RIYADH: Members of the royal family, Shoura Council members, more than 40 diplomats, and senior public and private sector officials gathered in Riyadh on Monday night at a glittering event to mark the 40th anniversary of Arab News.

They paid tribute to the newspaper’s growth over the years, which is now led by editor in chief Mohammed Fahad Al-Harthi.

A cocktail party preceded the formal reception that included speeches, a short film on the newspaper’s history, the honoring of sponsors, and the cutting of the anniversary cake.

Guests were welcomed in the foyer of the reception hall of a major local hotel by a traditional folklore group beating drums and performing the Ardha dance.

Al-Harthi and Prince Faisal bin Saud bin Abdul Mohsin, director of cultural affairs and public relations at King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies, cut the anniversary cake. Prince Faisal read out the speech of Prince Turki Al-Faisal, the guest speaker, who could not attend because of pressing commitments abroad.

In his speech, Al-Harthi said: “It was a special day 40 years ago, in 1975, when a group of young people took the initiative to launch an English-language newspaper in Saudi Arabia, to become the first in the Gulf region and the second in the Arab world.”

“No one could have imagined in 1975 that Arab News would become the nucleus of the largest media house in the Arab world, the Saudi Research and Marketing Group, publishing 30 titles including dailies, weeklies and monthlies.”

“I want to recognize and honor the massive contribution of individuals who helped Arab News and the group become a success. The late Prince Ahmad bin Salman, former chairman of the board of directors, was one of those who realized the significance of developing the media in this country. And there was the late Hisham Hafiz and Muhammad Ali Hafez, from a family of journalists, who infused their passion and expertise into the enterprise.”

“Over the years others have followed in their illustrious footsteps including former editors in chief Ahmad Mahmoud, Mohammed Maarouf Al-Shibani, Farooq Luqman, Khaled Al-Maeena, the late Abdul Qader Tash and Abdul Wahab Al-Faiz.”

Al-Harthi said there must be special mention made of Prince Faisal bin Salman, who took over as chairman in 2002 until his appointment as Madinah governor. “Prince Faisal brought his considerable intellectual weight to bear on Saudi Research and Marketing Group operations by hiring professional journalists and training Saudis for leading positions. Under his visionary stewardship, Arab News consolidated its place in the domestic market and became a true internationally recognized brand.”

Speaking on the policy of the newspaper, he said the editorial approach of Arab News is to present differing viewpoints on issues in the region and beyond. “The focus is on ensuring that cultural or ideological differences should not mean disputes and hostility; that we are part of a richly diverse world,” he said.

“We have achieved many milestones over the past 40 years. Arab News has become a brand with undisputed credibility because of its objectivity, accuracy and sharp analyzes. It has become a prime source of information for policy makers, professionals and the corporate world,” said Al-Harthi.

During 2014 and the first quarter of this year, he said the newspaper saw a remarkable growth in circulation, which indicates an increase in its readership. “The feedback that we periodically get from our readers and focus groups has been very positive and shows that more people are now reading our publication. There has been a significant rise in young Saudis reading our paper.”

“While we have made significant gains with the print edition, we have successfully switched to digital platforms. Our iPad, iPhone, website and Android platforms are doing exceptionally well and we are getting a very good response. Our followers on Facebook now stand at nearly 1.8 million, making Arab News the No. 1 paper in the Middle East. Our Twitter audience increased by nearly 500 percent in 2014,” he said.

Al-Harthi said there would be continued changes made including a new look and feel. “We have introduced several new elements and more will be added in the months to come,” Al-Harthi said.

Al-Harthi also thanked the paper’s advertisers and sponsors “without whose support we would not have achieved these milestones. I also pay tribute to those who are not with us today, some of them have passed away and others left us for their home countries.”

In addition, he praised the Arab News team with special reference to Acting Managing Editors Hani Hazaimeh and Naushad Shamimul Haq, and Riyadh Bureau Chief Ghazanfar Ali Khan.

Diplomats and other guests in attendance only had praise for Arab News and its successful development over the years.

Norwegian Ambassador Rolf Willy Hansen described it as a wonderful gathering filled with an audience of elite people. “It was a well-organized event,” he said.

Zambian Ambassador Ibrahim Mumba said it was a grand event which highlighted not only the achievements of the newspaper but also highlighted burning issues facing the region and the world, as outlined in Prince Turki’s speech.

Expressing his delight in attending the event, Bangladesh Ambassador Golam Moshi said Arab News caters to the needs of people across ages and ethnic backgrounds, in accessible English.

Ambassador of Ukraine Vadym Vakhrushev described Arab News as a “wonderful” newspaper cherished by all sections of society, and which he reads having his morning tea.

David Callahan, vice president of the Saudi-US Business Council for business advisory services, said it was an exciting event attended by top people from all walks of life. “It provided a good platform for the guests to interact with the Riyadh community and I was happy to be part of the celebrations,” he said.

Congratulating Arab News, Pakistan Ambassador Manzur Ul Haq described the evening’s celebrations as a “memorable event.”

Indian Embassy Charge d’ Affaires Hemant Kotalwar was also happy he was able to participate in the celebrations of the “prestigious English daily in the Middle East.”

Banque Saudi Fransi Deputy Public Relations Manager Abdulrahman Al-Anbar echoed the sentiments of other guests, and expressed his appreciation at being invited to the celebrations.

Korean Ambassador Kim Jin-Soo said that he was delighted to have taken part in the celebrations of a popular daily “which is liked by everyone.”

The event was sponsored by Platinum Sponsors LG, Banque Saudi Fransi, Abdullah Qandeel, Centerpoint and Saudi Basic Industries Corporation. The Gold Sponsors were Wipro and Huawei and Silvers Sponsors Riyad Bank, Maaden, Saudi Steel and Lulu supermarkets. Arab News published a colorful special supplement to mark the occasion.

On behalf of all the Chinese companies in the Kingdom, Chen Xifu, chairman of the contact office of Chinese companies in Saudi Arabia, and deputy chief representative of Sinopec, said the newspaper was a valuable source of information.

“Arab News has helped Chinese companies better understand local society and the market, to promote the image of Chinese products and services, and to enhance bilateral exchange and communication on the political, economic and cultural fronts between China and Saudi Arabia.”

“We have worked closely on multiple events with the Arab News staff. “With its exceptional professional ethics and skills, the reporters and editors of Arab News have truly done a great job,” he said.

“It was a pleasure and a very positive experience being part of the celebration. It was well planned and gave a good insight into the long history of the newspaper, its many accomplishments, where it stands today and where it’s heading. Personally, I especially enjoyed the sword dance with traditional music.”

Safiye Kücükkaraca, acting head of trade at the Danish Embassy, said: “I felt the Arab hospitality, generosity and kindness during the event, especially when Editor in Chief Mohammed Fahad Al-Harthi made sure that we were greeted and taken care of.”

Shoura Council members Zuhair Al-Harthi and Hatem Al-Marzouqi also expressed their delight at being among the participants on the night.

Other ambassadors who attended the celebration included Syed Omarkhil (Afghanistan), Geert Criel (Belgium), Ole Frijs-Madsen (Denmark), Boris Ruge (Germany), Norihiro Okuda (Japan), Doc Tran Nguyen Tuyen (Vietnam), Yunus Demirer (Turkey), Mogamat Sadick Jaffer (South Africa), Li Chengwan (China), Rexhep Boja (Kosovo), Bakyt Batyrshayev (Kazakhstan) and Juan Carlos (Cuba).

The master of ceremonies was Siraj Wahab, senior editor at the newspaper.