London: To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Arab News, the Global Arab Network held an event on Friday featuring a preview of the documentary and a panel discussion on digital transformation in newspapers, as well as on the growing impact of artificial intelligence on the future of the media.
Guests welcomed Ghassan Ibrahim, founder of London-based Global Arab Network, praised Arab news, saying it has become “one of the most trusted newspapers in the Middle East.”
“The Global Arab Network works to help people in Arab countries and other parts of the world understand each other better. They connect cultures, support development, and support projects that share news and ideas,” he said.
“Their work is similar to what Arab News does. They both want to bring the East and West closer.”
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London's frontline clubs describe themselves as “a gathering place for other like-minded people interested in independent journalism and international affairs that are interested in freedom of speech.” And “Fighting for safety to do important work as a freelancer.”
In his speech, Faisal J. Abbas, Arab News Editor-in-Chief, said: “We would like to thank the Global Arab Network for hosting this event and publishing the documentary. We hope that we can benefit from the success stories of Arab news digital transformation through the future of AIPERED.”
He added: “For the past 50 years, Arab news has been at the forefront of technology when it comes to news collection, verification, research and distribution. The latest podcast launched using Google NotebookLM is a testament to our commitment.”
The Frontline Club event in London featured famous officials, diplomats, Saudi editor Othman Al-Omair, Asharq Network's Nabeel Khatib and Al Majalla editor Ibrahim Hamidi.
Members of the parliament, lecturers from British universities, former ministers and ambassadors were among the attendees.
The event saw a preview of the short film “Rewrite of Arab News,” about newspaper reboots and digital transformation, between 2016 and 2018, announced by the Global Arab Network.
The event paid tribute to his brothers Hisham and Muhammed Ali Hafiz, who launched Arab News as Saudi Arabia's first English daily newspaper.
The night also discussed how Arab News is launching new initiatives and projects as part of preparing for an AI-driven future.
“In 2000, less than 7% of the world's population was connected to the internet. 25 years later, more than 60% of the world is connected to the internet,” Abbas said.
“We are already on the crisis of the AI revolution, and the news industry continues to evolve. We hope that Arab news will continue to continue this challenge and thrive under this challenge.”
Arab News was founded in 1975 under the slogan “Major Middle Eastern English Every Day” and documented the major transformations taking place in the Middle East while giving Arabs the voice of English.
In April 2018, Arab News changed its 43-year-old logo with a new motto and a “Changing Local Voice.” Newspapers have reopened with new designs and a new approach to stories that they believed would be more suitable for the internet age.
“Since 1975, Arab news has been the voice of the Arab world, a newspaper of Saudi Arabia and the wider regional record. That voice must change as the region changes and the Arab world faces new challenges and new political, social and economic realities.
Arab News celebrates its 50th anniversary at the moment of shift as Lebanon and Syria form new governments and the Middle East prepares for a high-level conference in New York in June this year on Palestinian two-state solutions, co-chaired by Saudi Arabia and France.
“It's amazing to look back at history to see patterns of how history repeats, but sometimes it can have a happy ending,” Abbas said.
The post-screening panel featured Chris Doyle, director of the Arab-British Understanding Council (CAABU). Juan Senor, partner of Innovation Media Consulting Group. And Abbas.
“Like Arab news, Tech giants Apple and Google have also started out in their garages, and there's something I have to say about that,” Doyle said.
He praised Arab news for consistently reforming himself “not only to keep up with the times, but to stay in front of them.”
In April, Arab News launched its 50th anniversary collection, highlighting the important events that have shaped the Middle East with the evolution of the newspaper itself over the past 50 years.
As part of a complement to our digital transformation efforts and anniversary project, Arab News released a podcast series last month. It was created using Google's AI-powered research tool NoteBookLM, and features an AI-generated voice that describes artificial hosts and pivotal moments that defined the region's recent history.
Senor said: “Arab News consistently sets the standards for English journalism in the region, providing clarity and credibility at a time when balanced stories about the Middle East are more important than ever.”
He added: “Arab news has played an important role in raising the voices of local communities that are often overlooked or misrepresented in international discourse: it is purposeful journalism, not just headlines.”
As part of the same series' initiative, celebrating its 50th anniversary, Arab News held a special reception and speech last month with Google on the first day of the Arab Media Summit in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
At the reception on May 26th, Mona Almali, director of the Dubai Media Office of Dubai, said, “We hope that all media in our region will continue with Arab News steps.
In areas where more than 50% of the population is younger, he added, “We should all follow this model.”
In a keynote speech at the event, Khalfan Belhoul, CEO of Dubai Future Foundation, said:
He said the destructive power of AI is more important than ever, from disinformation to audience distrust. “AI may be the hero of the next media chapter, but self-criticism, adaptability and editorial responsibility define its success,” says Belhoul.
Headquartered in Riyadh, Arab News has expanded its digital audio by establishing stations in London, Pakistan and Dubai, in addition to editions published in French and Japanese.
