My 35-year journey with Arab News

Saudi Arabia was mourning the assassination of King Faisal who had died after a gun attack in Riyadh. US Army Chief of Staff Frederick Weyand was reporting the US Congress about the possible fall of South Vietnam without additional military aid, while the last US citizens were being evacuated from Saigon prior to an expected North Vietnamese takeover. United States involvement in the war had come to an end.
Elsewhere, an attack on a Palestinian bus in Ain El Remmeneh, Lebanon, marked the beginning of a 15-year civil war. In the midst of these events, a star was born: Arab News was launched.
When terrorists attacked three Western compounds on May 12, 2003, in Riyadh, Arab News was there. When terrorists attacked the Al-Muhaya compound on Nov. 18 the same year, Arab News was there. Khaled Almaeena, editor in chief of Arab News, told me his newspaper was the first Arab paper to enter Kuwait after Iraqi army was driven out.
Arab News was not there just to report the events; it was there to talk to the residents and to take exclusive photos of the devastation.
Once again when terrorists targeted the main Traffic Department building in Riyadh, Arab News was there. The paper published stories of people who lost their relatives and showed pictures of damaged properties.
In 1986, two major events took place that affected the lives and economy of people living in the Eastern Province. Explosions destroyed the Alkhobar Towers killing 19 foreigners and wounding hundreds. In addition, the crash of oil prices in 1986 brought economic challenges to the entire Middle East region. Accordingly, in September 1986, it was necessary for Arab News to establish an office next to the largest oil facilities in the world. Arab News established a small but effective office in Dammam Industrial City.
My journey with Arab News has not yet ended. To the “Saudi green English newspaper”, as it’s known here in the Eastern Province, I say: Happy Birthday.
— Abdullah Al-Alami is a Saudi writer. He retired as the head of employment at Saudi Aramco and is currently an active member of many NGOs.