the launch: Madinah Gov. Prince Abdul Aziz bin Majed inaugurates the Taiba Printing and Publication Company in the presence of Prince Faisal bin Salman, chairman of Saudi Research & Marketing Group. (AN photo)

MADINAH: Prince Faisal bin Salman, chairman of Saudi Printing and Packaging Company, said the SPPC decided to establish a state-of-the-art press in Madinah in order to meet the development requirements of the holy city and its surrounding areas.

Addressing the launching ceremony for the Taiba Printing and Publication Company in Madinah, Prince Faisal said: “We have established this press after conducting a detailed feasibility study.”

Madinah Gov. Prince Abdul Aziz bin Majed launched the new printing company on Tuesday in the presence of Prince Faisal as well as a large number of intellectuals, academics, media persons and government officials.

“This is one of the strategic projects of Saudi Research and Marketing Group,” Prince Faisal said, adding that it would create new job opportunities for the people of Madinah. It will be one of the centers where newspapers of the group and other media organizations will be printed. He said the project would provide advanced printing facility for companies, individuals and government departments in the region.

Prince Faisal highlighted the important role played by Madinah in the history of Islam being a beacon of culture. It witnessed the publication of Saudi Arabia’s first newspaper and magazine.

Abdul Rahman Al-Shubaily, deputy chairman of the Board of Trustees of Saudi Research and Publishing Company, spoke about the history of printing and publication in Madinah, which saw the publication of three newspapers: Al-Raqeeb, Al-Madinah and Al-Hijaz about 100 years ago.

He narrated the pioneering role played by Abdul Haq Al-Naqshabandi, who brought the first hand-driven press to Madinah in 1327H in order to print cards and envelopes. It led to the opening of the Kingdom’s first newspaper Al-Raqeeb. It was a handwritten newspaper and was printed on gelatin paper.

He said Al-Hijaz newspaper stopped a year after its publication due to a lack of supply of newsprint as a result of the World War I. He said the opening of SPPC’s new press would open a new era of printing and publication in Madinah. The Taiba press is located in the industrial city in Hamra Al-Assad.

Saad Al-Dossary, acting chief executive of SPPC, said Taiba company would specialize in printing newspapers and commercial requirements. “It can print 30,000 copies of a newspaper per hour.”

The ceremony was attended by Madinah Mayor Abdul Aziz Al-Hosain, Muhammad Al-Aufi, secretary-general of King Fahd Qur’an Printing Complex, and Maj. Gen. Awad Al-Sarhani, director of Madinah police.