Abdulateef Al‐MulhimCommodore, Royal Saudi Navy (Retired)
Due to immense technological advancements, the field of journalism has taken on a completely different avatar, as compared to the year 1975 — the very year when the first English-language daily, Arab News, was launched. We all know that the advent of electronic and subsequently the social media have increased the pace of news coverage manifold. It would not be wrong to say that the rules of the business have been turned upside down. Despite all these developments, Arab News has been able to successfully adapt to the rapid changes. It has always maintained pace with the current trends by continuously successfully latching on to new technologies to enhance its appearance and widen its coverage of local and international news. Founded by Hisham and Muhammad Ali Hafiz in 1975, Arab News has been successful in continuously expanding its readers’ base within the Kingdom and in the Middle East. It was launched at a time when the economic boom in Saudi Arabia was attracting millions of expatriates to the country. Those were the days without Internet and its related innovations due to which expatriates had to rely on newspapers coming from abroad days after their actual publication. However, with the emergence of Arab News things started to change and over time it became the most reliable source of information for the people living in the Kingdom and similarly turned into a window for the outside world into Saudi Arabia. Soon after its launch, people outside the Kingdom started considering Arab News a point of reference for matters related to Saudi Arabia. Arab News not only continued with its role as a source of information but it also became a source of education for many in the Kingdom. Students in the Kingdom particularly non-Arabic speakers started using it as reading material and to gain insight into the global happenings. It provided many new and aspiring writers with a powerful platform to hone their writing skills. And in the process, many were exposed to great experiences such as the sudden shift to live reporting during early 1990s Desert Shield and Desert Storm that liberated Kuwait. The newspaper played a major part in getting timely and accurate news from the warfront. To this day, Arab News is playing a vital part in presenting to the outside world the Saudi perspective with transparency. For the past four decades, Arab News is continuously playing its important role of objectively representing Saudi Arabia around the globe. It covered many events that took place across the Kingdom. The publication’s coverage of local events in the Kingdom gave its readers a chance to read and learn about the different cultures of different parts of the Kingdom. Its coverage of international events provided people in the Kingdom with updated and accurate information about others.
Arab News has been very vital in bringing together people from all over the world to live and work in Saudi Arabia. Arab News always gives its readers equal opportunity to express their views on various national and international issues. Comments from readers from all over the world are a testimony to the worldwide popularity of Arab News. Since 1975, Arab News has been tirelessly reporting local, regional and global events. It is always on the move to bring to its readers most up-to-date information from across the world. In the wake of the so-called Arab Spring, Arab News further consolidated its position as one of the most reliable sources of information. Written by Abdulateef Al‐Mulhim. Four Decades of Credibility reprinted with permission of Arab News and Abdulateef Al‐Mulhim.