RIYADH, 13 May 2007 -- The Saudi Specialized Publishing Company (SSPC), a subsidiary of the Saudi Research and Marketing Group, signed a contract to publish the Saudi Arabian Airlines' in-flight magazine "Ahlan Wa Sahlan."

Under the contract, SSPC is tasked to redesign the magazine and provide high quality cultural and entertainment contents that meet international standards.

The contract was signed recently on behalf of SSPC by Prince Faisal bin Salman, chairman and CEO of SRMG, and Khaled Al-Mulhim, director general of the Saudi Arabian Airlines.

"It is a matter of pride to collaborate with the Saudi national carrier to upgrade its magazine. The project is a strong boost in cooperation between the Kingdom's number one airline company and the topmost provider of specialized products in the Arabic language," Prince Faisal said following the signing ceremony. The Ahlan Wa Sahlan magazine project will acquaint Saudia passengers of diverse nationalities with the Kingdom's heritage and tourist attractions, the prince added.

Al-Mulhim expressed pleasure at the two leading companies working together. "The Saudi Arabian Airlines is marching ahead to a phase of sustained development in keeping pace with the rapid economic progress in the Kingdom and international developments. We hope that the magazine will reflect the culture of this phase by familiarizing readers in general with the Kingdom's glorious history, brilliant present and promising future. The 30-year old magazine will appear with a new look mirroring the company's growth, modernization and privatization. The readers, including children, will find them attractive," the director general said.

Dr. Azzam M. Al-Dakhil, executive vice president and member of the board of directors of SRMG, said the positive changes to the magazine is only the beginning and that the process will continue.

Muhammad Al-Omar, executive director of the SSPC, said that the Ahlan Wa Sahlan project would also involve the magazine being made available in print, online and WAP form. He added that SSPC would strive to achieve a sense of diversity and novelty in content, creative design and production, allowing the magazine to be of top international caliber.

The magazine will be printed at Hala Printing Co, a subsidiary of the Saudi Printing and Packaging Co. owned by SRMG.

Al-Dakhil said earlier that the group had achieved many distinctive successes in the field of publishing, advertising, printing, distribution and other services, including support investments that, together, form a powerful place for the development of specialized media products that the SSPC excels in.

© Arab News 2007