets in the region.
"We have noticed that Gulf markets are in need of an English daily that will meet the desire of all groups of people interested in such a newspaper which provides them with news, interviews, features and investigative reports and covers the latest developments in the region," Dr. Al-Dakhil said. "This will bring them together in a single newspaper," he added.
Dr. Al-Dakhil described the UAE as an outstanding regional center, adding that his group wanted to establish strong contacts with large international companies that target the Saudi market, the largest in the region, in addition to other Gulf markets that have a comparatively smaller number of Westerners who follow developments in the Gulf, Arab countries and other parts of the world.
"The reason that prompted us to publish the Gulf edition is the fact that anyone who follows the publication market in the Arab world will notice that the interests of the English-speaking community in the region has not received the matching attention that their numbers and importance deserve, particularly by Arab publishers," Dr. Al-Dakhil added.
He said this situation had encouraged Western publishers to rush to print and publish their newspapers in Arab markets. "This consequently helped them attract a good number of readers," he explained. "As the publishing of an English daily involves vast potential and capabilities which may not be available with any of the publishing houses in the region and as we have been pioneering with our publications covering the whole Arab region, we have no doubt of our capability to launch a Gulf edition of Arab News, particularly when we possess the infrastructure and all other essentials."
Being keen to become the most prominent and powerful investment arm in the Arab publishing world, SRPC "has always taken a pioneering role in the region's publishing industry."
Dr. Al-Dakhil said SRPC was keen to present readers of diverse nationalities and interests all the developments in the publishing world. "We had the privilege of being first in the past with the publication of the Gulf edition of Al-Eqtisadiah which successfully completed its first year last month and now we are presenting Arab News to Gulf readers hoping that they will welcome it with confidence as they have done with our other publications."
© Arab News 2006
