By Hussain Ahmad
O f the many indicators of a nation’s all-round advancement and lofty stature is the vibrancy and diversity of its media. Those who have been in Qatar for some time must have noticed how the media in this country has grown by leaps and bounds. Newspapers, both Arabic and English, have expanded exponentially, new magazines have hit the stands and the market is flooded with foreign publications, offering readers a rich variety. And those who are in the business have rushed to grab the new opportunities.
While residents are generally aware of the strength of the local media, which means newspapers and magazines published in Doha, many are not aware of the full extent of the presence of foreign publications because that is one area the local media hasn’t shone lights on.
The most important reason for the growth of foreign publications is the surge in the expatriate population, which has been increasing every year since the oil boom days, and is set to go up further as the country embarks on ambitious expansions in every field. The total population currently stands at more than 1.7 million, a majority of which is expatriates from all parts of the world. These expats come with their reading preferences and look for their publications here.
“We have been in this business for more than 50 years. My father Abdulla Hussain Naama started Qatar’s first newspaper called Al Arab, and also Qatar’s first library and media distribution company. We are currently distributing more than 800 foreign titles and the number is increasing every year,” says Dr Khalifa Abdullah Al Naama, Managing Director, Arabian Establishment for Commerce (AEC). AEC is the largest distributor in Qatar of British, other European, and American newspapers and magazines, like The Times, Daily Mail, The New York Times, USA Today etc. There are also a few German and French titles available here.
There are around ten leading newspaper and magazine distributors in Qatar, most of whom have exclusive, large-selling titles. Dar Al Sharq has the largest distribution network in the country, being the distributor of more than 600 titles in many languages, including more than 30 newspapers. “Our salesmen can reach every corner of the country. That’s one reason several foreign publishers prefer Dar Al Sharq to distribute their products in Qatar,” says Awad Salem, Deputy Distribution Manager at Dar Al Sharq.
The newspapers and magazines arrive at the airport every day, at various times, and from different places. But the distributors need to get clearance from the Publication Department of the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage before they are circulated in the market. The distributor submits a copy to the Department, whose staff check it for objectionable content — anything blasphemous, grossly obscene pictures etc. The go-ahead is granted immediately, and it very rarely that the agent is asked to remove any content. “Qatar enjoys media freedom and this is reflected in the foreign publications too. We have an excellent relationship with the Publication Department and it’s very, very rarely that we are asked to remove any content. And we are informed promptly,” said the manager of a distribution company, who didn’t want to be identified.
At the same time, some believe the Ministry has become too liberal. “Earlier, we used to see some pictures tarred for exposing too much, but nowadays we don’t see that. Also, occasionally, there are articles criticising Qatar and some newspapers even carry information on dating, which is against the culture of Qatar,” one reader said, requesting anonymity.
The most significant development in the recent past has been the launch of Doha editions of foreign newspapers. Eleven foreign newspapers are printed and distributed in Qatar in eight languages: International Herald Tribune (English), Al Sharq Al Awsat (Arabic), Gulf Madhyamam (Malayalam), Varthamanam (Malayalam), Middle East Chandrika (Malayalam), Thejas (Malayalam), Ngayon (Tagalog), Rajdhani (Nepalese), Siyasat (Urdu), Lanka Deepa (Sinhalese) and Tamil Times (Tamil). One more Malayalam newspaper, Malayala Manorama, which is the largest circulated Malayalam daily in Kerala, is said to be in talks with publishers to launch an edition here. Currently, its Doha market is supplied from Bahrain.
The foreign newspapers are published in partnership with local media houses. Nine of them, including the IHT and Al Sharq Al Awsat, which is a pan-Arab daily based in London, are printed at the Dar Al Sharq press. “We are pioneers in this field in Qatar. Also, the language newspapers unite different communities in the country. For example, Tamil Times is read by Tamil-speaking people from both India and Sri Lanka, while Siyasat, our Urdu newspaper, is read by people from Pakistan and India,” says Neegal Noronha, Manager, Dar Al Sharq Foreign Publication Division.
The availability of a foreign publication in Qatar depends on demand. For example, no newspaper from Bangladesh is available here though there is a sizeable number of Bangladeshis in the country, because distributors are not sure of the business they
will get. Companies are ready to import titles which they think will sell and are loath to take up anything which won’t find readers. The reason is that hypermarkets and libraries have limited space for publications, and the available space is hardly enough to accommodate the flood of titles. Even magazines which would sell well, don’t get space. According to a manager of a distribution company, hypermarkets are not ready to devote more space for publications because they are not like food products which are fast-moving goods. And that affects the sales.
“We get requests on a regular basis from foreign publishers to distribute their magazines here. But we are very selective,” says Santosh Mathew, Distribution Manager at Arabian Establishment for Commerce.
What about the future? The forecast is mixed. On the one hand, distributors hope to benefit from the expected massive influx of professionals and workers as Qatar prepares for the 2022 World Cup by launching multi-billion-dollar projects. On the other, there is a feeling that the Internet has mauled their business and can do more damage. With all newspapers launching online editions which are available free, readers are jettisoning print versions (see box).
“I think the future is bright for us as Qatar is going through a period of rapid growth, with the 2022 World Cup bringing several new projects. The Internet has adversely affected the sales of newspapers worldwide, but the situation is different for magazines. I believe people still prefer to read magazines in print rather than online. That keeps our business going and growing.”
“We saw a huge growth in the past but nowadays sales are not that promising. Newspapers and magazines are available online and on tablets, and this has affected our sales,” Awad says. Also, the sales of children’s magazines have been affected by the apps and gizmos hitting the market on a regular basis, giving children more fun than they would get from comic books.
The Peninsula
