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{{short description|Dubai-based English language newspaper}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{Infobox newspaper
| logo = File:Gulf News Logo.png
| logo_size =
| name = ''Gulf News''
| image = Gulf-New-May-22-2018.jpg
| image_size = 200px
| caption = ''Gulf News'' (cover of 22 May 2018)
| type = Daily newspaper
| format = [[Berliner (format)|Berliner]]
| foundation = {{start date and age|df=yes|1978|9|30}}
| language = English
| owners = [[Al Nisr Publishing]]
| editor = Abdul Hamid Ahmad<ref>{{cite news|title=Forbes ME reveals top Arab online media|url=http://www.emirates247.com/news/emirates/forbes-me-reveals-top-arab-online-media-2012-12-27-1.488983|access-date=11 September 2014|work=Emirates 24/7|agency=WAM|date=27 December 2012}}</ref>
| circulation = 108,187 (daily)<br />108,777 (weekend)<br>(December 2012)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bpaww.com/Bpaww_com/index.ashx?res=DisplayPDF&statement_id=87973|title=Gulf News Circulation Statement|date= December 2012|publisher=[[BPA Worldwide]]|access-date=11 July 2013}}</ref>
| headquarters = [[Dubai]], [[United Arab Emirates]]
| publishing_country = [[United Arab Emirates]]
| oclc = 232115522
| website = {{URL|http://www.gulfnews.com}}
}}
'''''Gulf News''''' is a daily [[English language]] [[newspaper]] published from [[Dubai]], [[United Arab Emirates]]. It was first launched in 1978, and is currently distributed throughout the UAE and also in other Persian [[Gulf Countries]]. Its online edition was launched in 1996.

==History and profile==
''Gulf News'' was first launched in [[tabloid format]] on 30 September 1978<ref>{{Cite web|title = The History of Gulf News|url = https://gulfnews.com/the-history-of-gulf-news-1.446035|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150511165724/https://gulfnews.com/the-history-of-gulf-news-1.446035|url-status = dead|archive-date = 2015-05-11|website = gulfnews.com|access-date = 2019-07-24}}</ref><ref name=leader>{{cite web |url=https://gulfnews.com/going-out/society/gulf-news-prepares-to-mark-four-decades-as-a-regional-media-leader-1.2275895 |title=Gulf News prepares to mark four decades as a regional media leader |access-date=24 July 2019 |date=8 September 2018 |work=Gulf News |publisher=Al Nisr Publishing |location=Dubai }}</ref> by UAE businessman Abdul Wahab Galadari; its offices were located on the Airport Road, Dubai. In November 1984, three UAE businessmen, purchased the company and formed Al Nisr Publishing. The new owners of the paper were Obaid Humaid Al Tayer, Abdullah Al Rostamani and [[Juma al Majid|Juma Al Majid]]. With the death of Abdullah Al Rostamani in 2006, his position on the board is held by a family nominee while the other directors remain.

Under new ownership, ''Gulf News'' was relaunched on 10 December 1985<ref name=leader /> and was free to the public. From February 1986, the public was charged one [[dirham]] (US 27 cents) a copy for the ''Gulf News'' package which comprised the broadsheet newspaper and a leisure supplement called Tabloid, which also contained classifieds.

After moving into new premises in 1986, ''Gulf News'' began to be distributed to other [[Gulf Cooperation Council|GCC]] countries: [[Bahrain]] from September 1987; [[Oman]] from April 1989; [[Saudi Arabia]] from March 1989; and [[Qatar]] from April 1989. It also became available in [[Pakistan]] from August 1988. In order to provide better local coverage for its readers, ''Gulf News'' opened various bureaus: the [[Abu Dhabi]] bureau was opened in 1982; Bahrain bureau in January 1988; Oman bureau in 1989; [[Manila]] bureau in August 1990; [[Al Ain]] bureau in 1994; [[Sharjah (emirate)|Sharjah]] bureau in May 1995; and the [[New Delhi]] bureau in November 1995.

In November 1995 the width of the paper's [[broadsheet]] pages was reduced by four centimetres, to create the new international size of 38 centimetres. [[Al Nisr Publishing]] became a [[Limited Liability Company|limited liability company]] (LLC) with a share capital of Dh15 million on 26 May 1997.

