Arab News at 50: A consistent voice in a constantly changing region

RIYADH: Fifty years ago today, brothers Hisham and Mohammed Ali Hafiz, two legendary figures in Saudi Arabia’s media landscape, launched Arab News, Saudi Arabia’s first English-language daily newspaper, from a small garage in my hometown of Jeddah.

Little did anyone know at the time that this experiment in the unknown would later give birth to not only one of the region’s most successful and influential publications, but also to a whole stable of them, including sister publications Asharq Al-Awsat, Al-Eqtisadiah, Sayidati and Al-Majallah. Eventually this venture became what is known today as the Saudi Research and Media Group, which is listed on the Saudi stock exchange — and which will hopefully continue to grow and expand.

The Hafiz brothers had printer’s ink in their DNA. In 1937, the brothers’ father, Ali Abdul Qader Hafiz, and their uncle, Osman, had launched a weekly newspaper, Al-Madina, on which the two boys worked during their school holidays. As such, there is no wonder the company grew so well under their leadership.

But there was another “X factor” behind the success of Arab News. Little do people know that there was another visionary behind its launch, although unfortunately he did not live long enough to see our newspaper come to life. I am of course referring to the late King Faisal, who was assassinated shortly before the first edition of Arab News went to print on April 20, 1975.

The late king’s son, Prince Turki Al-Faisal, former Saudi intelligence chief and the Kingdom’s ambassador to both the UK and the US, recalled that the fledging newspaper came into the world with royal blessing.

“After the Ramadan war ended in 1974, the late Sheikh Kamal Adham and I were then advisers to the late King Faisal on issues of coordination with Egypt and other countries. One of our friends and colleagues, the late Hisham Hafiz, came up with the idea of setting up an English-language publication in the Kingdom to tell the English-speaking world what is happening in Saudi Arabia.

“It was decided that the newspaper would be called Arab News, and we got permission from the late King Faisal to establish the newspaper and also to choose the color green for the front and back pages, to identify it closely with Saudi Arabia.”

Unfortunately Hisham, who died in 2006, would not live to celebrate his first-born publication reaching its 50th birthday, but without doubt he would not have been surprised to see it achieve this milestone. His brother, Mohammed, was too ill to give a new interview for this occasion.

However, as Hisham’s obituary published in Arab News recorded, by the early 1970s Hisham and his brother “could see that Saudi Arabia was on the threshold of a great economic boom and that millions of expatriates would be pouring in to carry out its ambitious nation-building programs” and “thus, the idea for an English language daily newspaper of a high standard to meet the expected demand was discussed, developed and became a reality in 1975.”

Several exceptional chairmen such as the late Prince Ahmed bin Salman, Prince Faisal bin Salman and Prince Turki bin Salman also contributed significantly to the growth of the group through the decades, and Arab News was lucky to benefit from their experience and support.

Today, we are marking the 50th anniversary of the birth of that idea by looking back at 50 of the key moments that have changed the region over the past half-century, and how Arab News — “The Voice of A Changing Region” — reported them. This coverage can be found in a special print edition and online at https://www.arabnews.com/arabnews50.

From the very outset there has been no shortage of momentous events in the Arab world. In fact, the very first edition of Arab News was published exactly one week after the start of Lebanon’s 15-year civil war and coincided with an Arab meeting in Riyadh.

Since then we have been there for our readers, bearing witness to the great events of our time, from the destabilizing upheavals of the 1970s and 1980s and the Gulf wars, to the great social and economic reforms transforming Saudi Arabia today and the ongoing crisis in Gaza and the Occupied Territories.

Over the past 50 years, much has changed — in publishing, as in the world.

Born in a Jeddah garage, Arab News has grown into a global platform, chronicling and shaping the story of the Middle East for 50 years.

Faisal J. Abbas

In 1975 a newspaper was, quite literally, news that one read on paper. In today’s faster moving world most readers access Arab News through their smartphones — an evolution in publishing to which Arab News has adapted by embracing the technology and the new skills necessary to make the most of it.

Throughout its journey over the past 50 years the paper has evolved, in color, size, format and on platforms such as X, Facebook and Instagram. Today Arab News is a multimedia title. We have a radio show and a series of popular podcasts, including the Frankly Speaking video show, whose guests have ranged from international senior diplomats and analysts to key political figures, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and a large number of Saudi and Arab ministers and decision makers.

Working in collaboration with international pollsters YouGov, our Research & Studies Unit has pioneered in-depth political polling in the region; the results of one of its most recent projects, assessing the hopes and fears of Arab Americans in the run-up to the 2024 US presidential election, were widely reported around the world.

On our op-ed pages, the opinions to which we give voice remain inclusive and varied, but on some topics our editorial line remains steadfast, such as our unwavering support for Palestinian rights and a two-state solution.

We are proud of our contributions to religious tolerance. In 2022 we became the first Saudi newspaper to publish a special Christmas edition, and through our encyclopedic Preachers of Hate series we have consistently exposed those of any faith who peddle divisive, extremist ideology.

We have striven to ensure that when it comes to equality and diversity our own house is in order and continue to work toward achieving a gender-balanced newsroom, an initiative led by our deputy editor-in-chief Noor Nugali, and a remarkable team of female colleagues who report, photograph, edit or manage many of the paper’s projects.

In 2016 I was privileged to become the 10th person in the history of Arab News to be appointed to the coveted role of editor-in-chief of the paper. The moment was particularly special for me, as my appointment coincided with the launch of Vision 2030, Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman’s blueprint for the future of Saudi Arabia.

In April 2018 we changed our masthead motto from “The Middle East’s Leading English Language Daily” to “The Voice of a Changing Region,” the better reflect the great changes and reforms being initiated under the banner of Vision 2030 — and we look forward to celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Crown Prince’s initiative on April 25 next year.

Our success and continuing relevance in the crowded media space owes much to our relaunch and digital transformation in 2018, made possible by the bottomless support of our former chairman, Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan, who in June 2018 became Saudi Arabia’s first Minister of Culture, and the guidance of experienced board members such as veteran newspaperman Abdulrahman Al-Rashed.

Arab News first went online in 2001 and, while we continue to produce a daily print edition, since then we have launched international editions in Pakistan (2018), Japan (2019) and France (2020).

The success of the paper’s transformation in the digital era is reflected in its having won more than 150 international design awards since 2018.

As we turn 50, and all eyes are on the impact of artificial intelligence and how technology might yet again transform our industry, we vow to remain at the forefront of innovation.

But whatever technological changes are coming down the line, we will continue to adhere to the same principles of editorial integrity that guided the two young men who produced their first 16-page newspaper in a small garage in Jeddah on April 20, 1975 — and look forward to the next half-century in the story of Arab News.

Lastly, my sincere thanks go to the amazing Arab News team for their pride, passion and willingness to take the plunge every single day, and to you, our loyal readers, followers and listeners.

• Faisal J. Abbas is the editor-in-chief of Arab News. X: @FaisalJAbbas