Gulf News at 42: A timeline and milestones
Gulf News has changed, achieved much during its four-decade run; it continues to evolve
Timeline of Gulf News:
September 30, 1978
First issue of Gulf News is launched and inaugurated by His Highness Shaikh Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, in tabloid format from Airport Road office. It is founded by UAE businessman Abdullah Abu Al Houl.
January 1, 1980
Gulf News format is changed from Tabloid to morning broadsheet and become seven days a week. A weekly lifestyle magazine titled Al Juma’a was published on Fridays from January 4, 1980. Magazine for younger readers titled Junior News introduced.
December 10, 1985
Gulf News relaunched under new management. The package comprising the broadsheet newspaper and colour leisure section with classified advertisements titled Tabloid is launched. New premises built in 1985. The first issue printed and published at the new premises appeared on January 10, 1986. All departments moved to the new premises on January 30, 1986.
January 31, 1986
Gulf News becomes the first newspaper to print colour in broadsheet format.
November 7, 1986
Al Jum’a magazine is replaced by Gulf Weekly magazine. Gulf News distributed to other
GCC countries in late 1980s. Gulf News also is the first with heat-set colour printing with glazed paper from 1986 and first in the Gulf with computerised page make-up from 1988. Also first with most advanced printing press in the Middle East and first to use re-cycled newsprint.
March 1989
Gulf News launched Gulf Business Awards in collaboration with DHL for the Best Chief Executive, Enterprise and Businessman. Gulf News is the first newspaper in the region to promote arts, culture, music and sports through sponsorship of events.
July 1, 1990
Gulf News receives Asia-Pacific Award for Best Newspaper Production of 1989.
September 1, 1996
Gulf News goes online.
January 1, 1995
Cover price of Gulf News increased to two dirhams
May 22, 1995
A separate Appointments section of Classifieds is introduced in broadsheet format.
November 30, 1995
The width of the broadsheet pages is reduced by four centimeters to create the new international size of 38 centimeters.
September 1, 1996
Gulf News goes online.
May 16, 1997
Friday magazine launched.
January 1, 2000
A separate Property section of Classifieds is launched.
April 6, 2000
Gulf News moves to its new head office housing a state of the art technology and the most advanced printing press in the Middle East.
January 23, 2001
Al Nisr Publishing FZ LLC is established in Dubai Media City
June 21, 2003
A re-designed Gulf News launched on June 21, 2003. It was designed by Garcia Media, one of the world’s leading newspaper design houses.
September 16, 2004
The Weekend Review launched to be distributed on Fridays with the broadsheet newspaper.
March 2006
Gulf News wins award of excellence for page design from the Society of News Design, the first for a Middle East publication. A new package for the Saturday weekend edition was introduced including features sections titled Unwind and Explore.
September 16, 2004
Weekend Review, a weekly culture section, is launched.
December 4, 2004
A separate Freehold section of Classifieds is launched
March 2006
Gulf News has won an Award of Excellence from the Society of News Design.
March 2007
Gulf News won one Silver Medal and five Awards of Excellence from the Society of News Design.
January 1, 2008
Gulf News cover price was increased to three (3) dirhams from two (2) dirhams
February 2008
Gulf News won seven awards in the 29th Society for News Design competition. Further to these awards, Gulf News won the Best Print Award for Asia (IFRA) for outstanding print quality in newspaper production and has been nominated for 2008 as one of the top 50 IFRA Newspaper Quality Club members.
January 2009
Gulf News won the Outstanding Environmental Publication award for its “Go Green” campaign, which runs in 2008. The campaign is the first ever of its kind by a media organization in the UAE.
February 2009
Gulf News won 10 design awards in the 30th Society for News Design competition.
March 2010
Gulf News has been awarded by the Society for News Design for excellence with 43 awards, one (1) Silver award for the Global Economic Meltdown pages and 42 Awards of Excellence
August 4, 2010
Gulf News won the Gold Awards for Newspaper Special Section, Newspaper Infographics and another Bronze Award for Newspaper Infographics from WAN-IFRA.
November 28, 2011
Gulf News receives an award from Forbes as the top English language website in UAE and ranked 12th among Arab and English sites in the region.
June 1, 2012
Gulf News becomes the first Berliner format newspaper in the region.
October 15, 2012
Gulf News launches SMS service for breaking news.
June 1, 2013
Gulf News cover price is increased to five (5) dirhams from three (3) dirhams
March, 2017
Gulf News wins 17 Awards of Excellence and one silver medal for the book of An Amazing Nation, brought out to mark the 45th year of the UAE
March 15, 2017
Gulf News launches its new sponsored content Reach by Gulf News
[Compiled by Gulf News Archives]