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The History of Gulf News
Gulf News has come a long way from when it was first launched in tabloid format on September 30, 1978.
Gulf News was first launched in tabloid format on September 30, 1978.
It was founded by UAE businessman Abdullah Abulhoul; its offices were located on the Airport Road, Dubai.
The newspaper circulation was approximately 3,000 copies daily, six days a week. The format was changed from tabloid to broadsheet size on January 1, 1980 and publication became seven days a week.
A weekly lifestyle magazine titled Al Jum’a was first published on July 4, 1980.
A magazine for younger readers titled Junior News was started on September 1979 and was discontinued in December 1985.
It was during these years that the ownership of Gulf News changed hands.
In November 1984, three leading UAE businessmen purchased the company and formed Al Nisr Publishing. Its directors were Obaid Humaid Al Tayer, managing director, Abdullah Al Rostamani, director, and Juma Al Majid, director.
With the death of Abdullah Al Rostamani in 2006, his position on the board is held by a family nominee, the other directors remain.
Under the new management, Gulf News was re-launched on December 10, 1985 initially as a free issue and distribution.
From February 8, 1986, the public was charged one dirham (US 27 cents) a copy for the Gulf News package comprising the broadsheet newspaper and a leisure section with classified advertisements titled Tabloid.
Gulf News built new premises during 1985. The first issue of Gulf News printed and published at the new premises was on January 10, 1986. All departments moved to the new premises on January 30, 1986.
The Junior News magazine was relaunched on October 2, 1986. Al Jum’a was replaced by Gulf Weekly magazine, which covered political and social revues, started distribution on November 7, 1986.
Apart from the UAE, Gulf News is distributed to other GCC countries: Bahrain from September 27, 1987; Oman from April 3, 1989; Saudi Arabia from March 29, 1989; and Qatar from April 1, 1989. It was available in Pakistan from August 14, 1988.
Gulf News started a Special Report section on December 20, 1988 to give readers more extensive investigative local reports, thereby setting a new trend in reporting in the region. Subsequently this popular report has changed its design format and expanded into other sections of the newspaper.
On July 1, 1990 Gulf News received the Asia-Pacific Award for Best Newspaper Production for 1989. A separate tabloid-size classifieds advertisements section of Gulf News, entitled Classifieds, started on December 15, 1990.
Gulf News introduced a redesigned Business and Sport section which was printed as a separate section from the main broadsheet pages. It was introduced on October 1, 1992.
On January 1, 1995 the cover price of Gulf News increased to two dirhams (US 54 cents). A broadsheet style classified Appointment section was introduced on May 22, 1995.
To give better local coverage for its readers, Gulf News opened various bureaus around the emirates, GCC Countries and the subcontinent. The Abu Dhabi bureau was opened in 1982; Bahrain bureau in January 1988; Oman office in 1989; Manila bureau in August 1990; Al Ain office in 1994; Sharjah office in May, 1995; New Delhi bureau in November 1995.
On November 30, 1995 the size of Gulf News was changed, the width of its broadsheet pages were reduced by four centimetres, to create the new international size of 38 centimetres.
The first Web Edition of Gulf News was launched on September 1, 1996.
Junior News ceased publication on October 2, 1996 and was replaced with U magazine, aimed at the teenager market. It was launched on October 15, 1996 and ceased publication in July 01, 2000.
Al Nisr Publishing became Limited Liability Company (LLC) with a share capital of Dh15 million on May 26, 1997.
Gulf Weekly magazine ceased publication in 1997 and was replaced with Friday magazine on May 16, 1997.
From March, 2000 the cover price was changed for the Friday edition. While the Saturday to Thursday prices remained the same, the Friday edition was increased to three dirhams (US 82 cents) on Friday.
On May 5, 1999, Gulf News introduced four pages of stock coverage on the Middle East and Arab region. A separate Property section of Classifieds started on January 1, 2000.
Gulf News moved to its new head office on April 6, 2000. It contained state-of-the-art technology throughout, with fibre-optic cabling and the most advanced printing press in the Middle East.
Entertainment Plus (e+) magazine was launched on Wednesday April 18, 2001. It covered the local scene in all its forms including cinema and tv listings.
The Appointment section was published five days a week from June 10, 2001.
