Forbes announces tie-up with DIT Publishing to launch Forbes Arabia

The first issue of Forbes Arabia will be published in May 2004, with an initial circulation of over 16,000. In order to tailor the content relevant to the local markets, most of the content will be generated from within the region, with only minimal editorial used from the International editions of Forbes.

Making the announcement, Steve Forbes, CEO and Editor-in-Chief, who will attend the launch ceremony in Dubai said, "We are delighted and honored by this alliance with this outstanding publisher. Forbes Arabia will become a must read for Middle Eastern business executives and entrepreneurs who wish to move ahead. We have great faith in the future of the booming economy in the region."

The publication promises to extend the Forbes brand of journalism to the region, delivering unique, incisive analysis to local entrepreneurs, company owners, industry managers and investors and provide information and insights - giving Arab business executives the tools they need to compete and win in the Middle East marketplace. Forbes Arabia's editorial brief is to offer a fresh perspective to independent thinkers who want to be challenged and help readers capitalise on business and financial opportunities before anyone else.

A team of experts on companies, currencies, management and capital markets across the Middle East has been assembled by DIT Publishing to compose the editorial team. The team will contribute an extensive number of original features written exclusively for the magazine's influential Arabic readership.

John Parry the Chief Operating Officer of the Dabbagh Group, commenting on the launch said: "We are delighted to be launching the Arabic edition of Forbes and this is a landmark event for us and for the regional publishing industry in general. This launch confirms that prominent publishing brands such as Forbes now view Dubai as a major publishing hub. We saw an opportunity to fill a gap in the business category with Forbes Arabia and will deliver a product with the same editorial quality and integrity that readers expect of all Forbes editions".

Forbes Arabia will be the fifth local-language publication in the Forbes portfolio. Forbes Nihonban, a Japanese-language edition launched in 1991, has a circulation of 83,000. Forbes Brazil, a Portuguese-language edition, was launched in September 2001 and has a circulation of 50,000. Forbes Korea and Forbes Russia are two other local editions in the prominent magazines' portfolio.