LONDON: Asharq Al-Awsat, the leading international Pan-Arab newspaper and one of SRMG’s flagship media brands, has undergone a digital-first transformation, enhancing both its print and digital offerings. With its revamped platforms, integrated technology, and new look, Asharq Al-Awsat seeks to increase accessibility and readership among new generations. 

The transformation builds on 45 years of quality journalism, throughout which Asharq Al-Awsat has been the go-to news source for decision-makers, influencers, and policy and research centers interested in the region. 

Asharq Al-Awsat’s new digital enhancements include an optimized website, an interactive mobile app, a podcast channel, daily curated newsletters, refreshed social media channels, and updates across all audience touchpoints. With these enhancements, Asharq Al-Awsat’s content is now fully accessible across all channels, including TV programs on Asharq Business with Bloomberg and other SRMG platforms.

Asharq Al-Awsat has bolstered its editorial strategy, enhancing the coverage it is renowned for across politics, culture, economics as well as health, science and technology.

Asharq Al-Awsat was launched in 1978 as a dedicated Pan-Arab newspaper, catering to Arabs all over the world. From its early days in London’s Fleet Street, Asharq Al-Awsat has become widely known for its iconic green cover pages that represent an important part of its history. The newspaper’s reporting has gone hand-in-hand with the world’s most significant events over the past decades, including the Arab-Israeli conflict, the Camp David Summit and subsequent treaties, the Iranian Revolution, the Lebanese Civil War, the Iraq-Iran War, the first Gulf War, the 2003 Iraq invasion and the tumultuous Arab Spring.  

Throughout the years and due to its reputation as a reliable and credible newspaper, Asharq Al-Awsat has attracted interviews with several global leaders at pivotal moments in world history, including former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev before the fall of the Soviet Union and former US President George W. Bush following the Iraq war and others. 

Since its founding, the newspaper has been led by renowned journalists and editors committed to fearless reporting, and presenting a balanced and informed world view.  

As the largest integrated media group from the MENA region, SRMG is creating new, integrated cross-platform experiences for audiences. For the first time, Asharq Al-Awsat’s content will also be accessible on Asharq News platforms. Collaboration across brands is considered an important aspect of SRMG’s broader transformation strategy, and will expand the syndication of quality content, ensuring that global audiences always have access to the news at anytime and anywhere.

Commenting on the relaunch, Jomana R. Al-Rashid, CEO of SRMG, said: “Since its creation, Asharq Al-Awsat has been widely recognized as the leading newspaper from the Arab world. No other Arab newspaper has been able to match the quality and depth of its reporting. It should come as no surprise that the newspaper has maintained a strong and loyal readership. This revamp is yet another example of Asharq Al-Awsat driving innovation. We are bolstering editorial content and improving its delivery through leveraging data and new platforms. We are attracting and developing young, emerging journalists to deliver the quality reporting that Asharq Al-Awsat is known for. And we are enhancing its accessibility to ensure new generation of readers have access to premium, original content.”

Ghassan Charbel, Editor-in-chief of Asharq Al-Awsat, stressed the importance of keeping pace with the changing media landscape by relaunching the newspaper with a new look and feel whilst maintaining its reputation for providing exclusive and high-quality journalism. Charbel said, “Our digital transformation ensures that we attract a new generation of readers who want to access our content in different ways and through different platforms.” 

He added: “Capitalizing on our extensive experience, we will invest in producing even more distinctive, innovative, and high-quality content, keeping pace with the evolving patterns of information consumption. Adopting a digital first approach will grow our readership.” 

Asharq Al-Awsat has always driven innovation through utilizing the latest technologies. It adopted the best printing techniques of the time. In the 1980s, Asharq Al-Awsat became one of the first Arab newspapers to utilize satellite transmissions to dispatch its content to printing press around the world. And then it became the first Arab newspaper to build a website, providing increased access to its readers. As is evidenced in this latest brand refresh, the newspaper continues to be at the forefront of change in the media sector, prioritising the objective of catering to the growing needs of its readers and reaching new audiences.