The first online edition of ''Gulf News'' was launched on 1 September 1996. The daily launched video news in its online edition in the second part of the 2000s, being among the first in the region.<ref>{{cite web|title=Social Media in the Arab World: Leading up to the Uprisings of 2011|url=http://www.hirondelle.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/SocialMediaintheArabWorldCIMA2011.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120227042057/http://www.hirondelle.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/SocialMediaintheArabWorldCIMA2011.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=27 February 2012|work=The Center for International Media Assistance|access-date=24 July 2019|author=Jeffrey Ghannam|date=3 February 2011}}</ref>

As of 2008 Abdul Hamid Ahmad was the [[editor-in-chief]] of the paper.<ref>{{cite web|title=Gulf Editor Sees Bright Future for Newspapers|url=http://www.arabpressnetwork.org/articlesv2.php?id=2090|publisher=The Arab Press Network|access-date=9 September 2014|date=4 April 2008}}</ref> Regular op-ed contributors to ''Gulf News'' include: [[Uri Avnery]], [[Kuldip Nayar]], Faisal Alkasim, [[Joseph A. Kechichian]], Sami Moubayed, Marwan Al Kabalan, Rakesh Mani, Linda S. Heard, Stuart Reigeluth and Wael Al Sayegh. ''Gulf News'' moved to its present headquarters on [[Sheikh Zayed Road]] in April 2000.

''Gulf News'' changed its format to [[Berliner (format)|Berliner]] on 1 June 2012, being the first Berliner-format daily published in the [[Arab countries]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Gulf News becomes first newspaper in the Arab world to go Berliner|url=http://www.publicitas.com/en/global/media-news-events/news-detail/?no_cache=1&rss=true&newsid=82746&title=Middle-East%3A-Gulf-News-becomes-first-newspaper-in-the-Arab-world-to-go-Berliner|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140813174458/http://www.publicitas.com/en/global/media-news-events/news-detail/?no_cache=1&rss=true&newsid=82746&title=Middle-East%3A-Gulf-News-becomes-first-newspaper-in-the-Arab-world-to-go-Berliner|url-status=dead|archive-date=13 August 2014|access-date=24 July 2019|work=Publicitas|date=3 June 2012}}</ref>

==Sponsorship and promotion==
''Gulf News'' was the first newspaper in the region to promote the arts, culture, music and sport through sponsorship of events.{{Citation needed|date=July 2019}} In March 1989, The paper started the Gulf Business Awards in collaboration with [[DHL Express|DHL]] for the Best Chief Executive, Enterprise and Businessman. The scheme was discontinued in 1996.

The Gulf News Fun Drive was started in March 1986. The 26th Fun Drive was held in December 2006 and saw 750 all-terrain vehicles with over 2,800 participants. An earlier Fun Drive was recorded in the Guinness Book of Records as being a significant first achievement.{{Citation needed|date=July 2019}} Gulf News sponsors the $2 million Dubai ''Golden Shaheen'', a Group 1 sprint which one of the main attractions, of the Dubai World Cup horse race. Gulf News also sponsors an evening of horse racing at Nad Al Sheba, with each race being named after one of its titles.{{citation needed|date=June 2018}}

The paper also sponsors a number of other sporting events in the UAE, as well as seminars and conferences. Principal among this latter is the [[Arab Strategy Forum]], where leaders in politics and industry gather to discuss current events affecting the region.{{citation needed|date=June 2018}}

==Role in Orkut ban==
On 3 July 2007, ''Gulf News'' revisited the issue of [[Orkut]]'s "immoral activities" communities, publishing complaints from members of the public against Orkut communities like "Dubai Sex", and officially bringing the complaints to the attention of the state telecom monopoly [[Etisalat]].<ref>[http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/07/07/03/10136441.html Orkut.com 'being used for immoral activities'] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090502162101/http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/07/07/03/10136441.html |date=2 May 2009 }} ''Gulf News'' 3 July 2007</ref> The ensuing [[moral panic]] resulted in a renewed ban of the site by Etisalat by 4 July 2007.<ref>[http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/07/07/04/10136890.html Orkut.com banned in the UAE] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090228214510/http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/07/07/04/10136890.html |date=28 February 2009 }} ''Gulf News'' 4 July 2007</ref>

