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The History of Gulf News
Gulf News has come a long way from when it was first launched in tabloid format on September 30, 1978.
1978 saw the launch of two English dailies in the Gulf. While its competitor carved a special niche for itself in the market and built up a loyal readership, Gulf News remained erratic, barely surviving with a circulation of 3000. Problems were compounded with ownership changes and with no investors willing to take a risk, it was on the verge of closure.
Then, in one dramatic move the fate of Gulf News changed. In 1984, three visionary, leading businessmen of Dubai bought it over. And Gulf News was relaunched on December 10, 1985 by Al Nisr Publishing LLC. Within a few months Gulf News had new premises, new printing technology, revitalised editorial, marketing, circulation teams and production professionals to harness the new technology.
A multi-pronged marketing strategy hit the target, advertising revenues soared by over 40% in the first three months, and subscriptions took a gigantic leap. The phenomenal success of the Gulf News re-launch was so remarkable that it justifiably earned the distinction of being referred to as "a unique record in print media within the GCC".
From then, it met with success on every front and firmly established itself as the leading English language newspaper of the region - a position it has occupied for many years. This fact is validated by the IPSOS MediaCT – NRS-UAE 2011 survey and also the BPA Worldwide audit for the six month period ending in June 2011, confirming an average daily circulation of 111,825. In fact, Gulf News reaches more readers than all the other English dailies, combined.
