The future is bright

Senior managers of two UAE-based companies were delighted yesterday when they came across advertisements for their businesses on the front page of Gulf News.

They had no idea they were advertising in yesterday's paper because the adverts appeared on a wrap-around of Gulf News' first edition dated September 30, 1978.

Click here to see the first ever Gulf News frontpage (pdf)

They were the first advertisers to feature on the front page of Gulf News, whose first edition was distributed yesterday in commemoration of the newspaper's 30th anniversary.

Ghiyath Nabulsi, general manager of Riviera Pool, and Ram Buxani, executive vice chairman of Cosmos, said they felt proud to have been the first advertisers in the history of Gulf News.

Both companies are still operating and remain associated with the paper. They said their progress went hand in hand with Gulf News.

Click here to listen to Editor at Large Francis Matthews speaking about the early days of Gulf News (mp3)

"Our trust with Gulf News is rock solid. I kept the front page of the first edition under my arm and showed it to everyone I came across," said Nabulsi.

Yesterday's newspaper was distributed to homes and outlets across the country and beyond.

"I was really surprised to see the advertisement because it made me feel proud to have been the first advertiser," he said, adding the company has been operating in Sharjah since 1976 and continues to sell equipment and chemicals for swimming pools.

Click here to listen to Associate Editor Nicholas Coates talk about his time at Gulf News (mp3)

Buxani has been running his business Cosmos for 48 years, and felt a sense of nostalgia upon seeing the advertisement.

"I am in the business of electrical goods. The first edition of Gulf News brought back memories. I received telephone calls all morning because [people] were as surprised as I was," he said, noting he recalled reading the newspaper when it was in its original tabloid format.

As for Gulf News subscribers, it was like rebounding and rekindling their romance with the newspaper that has provided them news, views and reviews.

It has not only provided them with a platform to share their sorrows and complaints but also their joys. Many people said they would be keeping the paper as a memento of the newspaper's evolvement over the decades.

"I read the front page story published 30 years back with great interest. The newspaper has evolved considerably since then. I am sure that people who work for the newspaper are equally proud of their achievements," said Gopal Krishnan, a Gulf News subscriber.