Three decades and still going strong
Gulf News boasts an enviable presence in the publishing industry
As Gulf News comes to complete 30 years of its existence, the newspaper very much deserves to celebrate what it has accomplished over the past three decades.
What Gulf News stands for today should not be measured merely in the language of numbers - that of its staff, budget, assets or circulation, for that matter.
What Gulf News is celebrating today is the identity it created for itself, the standing it has achieved within society and the responsibility it has taken on in serving its readers and the community to which it belongs.
Most important of all, this celebration is not that of Gulf News alone as entities do not grow in isolation or function in a vacuum. What the newspaper has been able to achieve thus far is a mirror of the strides made in the UAE as a nation.
Gulf News, with its parent and associated companies, today boasts an enviable presence in the English-language publishing industry in the country.
The efforts that have been made over the years to push the newspaper forward have become the basis for the evolution of the company into a recognisable media group, with the latest step being the branching into areas such as magazine publishing and radio.
But perhaps one of the most important aspects as to how and why Gulf News has reached what it is today is based on many variables. These include the newspaper's unwavering allegiance to its readers, its commitment to be of service to the community and its realisation of a social responsibility that govern the functioning of any reputed newspaper.
Not only has Gulf News throughout its history tried to set and achieve high standards in what it does, but it has also established benchmarks in terms of why it is pursuing them. This has given the publication credibility and has gained the trust of many thanks to the relentless efforts of its rank and file.
Development
But it is also naive to claim victory without giving appropriate credit to the factors that helped Gulf News acquire the status it enjoys today. The growth that the organisation has witnessed is directly related to the changing scene in the country - with all its ups and downs - and the position that its leaders strived for on the political, economic and social levels.
Impossible to overlook for instance is the importance the late Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan placed on the press when it came to its role in society. He wanted the press to play an active role in the development of a country that got its independence in 1971. The media should also play a part in realising the dreams of a nation.
These expectations have been carried over by the current leadership with President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan also emphasising the role of the press in safeguarding what the federation has attained and taking society forward.
Public involvement
The leaning in the country today is towards political participation, transparency and public involvement in the development process. There is no doubt that the press is also seen - and rightly so - as an integral part of this process. The recent directive by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, not to jail journalists gives an indication as to how the press will function in the future.
In addition, Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Foreign Minister and Chairman of the National Media Council, has consistently advocated that a wider horizon be given for the press to function in.
The growth of the media in the UAE is also directly part of the impressive economic development that has become a hallmark of the country.
And it is this fact which has set the premise for Gulf News as much as for other publications to carve a presence in the industry.
The same principles that governed the functioning of Gulf News in past decades will guarantee its stepping into the future - that is innovating its technical capabilities, being creative in its thought and content, and most important of all, being committed to the written word, the public and community in ethics and principles.
