2005
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Saudi on library drive
Saudi Arabia will establish more public libraries throughout the Kingdom, which will be more accessible to women than before, according to Information Minister Iyad Madani. There are only a few libraries in the Saudi, and most of them are linked to universities and colleges. Saudi writers and intellectuals have been urging the government to open more libraries for some time.
BBC, English on Egypt radio
BBC World Service has agreed to produce a weekly programme on Egyptian radio, aimed at people learning English in Egypt. The bilingual one-hour segment will be broadcast on Middle East FM and Youth & Sport FM, with content also available online at bbcarabic.com.
Former Jazeera journalist jailed
Former al Jazeera journalist Tayssir Alouni has been sentenced to seven years imprisonment by a Spanish court after being convicted of acting as a financial courier to Osama Bin Laden's al Qaeda network. Alouni interviewed Bin Laden before the September 11 attacks. The Qatar-based news network said it would appeal the conviction.
SMBs prefer Internet to magazines
Small and medium businesses use the Internet as their primary source of information for IT, at 70%, followed by vendors and consultants, with trade magazines the least used source, according to new research from HP. HP ME SMB Manager, Hamid Hassan, says the results will influence how the company plans its future marketing and advertising campaigns.
AME introduces podcasting
AME Info has started podcasting, allowing users to subscribe and download its audio features and interviews. The service is aimed at people wanting to listen to AME Info offline, such as in their car or at home. It works on both computers and digital audio players.
LBC journalist in bomb blast
Prominent LBC journalist May Chidiac is in a critical condition after a bomb ripped apart her car north of Beirut yesterday, according to news agency reports. LBC said the bomb had been planted under the driver's seat of her Range Rover and exploded when she turned on the car's ignition.
DMC calls for media audits
Dubai Media City Director Mohammed Al Mulla has called for media owners to start auditing their titles, reported Campaign Middle East. Advertising agencies are very serious about audits and clients are actively supporting it, International Advertising Association's VP Marwan Rizk said in a speech to an ITP forum in Dubai.
Dubal to show its brand
Dubai Aluminium is running a branding programme as part of a strategy to maintain its market position. The campaign will be overseen by international branding expert Dr Paul Temporal, who is also involved in the Branding Dubai campaign for the Dubai government.
GOIC launches IMI portal
The Gulf Organisation for Industrial Consulting has developed an Industrial Market Intelligence portal to facilitate industrial development in the region. The portal provides industrial data, statistics and analytical content presented in one location as six integrated databases. It was developed using IBM's WebSphere suite of middleware products and is available in Arabic and English.
Al Arabiya wants reporter freed
Al Arabiya is demanding the release of an Iraqi reporter who has been held without charge by US forces in Iraq since last week, reported Reuters. Majid Hameed, who worked for the Dubai-based satellite channel in Ramadi and freelance for Reuters, was arrested along with other men at a funeral of a relative.
Maktoob launches trade website
Maktoob.com has launched a new website, souq.com, to provide a medium for private sales in the region. The site is designed to allow buyers and sellers to deal without having to to go to international auction sites.
JCC takes channel to US
The Al Jazeera Children's Channel plans to extend its coverage to the US to cater to Arabic-speaking children there, according to a senior network official. A children's channel in English has also been mooted, but no further details are currently available as to its planned introduction.
Noorsat pushes satellite TV
Bahrain-based Noorsat, the satellite communications platform created by investors from Saudi and the Gulf, says the number of television channels broadcasting to the Middle East will double in the next five years. The bullish outlook follows Noorsat's agreement to use the capacity of two European Eutelsat satellites.
Concept markets EEP
Concept Media has been appointed media and marketing agents for afternoon daily The Emirates Evening Post. Chairman Qassim Mohammed Yousuf said the move will allow Press Centre, the paper's publishers, to focus on building its circulation and distribution network across the GCC.
First Arabic tabloid in GCC
Al-Emarat Al-Yom published today is the first Arabic tabloid newspaper in the Gulf, and has an English language sister called Emirates Today. We aim to be different in form by opting for a tabloid format, which is more in tune with the times, but also in content, by focusing on what is of interest to the public, said Sami Al Riyami, editor-in-chief of the Dubai tabloids.
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