Gulf News….more mature, and discerning at 42

Dubai: I still remember the newsroom turning into a sea of orange when the Gulf News turned 30…and suddenly more than a decade has actually gone by us. The balloons, complimentary T-shirts ushered in a festive atmosphere as the newspaper reached a milestone in time.

Well, 42 may not be exactly a landmark like the way a 25 or 50 years of existence is, but reminds us that we are another year older in the business. The middle age has just begun…and it’s time to be more mature and discerning.

When I landed up in Dubai in late 2003, I had possibly never given myself a decade and-a-half in the same company in the Gulf. I had told my dad, whom I unfortunately lost within six months of coming here, that I would do ‘one visa term’ (three years those days) and be back.

It was only later I found out that I was not alone in this – for several of my colleagues had promised their folks the same – only to conveniently break it later. Working with the Gulf News brand was, and still is, a ticket to respectability in the bank or your daughter’s school – not to speak of the respect one commanded among the local ‘contacts.’

The nature of my job in the Sports desk meant an affair with late nights – which has now become my second nature. The UAE being a major sporting hub in the Middle East, we would define the year with major local sporting events – from tennis to golf to the biggest of them all – Dubai World Cup horseracing.

Then there were the biggies – the football and cricket World Cups, Summer Olympics – which needed serious planning, execution and of course keeping tab of what the rivals did. As we moved on, we have metamorphosed to a truly digital newsroom over the last few years – and have realised how relentless and demanding this business can be.

We are, of course, ready for the challenge!