To celebrate Gulf News turning 40, we let young millennials in the office read the first edition of Gulf News ever, which was published on September 30, 1978.
Reactions by most young readers was initially surprise, then amazement. Gulf News Head Of Archives Abdul Kareem has preserved Gulf News's first ever edition in a black binder and maintained it well. Most pages were in great condition with only a few slightly torn and yellow. It had an old newspaper smell and felt odly nostalgic.
It was fascinating seeing full page advertisements in black and white that were more words and less images, as well as radio and television guides. There were no clear sections, since business, opinion, world news, sports and local news were all mixed up in the pages. The news was hard hitting and unapologetic.
Here are some other interesting facts:
- The first Gulf News ever was circulated to only 11,000 people
- The newspaper used to cost Dh1
- Everything was printed in black and white
- Classifieds were 80 fils per word
- It's just plain cool
