JEDDAH, 19 October 2003 — Asharq Al-Awsat Arabic newspaper, a sister publication of Arab News, celebrates its silver jubilee here today. Interior Minister Prince Naif will be the guest of honor at the ceremony to be attended by prominent Arab journalists and intellectuals.
Prince Faisal ibn Salman, chairman of Saudi Research and Marketing Group, has also invited prominent businessmen and diplomats to the function.
Asharq Al-Awsat, a leading pan-Arab newspaper, was launched on July 4, 1978, two years after the launch of Arab News, the first publication of the group.
“Since its launch in 1978, Asharq Al-Awsat has established itself as the authoritative publication on pan- Arab and international affairs,” an official statement said.
The newspaper is the first Arabic daily newspaper of international standing. It offers its readers in-depth analysis and editorials as well as the latest news from the Arab world and the international scene, including politics, business and finance.
“Every day Asharq Al-Awsat reports news and events that affect the interests of Arab business leaders worldwide,” the statement said.
With state-of-the-art technology and unparalleled newsgathering resources, the paper enjoys a global readership.
Edited in London, the paper is transmitted via satellite and printed simultaneously in 12 cities worldwide including Riyadh, Jeddah, Dhahran, Kuwait, Casablanca, Cairo, Frankfurt, Marseilles, London and New York.
Asharq Al-Awsat is the preferred Arab-language daily especially among educated decision-makers with affluent lifestyles and sophisticated tastes, the statement said.
Abdul Rahman Al-Rashid, the paper’s editor in chief, highlighted its role in promoting dialogue and disseminating knowledge. “It also links people in different parts of the world,” he pointed out.
Saudi Research and Publishing Company, the publisher of Asharq Al-Awsat, a dozen of other newspapers and magazines, is a major publishing company in the Middle East and reaches readers in the Arab world, Europe and America.