Taking advantage of its extensive circulation network throughout the UAE, Al Nisr Distribution LLC was formed to deliver media published by other publishers, like Al Wasat, Al Hayat, What’s On, Emirates Woman, Ahwal and Malayalam Manorama.
Al Nisr Media FZ LLC established in Dubai Media City. It purchased an existing local magazine titled Aquarius, which deals mainly with monthly health and fitness issues. The first issue and published from Al Nisr Media first issue came out on June 1, 2002.
On June 21, 2003 a new design newspaper was launched with its current bright and bold look and take advantage of improved colour press quality and capacity. Subsequently, the website has been modeled along similar lines and retitled gulfnews online, which ultimately became gulfnews.com.
A monthly interior design magazine titled InsideOut, was introduced to the market on October 1, 2003 by Al Nisr Media.
Al Nisr Publishing brought out Weekend Review, a weekly tabloid newspaper on September 16, 2004. It is distributed every Friday with the broadsheet newspaper, Friday magazine and classified advertisements sections.
A weekly tabloid format newspaper titled Notes was launched on October 16, 2004; aimed at the student and teenage market, and distributed on a Saturday. Later, to conform to the UAE’s declared official weekend (Friday and Saturday) distribution was changed to every Sunday.
At the same time the publication day for e+ was changed to Thursday.
A wheel, a weekly magazine about cars and accessories, was launched on March 18, 2005 by Al Nisr Media. On April 6, 2005 Al Nisr Media then brought out Property Weekly, a magazine mainly covering the dynamic commercial and residential development market.
A weekly sport magazine titled Sport Xtra was launched on September 9, 2005 by Al Nisr Publishing, with a cover price of two dirhams.
On November 10, 2005 Al Nisr group of companies signed a memorandum of understanding with Emirates Media Inc whereby Radio 1 and Radio 2 broadcasting licences were acquired, thus giving Al Nisr a new venture into communications.
A new package for the new Saturday weekend was introduced, including separately printed and increased pagination for Business and Sport sections and features sections titled Unwind and Explore together with Funday, aimed at the very young. They were launched on September 2, 2006.
A new quarterly magazine titled Friday for Men (FM) was launched on November 17, 2006.
The present circulation of Gulf News is 91,985 from Saturday to Thursday and 94,247 on Friday according to BPA worldwide audit bureau, published on September 19, 2006
Promotions:
Gulf News was the first newspaper in the region to promote the arts, culture, music and sport through sponsorship of events. In March 1989 Gulf News started the Gulf Business Awards in collaboration with DHL for the Best Chief Executive, Enterprise and Businessman. The scheme was discontinued in 1996.
The internationally famous Gulf News Fun Drive was started on March 28, 1986. The 26th Fun Drive was held in December 2006 and saw 750 all-terrain vehicles with over 2800 participants. An earlier Fun Drive was recorded in the Guinness Book of Records as being a significant first achievement.
Another major event is the $6 million Dubai World Cup horse race meeting, which comprises seven top quality races, and includes a race for Purebred Arabians. Gulf News sponsors the $2million Dubai Golden Shaheen, a Group 1 sprint which one of the main attractions, of the meeting. Gulf News also sponsors an entire evening of horse racing at Nad Al Sheba, with each race being named after one of its titles.
Gulf News also sponsors a number of other major sports events in the UAE, as well as seminars and conferences. Principal among this latter is the Arab Strategy Forum, where leaders in politics and industry gather to discuss current events affecting the region
Significant Gulf News firsts:
- The first with a Tabloid leisure section, a family weekly magazine and a children’s weekly magazine.
- The first with a separate Tabloid Classifieds section.
- The first with separate pages of “news from home” for various expatriate nationalities.
- The first with a comprehensive business and sport section.
- The first with heat-set colour printing with glazed paper (from 1986).
- The first with computerised page make-up (1988).
- The first with most advanced printing press in the Middle East.
- The first to use re-cycled newsprint.
- The first with a separate classifieds section for freehold property, better navigational system where different parts of the paper are easily distinguishable.
It makes it easier for you to find the news you want faster. Colourful topic identifiers label the corners of pages letting you find what you want quickly.
The most recent developments at Gulf News have been the revamp of our weekend coverage, with a new style and the addition of three new sections - Explore, Unwind and Fun Day.
