The National (Abu Dhabi)

UAE newspaper

The National

Front page of The National on 27 June 2018

Type| Daily newspaper
Format| Broadsheet
Owner(s)| International Media Investments (IMI)
Editor-in-chief| Mina Al-Oraibi
Deputy editor| Daniel Gledhill
Managing editor| Laura Koot
Staff writers| More than 120
Founded| 17 April 2008; 17 years ago (2008-04-17)
Political alignment| Pro-government
Language| English
Headquarters| Abu Dhabi
Circulation| Unaudited[1]
Website| thenationalnews.com

The National is a UAE state-owned English-language daily newspaper published in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.[2]

According to the Financial Times, the newspaper "is seen as a mouthpiece for Abu Dhabi's worldview."[2] The newspaper toes the government line and self-censors on issues considered objectionable by the government.[2] The newspaper is owned by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President of the United Arab Emirates, which is ruled by his brother, Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan.[2]

## History and profile

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The National was first published on 17 April 2008 by Abu Dhabi Media.[3][4] The government-owned media company ran the newspaper along with other publications, including Al-Ittihad, Majid, Zahrat Al Khaleej and National Geographic Al Arabiya (in partnership with National Geographic).[5] In 2016, The National was acquired by International Media Investments, a subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi Media Investment Corporation, a private investment company owned by Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan that is also part-owner of Sky News Arabia.[5][6] Under new ownership, The National was relaunched in July 2017, a move marked by relocation to new headquarters and the opening of a foreign bureau in London.[7] The National has had three previous editors-in-chief: Mohammed Al Otaiba served from February 2014 to October 2016;[8] Hassan Fattah from June 2009 to October 2013;[9] and Martin Newland, who was the launch editor, from April 2008 until June 2009.[10][11]

With its pledge to follow widely accepted journalism standards and to "help society evolve", The National claims to be an anomaly in the Middle East, where most media outlets are tightly controlled by the government.[8] However, a major goal in establishing the paper was to have respect from the international community on the part of the government.[12]

During the initial launch The National built its staff levels up to 200, recruiting from newspapers around the world, including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and The Daily Telegraph of Britain.[13][4] Martin Newland was editor of The Daily Telegraph from 2003 to 2005, and he took with him many former Telegraph employees, such as Colin Randall (former Telegraph executive news editor), Sue Ryan (former managing editor) and senior photographer Stephen Lock (who covered domestic and foreign news and the international fashion circuit during 20 years on The Daily Telegraph).[14]

In 2008, the circulation of the newspaper was 60,000 copies.[15]

## Content

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The paper is a single selection organised into five daily sections (News, Business, Opinion, Arts & Lifestyle and Sport) and a Weekend edition which comes out every Friday. It covers local and international news, business, sports, arts and life, travel and motoring. In addition, The National publishes two magazines: Ultratravel (quarterly) and Luxury (monthly). The target group of the paper can be described as 25 and above, educated, affluent, business leaders, decision makers, and key influencers.[1]

## Reception

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In a 2012 article in the American Journalism Review, former foreign desk editor Tom O'Hara contended that coverage was skewed to favor the agenda of the government of the United Arab Emirates. He said that the newspaper had a "meticulous censorship process" that directly influenced coverage and word usage in the newspaper, such as prohibiting use of the term "Persian Gulf". He said that the newspaper engaged in self-censorship, suppressing coverage of subjects deemed to cast an unfavorable light on the UAE royal family and government. He said that, among other things, coverage of the Libyan uprising was suppressed, as were articles about WikiLeaks and gay rights.[16]

The New Republic reported in February 2013 that The National had failed to live up to high expectations that had been raised when it was established. The magazine said that the newsroom has had a series of crises during the preceding five years, and that "tensions over the management and direction of the paper have been simmering behind the scenes, with leadership changes, budget cuts, infighting and allegations of rampant self-censorship conspiring to trigger a series of defections that have depleted the paper of much of its marquee talent". The article described examples of rampant self-censorship, and said the newspaper's story was "a cautionary tale about pursuing journalism in a censored society".[10]

## See also

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* Journalism portal

* List of newspapers in the United Arab Emirates

## References

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1. ^ a b "UAE" (PDF). Publicitas. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 December 2012. Retrieved 8 June 2012.
2. ^ a b c d "Abu Dhabi's media record under scrutiny after Telegraph deal offer". Financial Times. 2024. Archived from the original on 7 January 2024. Retrieved 7 January 2024. "With Britain's Telegraph Media Group in its sights, the oil-rich emirate of Abu Dhabi is closing in on its most audacious push into English-speaking media since the launch of state-owned daily The National 15 years ago."
3. ^ Brook, Stephen (10 April 2008). "Martin Newland's Abu Dhabi newspaper ready for launch". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 23 October 2020. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
4. ^ a b Timmons, Heather (29 April 2008). "A New Mideast Paper Vows to Be Different". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 21 October 2020. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
5. ^ a b "International Media Investments acquires ownership of The National". The National. Abu Dhabi. 16 November 2016. Archived from the original on 14 August 2020. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
6. ^ "Abu Dhabi Media Investment Corp and British Sky Broadcasting form joint venture". Hexus. Archived from the original on 24 October 2020. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
7. ^ "The National marks successful relaunch and London expansion". The National. Abu Dhabi. 23 October 2017. Archived from the original on 11 November 2021. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
8. ^ a b "Mohammed Al Otaiba named new editor-in-chief of The National". The National. Abu Dhabi. 30 January 2014. Archived from the original on 6 August 2020. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
9. ^ Salem, Ola (2 October 2013). "The National's editor-in-chief steps down". The National. Abu Dhabi. Archived from the original on 14 January 2019. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
10. ^ a b Pompeo, Joe (28 February 2013). "'We Are Not Here to Fight for Press Freedom': The National wanted to be the Times of the Middle East. It failed". The New Republic. Archived from the original on 23 October 2020. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
11. ^ Greenslade, Roy (8 June 2009). "Roy Greenslade: Martin Newland quits editor's chair in Abu Dhabi". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 21 October 2020. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
12. ^ Reinisch, Lisa (3 August 2010). "Environmental Journalism in the UAE" (PDF). Arab Media & Society (11). doi:10.70090/LR10JUSE. Archived from the original on 23 November 2020. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
13. ^ "ذا ناشيونال نافذة إلى الإمارات وجسر إلى الآخر". alittihad.ae. Archived from the original on 8 January 2018. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
14. ^ Brook, Stephen (6 February 2008). "Mail showbiz reporter off to Abu Dhabi". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 21 October 2020. Retrieved 5 September 2010.
15. ^ The Report: Abu Dhabi 2009. Oxford Business Group. 2009. p. 209\. ISBN 978-1-907065-04-0. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
16. ^ OHara, Tom (December 2012/January 2013) "Just Make Sure You Don’t Call It the Persian Gulf!", American Journalism Review.

## External links

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* Official website (UAE)
* Today's The National front page at the Freedom Forum website