JEDDAH: Arab News, the Middle East’s leading English-language daily, has launched bureaus in Europe and Asia as part of its ongoing global, digital expansion.
The multimedia news-gathering hubs, run by two veteran journalists with decades of experience in the field, will contribute to the print edition and website www.arabnews.com.
Award-winning journalist Baker Atyani — an expert on terrorism and militant groups in Asia, having covered conflict zones on the continent for the past two decades — will lead the Southeast Asia bureau.
Throughout his career, Atyani has had several exclusives, including an interview with Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden before the 9/11 terror attacks.
On assignment in 2012, Atyani was kidnapped by one of the sub factions of the Abu Sayyaf Group in the Sulu Islands in southern Philippines. He was held for 18 months before being freed in December 2013.
Atyani was honored by the UN in December 2013 for his contributions to journalism, while the May Chidiac Foundation (MCF) gave him the “Exceptional Courage in Journalism” award in September 2014. Atyani will spearhead Arab News’ coverage of Asia, across print, online and video with a particular focus on India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines.
In addition, Arab News senior editor Ben Flanagan has been promoted to become the paper’s first London bureau chief. Upon being fully staffed, the London operation will cover the UK and Europe from an Arab perspective, with a particular focus on politics, business and investment. It will also serve as a digital hub for the newspaper.
Flanagan has 16 years’ experience working on national newspapers and news portals in Europe and the Middle East, and has reported from numerous countries including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Lebanon, Singapore, India and the US.
He started his career in London at The Observer, part of the Guardian Media Group, and the world’s oldest Sunday newspaper.
Faisal J. Abbas, Editor-in-Chief of Arab News, said that the new bureaus support the newspaper’s “more digital, more global” strategy.
“It is a great pleasure for us to have these two exceptionally experienced, incredibly capable journalists heading up our crucial Asia and UK operations, this inevitably adds much value to our readers who will be sure to get the best relevant content and stories from these regions,” said Abbas.
Arab News is part of the regional publishing giant Saudi Research and Marketing Group (SRMG). It has been the English newspaper of record for Saudi Arabia and the region for over 40 years.
Arab News appoints Baker Atyani to run Asia operations, Ben Flanagan to run London bureau
Arab News appoints Baker Atyani to run Asia operations, Ben Flanagan to run London bureau
Arab News wins 7 prizes at European Newspaper Awards, led by 50th anniversary coverage
- Anniversary special coverage and film won four Awards of Excellence across multiple categories
LONDON: Arab News won seven prizes at the 27th European Newspaper Awards — four for its 50th anniversary coverage and three for other projects — bringing its total to 160 awards since the 2018 relaunch.
The anniversary coverage earned an Award of Excellence in “Supplement for special occasions and anniversary editions,” plus wins in “Multimedia storytelling” for its special web section and two in “Film” and “Animated films” for its documentary.
Additional honors went to the “Spotlight — 2024 in Review” and “Opinion — 2024” print series in the “Sectional front pages nationwide newspaper” category, and a “Visualization” prize for an image from “Opinion — 2024.”
Launched in 1999 by organizer Norbert Kupper, the awards celebrate print and digital innovation. This year’s contest drew newspapers from 22 countries and more than 3,000 entries across 20 categories, despite fewer print submissions due to rising editorial collaborations.
“It’s testament to the skill, versatility and collaboration between the creative and editorial teams at Arab News that the seven awards at this year’s ENAs spanned print, digital and film categories,” commented Omar Nashashibi, head of creative design at Arab News. “These wouldn’t be possible without the world-class contributors we partner with, and the leadership, vision and support of Editor-In-Chief Faisal J. Abbas.”
Creative Director Simon Khalil called the film wins especially meaningful. “This recognition means a great deal because this film was never just about marking an anniversary, it was about capturing a defining moment in the evolution of Arab News and the region it represents.
“Telling the story, and drama of the 2018 relaunch, the digital transformation, and the courage to become ‘The Voice of a Changing Region’ was both a responsibility and a privilege.”
Past highlights include the “King Charles III Coronation” special coverage, “Kingdom vs. Captagon” investigation and FIFA Qatar World Cup 2022 special edition.
See more award-winning projects at arabnews.com/greatesthits.
