JEDDAH, 21 October 2003 — Saudi Distribution Company, an affiliate of Saudi Research and Marketing Group (SRMG), has signed an agreement with Emirates Media Incorporated (EMI) to distribute EMI publications Al Ittihad newspaper and Zahrat Al Khaleej, Majid and Super magazines in the Kingdom.
The agreement was signed on Sunday by Arif Hamad Al-Awani, director of EMI’s printing and distribution department, and Dr. Azzam Al-Dakheel, director general of the Saudi Distribution Company (SDC).
In a statement, SRMG Chairman Prince Faisal ibn Salman described the accord as an important step toward strengthening cooperation between the two media organizations in the areas of printing, publishing, advertising and others.
“The cooperation is bound to have a positive impact not only on the two companies but also on the whole region, because they are considered the largest media organizations in the Arab world,” he said.
Prince Faisal thanked Sheikh Abdullah ibn Zayed Al-Nahayan, the minister of information and culture in the United Arab Emirates and chairman of EMI, for his support of the vital agreement.
“Sheikh Abdullah has expressed his intention to expand cooperation between the two organizations,” the prince said. He said that willingness would hopefully translate into practical steps in the near future.
EMI is the largest and most diversified media corporation in the United Arab Emirates. For 25 years, the company has been involved with the media in print, radio, television, the Internet and publishing and distribution.
Meanwhile, Prince Faisal hosted a luncheon at Al-Faisaliya Tower here yesterday on the occasion of Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper’s 25th anniversary, where he received a commemorative gift from the Palestinian Journalists Union on the occasion.
The function was attended by Prince Turki ibn Sultan, assistant minister of culture and information, GCC ministers of information and culture, and many leading journalists.
