The Majalla : Could you shed light on the history of Arab News and the idea behind its beginning?
The idea behind Arab News was thought of long before the publication itself was inaugurated on April 20 1975. The initial purpose was to provide news to people who came to take part in the economic boom that the Kingdom was undergoing, and help in the development of the country, due to the lack of English speaking media at the time.
Arab News was born in a garage in the "Medina" road, and then it was moved to a small office in "Sherafieh" near the airport. The publication started off as a tabloid composed of about 7 employees, and it initially depended mainly on news from other news agencies.
Q : You’ve had the chance to work with Prince Ahmed Bin Salman, what can you tell us about your memories with him, and about his role in the institutionalization of Arab News?
As far as I can recall, Prince Ahmed was a very kind person, and devoted as he was, he pursued the sustainable and continuous growth of Arab News. However it is noteworthy that the lack of technology back then evidently made his task extremely difficult, as opposed to the current technological facilities.
Q : Mr Hesham and Mr Mohamed Aly Hafez have pioneered the early success of Arab News. Can you tell us a bit about them and their vision?
Coming from a family of publishers led by Aly and Osman Hafez, Hesham and Mohamed of course excelled in the field of journalism. For example, Mohamed had the ability to visualize a complete and outlined article out of a blank page just by looking at it. As I mentioned before, the lack of technological progress made things difficult back then, but it wasn't much of an obstacle to them. In time, they became masterful in making journalistic "scoops" giving the publication an advantage of course.
I personally think of them as the "Amin brothers", since they resemble Mustafa and Aly Amin greatly. Hesham was hot tempered just like Aly Amin while Mohamed was quiet like his teacher Mustafa Amin.
Q : What are the most outstanding differences between Arab News in the past and now?
The biggest change is in the scope that is covered by Arab News, which has now become an international publication followed by many. In the post 9/11 period, there was a surge in the influx of people who wanted to know more about the Arab region, and upon looking up the words "Arab" and "News" together on internet search engines, our publication was the first result that showed up.
Arab News has become the most read publication in the Middle East because it is available to people who speak both the Arabic and the English languages. Besides, it is easy to criticize international politics, however it is very difficult to provide objective and substantial critique to local events, and this is where Arab News has evolved greatly. We now tackle numerous topics ranging from the Arab region and the Gulf, to women’s rights and extremism.
Q : Arab News was voted as the favorite English-language daily in the Gulf. What are the factors that distinguish Arab News among its competitors?
We are indeed in competition with many reputable and powerful publications. What sets us apart however is the way we portray the Arab and Muslim spirit in our work in a moderate fashion away from extremism. We have employees from numerous nationalities, but we have a unified ideology, which is the Arab ideology. Our objectivity and moderation allow us to tackle sensitive topics such as extremism and the ills of Arab societies. We participate in TV and talk shows and accordingly we have become part of the lives of over 100 thousand people. Many people who’ve come to work in Saudi Arabia and left the country or Saudi Arabians who’ve migrated abroad still keep in touch with us. An average of 10-15 articles are taken from Arab News weekly and are published in other publications.
We have become far more than just a news agency; we are now a source of help. There have been incidents where people called us asking for help in solving personal emergencies, simply because we are Arab News and people know that we really care.
In that sense we have given special attention to relatively neglected topics such as rights of expatriates, the environment and the way authorities handle these issues. Such topics are not discussed as thoroughly by our competitors.
Q : Prince Faisal Bin Salman has accomplished a lot in leading SRMG and Arab News towards progress. How do you sense Prince Faisal's vision through these accomplishments?
I don’t usually compliment others, but out of personal experience, Prince Faisal signifies humanity to me. He is more than a Chairman, he is a "Renaissance man" who enjoys deep humility and carries himself well. He never interferes in the work of others, listens to others’ opinions always warmly welcoming debate. Prince Faisal has also added wise men to his team to assist him in running things in SRMG. He also deeply endorses the role of women, which is evident in his appointment of Somayya Jabarti as the Managing Editor of Arab News.
Prince Faisal has provided all the tools needed to add modernism to the whole group. That is in addition to the board of trustees he established to enhance the performance of SRMG. In my book I have added personal experiences that describe the extent of this man’s humanity and compassion.
Q : How did your family influence your career choice, and how does it currently influence your career path?
In fact, my parents opposed my choice to take media as a career; however my wife is currently a great source of support to me. I discuss editorial and political issues with her. It is great to have a partner who is interested in your work and works in the same field as you do, so I guess I am lucky.
Q : Throughout your wide experience in the field of the media, what is your assessment of Middle Eastern media generally, and Arab media in particular?
Arab media still has a long way to go, because there needs to be numerous improvements particularly in the area of technological advancement. Furthermore, more attention should be paid to the accuracy of investigations and fact finding, because inaccurate publications often cause many problems. Arab media also does not encourage and make use of the vast amount of talented youth in the region.
Q : There is an ongoing debate between the supporters of paper media and those of electronic media, what is your stance concerning this debate? And what is your assessment of the progress of the current status of e-media internationally and in the Arab world?
I believe that all forms of media are crucial and necessary. Paper media will remain prevalent for quite some time. I believe a mixture of both paper and electronic media should be created. Thus I believe that all paper publications should have electronic versions. I still like to read paper publications, yet youth have taken a strong liking to digital media and it is becoming very popular among them.
On the other hand, I believe that e-media in the Arab world should not be regulated by the ministries of information. There should also be a loose binding agreement that prohibits false news from seeing the light. Moreover, internet in Saudi Arabia needs speeding up, since there are many unnecessary firewalls that create many problems for us.
Q : What are the new features that the new website offers to its large sector of readers? And what are the improvements that have been made?
Arab News has become far more interactive now. We have added iPhone applications, Facebook connectivity in addition to a comments section where readers can express there opinions freely and give us feedback. The website was also technically enhanced in order to speed up the process of browsing the different sections of the website.
Q : Last year, Arab News sponsored an inter-school cricket tournament in Riyadh. What were the reasons behind this initiative?
This initiative was meant to support expatriates in the country who are interested in sports that are not given enough attention in the Kingdom. For instance, in the 1980s and the 90s there were American and East Asian expatriates who were interested in sports such as American Football, Tennis and Cricket. So now we have Golf, Tennis, Rugby and Cricket trophies organized by Arab News. This is also a marketing strategy we have adopted to endorse and strengthen the publication’s image among English language speakers locally and abroad.
Q : In that sense has Arab News sponsored or participated in any charity or fundraising events lately?
We have always held charity events. For example, we have previously arranged a squash match in which the world champion participated and the revenues, of course, went to charity.
Q: Are there any forms of cooperation between Arab News and its sister publications?
We exchange articles and news pieces often with other publications among the group, such as the Asharq Alawsat and The Majalla, and we welcome further cooperation. Many interviews that have been conducted by Arab News journalists were published in sister publications, and the opposite is also possible.
Q : What are Arab News’ plans for the future?
I would definitely like to make Arab News more solid than it already is, and extend its reach to younger generations who have high hopes and aspirations for the future. Accordingly we have increased our employment capacity to include a broader margin of youth.
