XPRESS has largest audit per day after Gulf News

Dubai: XPRESS, the UAE's weekly tabloid published by Al Nisr Group, on Wednesday announced an audited circulation of 77,499, for the three-month period ending March 30, 2008. This makes it the largest audit per day of any newspaper in the UAE after market leader Gulf News.

The audit was carried out by BPA Worldwide, the internationally recognised circulation audit firm. Stuart Wilkinson, BPA Worldwide's director for Europe, Middle East and Africa, said: "The audit and verification standards employed by BPA Worldwide are among the most rigorous in the world. Adherence to international standards is paramount for the credibility of this region's industry."

The audit of XPRESS is part of Al Nisr Group's commitment to complete transparency, proven by Al Nisr Group's auditing of all of its publications, including Gulf News, the UAE and Gulf's largest English language newspaper, and all its magazines.

Al Nisr Group stands out in comparison to many other UAE newspapers through its commitment to transparency. This commitment goes back to June 2004 when Obaid Humaid Al Tayer, Managing Director of the Al Nisr Group, flung down the gauntlet to the UAE's media, saying all English language daily newspapers should carry out audits meeting comprehensive international standards.

After Gulf News announced its first full audit in September 2006, Al Tayer further added that Al Nisr Group was willing to be completely transparent, beyond the numbers published in the audit. He questioned the credibility of inadequate audits, which had plagued the UAE market in the past when they were offered by ABC.

By offering audits and transparency, Al Tayer committed Al Nisr Group to a standard to which the rest of the media might aspire.

XPRESS was launched in March 2007, and is the UAE's leading community publication.

It has built itself a strong reputation through its tough and investigative stories, which are balanced and inclusive across all nationalities. Through this distinctive style of story, XPRESS has built a new and very popular form of journalism in the UAE.

Breakdown

UAE-wide figures

- New Dubai 44,702

- Bur Dubai/Karama 10,968

-Jumeirah 4,281

--Deira 1,273

--Sub-total Dubai 71,224

--Abu Dhabi / Al Ain 2,789

--Sharjah 2,696

--Other 790

-Total qualified circulation 77,499