==Awards==
The online edition of the paper was reported by ''Forbes Middle East'' in 2010 to be the number one among the English-language online newspapers in the [[Middle East]] and [[North Africa]] [[MENA|(MENA) region]] as well as in the UAE. The paper's online version was the seventh most visited website among all online websites in the same ranking.<ref>{{cite news|last=Badih|first=Samia|title=Gulf News No. 1 English online paper in Mena|url=http://gulfnews.com/business/media-marketing/gulf-news-no-1-english-online-paper-in-mena-1.702961|access-date=2 June 2012|newspaper=Gulf News|date=28 October 2010}}</ref> ''Forbes Middle East'' named it as the third online newspaper overall in the [[Arab world]] in the period from 31 August 2011 to 31 August 2012.<ref>{{cite news|title=Al Ahram tops online newspapers in Arab world: Forbes|url=http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/61353/Egypt/Politics-/AlAhram-tops-online-newspapers-in-Arab-world-Forbe.aspx|access-date=20 September 2013|work=Ahram Online|date=27 December 2012}}</ref> The newspaper was reported to have clinched a few trophies at the 2016 [[World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers|WAN-Ifra]] Asian Media Awards.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2016-03-31|title=15th Asian Media Awards honor top publishers|url=https://globalnation.inquirer.net/138227/15th-asian-media-awards-honor-top-publishers|access-date=2020-11-02|website=[[Philippine Daily Inquirer]]|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Jang Group wins Gold Award at Asian Media Awards|url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/110008-Jang-Group-wins-Gold-Award-at-Asian-Media-Awards|access-date=2020-11-02|website=[[The News International]]|language=en}}</ref>

==Controversy==
In January 2009, ''Gulf News'' ran a column by Mohammad Abdullah Al Mutawa that claimed the [[Holocaust denial|Holocaust was a lie]].<ref name=Holoden>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/greenslade/2009/jan/06/dubai-middleeast|title=Roy Greenslade: Dubai paper publishes holocaust denial column|author=Roy Greenslade|work=the Guardian}}</ref>

{{Quote|text=Today, the whole world stands as a witness to the fact that the Nazi holocaust was a mere lie, which was devised by the Zionists to blackmail humanity. The same Zionist entity swindled the world out of billions of dollars over the years to compensate the wrong and unjust which they claim to have been inflicted on their people. It is evident that the holocaust was a conspiracy hatched by the Zionists and Nazis, and many innocent people gave their lives as a result of this inhuman plot.<ref name=Holoden />}}

The article has since been removed from ''Gulf News''{{'}} website.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://gulfnews.com/opinion/columns/region/10272422.html|title=Denying the Holocaust|author=Mohammad Abdullah Al Mutawa|work=Gulf News}}</ref>

On 15 December 2013, ''Gulf News'' in its editorial claimed without mentioning any source that [[Pakistan]] and [[Afghanistan]] did not vote for Dubai in its bid for [[Expo 2020]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Expo 2020 vote: UAE deserves answers from Pakistan and Afghanistan|url=http://gulfnews.com/opinions/editorials/expo-2020-vote-uae-deserves-answers-from-pakistan-and-afghanistan-1.1266977|access-date=22 December 2013|newspaper=Gulf News}}</ref> The [[Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Pakistan)|Foreign Office of Pakistan]] quickly brushed aside the allegations as baseless mentioning the facts that Pakistan was committed to bid for Turkey Izmir since Turkey approached Pakistan for its support in 2011 long before Dubai even expressed its interest to host Expo 2020.<ref>{{cite news|title=Gulf News' Expo 2020 allegations baseless: FO|url=http://www.nation.com.pk/islamabad/17-Dec-2013/gulf-news-expo-2020-allegations-baseless-fo|access-date=22 December 2013|newspaper=The Nation}}</ref> Javed Jalil Khattak, [[Consulate General of Pakistan in Dubai]], in an open letter to ''Gulf News'' termed the editorial as "an orchestrated attempt to damage and defame the historic fraternal relations between Pakistan and the UAE",<ref>{{cite news|title=Gulf News stands by editorial on Expo 2020 vote|url=http://gulfnews.com/opinions/letters/gulf-news-stands-by-editorial-on-expo-2020-vote-1.1268070|access-date=22 December 2013|newspaper=Gulf News}}</ref> while the editorial drew an angry reaction from the [[Pakistanis in the United Arab Emirates|Pakistani expat community]] in the UAE.<ref>{{cite web|last=Parasie|first=Nicolas|title=Dubai Newspaper Editorial Evokes Sharp Pakistani Reaction|url=https://blogs.wsj.com/middleeast/2013/12/17/dubai-newspaper-editorial-evokes-sharp-pakistani-reaction/|work=The Wall Street Journal|access-date=22 December 2013}}</ref>

