DAMMAM, 7 May — Eastern Province Governor Prince Muhammad ibn Fahd inaugurated the new headquarters of local Arabic daily Al-Yaum here yesterday and said healthy competition among newspapers and magazines was important for the growth and development of the media sector.
He said journalists in Saudi Arabia should have an Islamic perspective when they write about issues and developments, adding that technological advancement has given a big boost to the newspaper industry world over and its impact is witnessed in the Kingdom too. “But more than the technological advancement, the growth and development of journalists is a requisite, otherwise all technology will prove useless,” he said.
Praising the steady growth of the Al-Yaum Group, he said from a humble beginning it has become one of the leading and popular newspapers in the country. He called on the journalists, the technical support staff and the management to work harder to take the paper to dizzying heights. He had a special word of praise for the chairman of the board of directors Hammad Al-Mubarak and managing director, Saleh Al-Humaidan.
Minister of Information Dr. Fuad Al-Farsi also paid tributes to Al-Yaum staff and management. He also called on journalists to retain objectivity while reporting.
Hammad Al-Mubarak, while welcoming Prince Muhammad and Al-Farsi, gave a brief history of the Al-Yaum newspaper.
He gave details about the new premises and assured that the paper will continue its objectivity and positive approach.
The function was attended by editors in chief of national dailies who had gathered in the Eastern Province to attend a meeting with the information minister.
The editors in chief of the Kingdom’s media had earlier paid a courtesy call on Prince Muhammad yesterday.
During the meeting Prince Muhammad stressed the vital role played by the media in depicting the real picture of Kingdom’s achievements and in tackling various issues while distancing themselves from exaggeration and sensationalism.
