Who wouldn’t want to be a publisher in the Gulf right now? While the industry is losing money left, right and center in the United States (and Europe), the Gulf is seeing a glut of publication launches.
The newest titles are Newsweek Middle East and Inc.
Newsweek Middle East was launched recently by ARY Digital Network, a Pakistani television company . The first issue was launched in English at the end of October and an Arabic edition is also in the pipeline. The website is http://www.newsweekme.com . The publication’s two front pages are below, along with a short video from their Twitter feed (the team have accounts on Facebook and on Instagram, and for those of you young-uns out there, they are also running a Snapchat account under the name @NewsweekME).
The second publication, which is yet to launch, is Inc. magazine, a monthly focusing on fast-growth companies. To be based in Qatar, the publication has been hiring journalists from Dubai publishers and should launch by the turn of the year in both English and Arabic.
While the launches of local editions for two global titles is to be welcomed, especially the Arabic-language editions, the question is if/when will this region suffer the same slowdown in terms of ad sales (Newsweek stopped publishing in the U.S. for some time in 2012 and 2013 and went fully digital for a year ). With the Gulf becoming a global pioneer in terms of digital firsts among consumers (for example smartphone penetration, social media usage), will advertisers realize there’s more ROI to be had in advertising online rather than in print? Let’s wait and find out.
Enjoy our weekly installment from Alex of Arabia, a blog featuring commentary on the media and marketing industry in the Middle East. Read older posts here .