On 10 July 2017, Francis Matthew, former Editor and then Editor-at-Large at ''Gulf News'', was charged with the murder of his wife, Jane,<ref>{{Cite news|date=2017-07-10|title=UK journalist charged with Dubai murder|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-40561373|access-date=2020-09-13}}</ref> allegedly with a hammer blow to her head, over a row about finances. According to the charge, he killed her in the early morning of 4 July 2017,<ref>{{Cite web|title=10 years in jail for British journalist who killed his wife with a hammer in Dubai|url=https://gulfnews.com/uae/crime/10-years-in-jail-for-british-journalist-who-killed-his-wife-with-a-hammer-in-dubai-1.2193878|access-date=2020-09-13|website=gulfnews.com|language=en}}</ref> then went to work and held meetings as normal, after which he then returned in the evening to their villa and reported to police that thieves had broken in and assaulted her. After questioning he admitted he killed her, claiming she harangued him when a huge argument erupted over finances and debts totalling some 1 million dirhams (£200,000). Subsequently, controversy surrounding his sentencing and re-sentencing has led to media reports. In October 2018 his sentence was increased from 10 years to 15 years, with pleas from Jane Matthew's family to change the charge from physical assault to premeditated murder.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Jail sentence increased for former Gulf News editor who killed his wife|url=https://www.thenational.ae/uae/courts/jail-sentence-increased-for-former-gulf-news-editor-who-killed-his-wife-1.777958|access-date=2020-09-13|website=The National|language=en}}</ref> But then, due to the death of Jane's father, his lawyers were allowed to appeal again, as UAE newspaper ''[[The National (Abu Dhabi)|The National]]'' reported: "Jane's only surviving legal heir, her son, had previously signed a waiver dropping criminal charges against his father. This meant all private charges against him had been dropped but that public law – the right of government law against an accused – was still applicable. In UAE law, if the legal successors of a victim drop charges and waive their private rights, the court is still obliged to impose a penalty against the accused under public law – but it will be a shorter term.".<ref>{{Cite web|title=Former Dubai editor who killed wife to serve seven years in jail|url=https://www.thenational.ae/uae/courts/former-dubai-editor-who-killed-wife-to-serve-seven-years-in-jail-1.943411|access-date=2020-09-13|website=The National|language=en}}</ref> While the minimum sentence for murder in the UAE is 10 years, Matthew's defence expects a reduction to two years based on public law. The case is ongoing.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Briton who killed his wife in Dubai may only serve two years in jail|url=https://www.thenational.ae/uae/briton-who-killed-his-wife-in-dubai-may-only-serve-two-years-in-jail-1.873742|access-date=2020-09-13|website=The National|language=en}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|33em}}

==External links==

*{{Newseum front page|UAE_GN}}
*[http://archive.gulfnews.com/indepth/30thyear/more_stories/10156896.html Timeline: Important Milestones]{{Dead link|date=January 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} Gulf News 30 September 2007
*[http://gulfnews.com/xpress XPRESS]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gulf News}}
[[Category:1978 establishments in the United Arab Emirates]]
[[Category:Publications established in 1978]]
[[Category:Newspapers published in the United Arab Emirates]]
[[Category:Mass media in Dubai]]
[[Category:English-language newspapers published in the United Arab Emirates]]

Gulf News - Revision history

CleanupBot II at 23:45, 13 August 2023