Newspapers in Dubai do not disappear but reinvent themselves, thus boosting "staying power", according to Mario R. Garcia. However, an anonymous newspaperwoman mentioned that most of the papers have articles that are "simply too long".  

The newspaperwoman went on to say that Arabic daily Alittihad is "the most boring" but continues to be published since it is state-subsidized. Albayan's makeover made the paper more appealing to readers, whereas Alkhaleej isn't "neatly designed" or "organized". Garcia pointed out that because Albayan (see left) uses photos that are over three times as big as in other titles, it is visually more interesting to young readers who favor to "look" and not "read".

The Arabic paper that is most attractive to younger readers is Emarat al youm (see left), "with its compact tabloid format, the nice illustrations, and content that has appeal", said the newspaperwoman.

The newest addition to Dubai's English-language dailies is The National (see below left), whose design Garcia praises, mentioning that it is for the "elite reader" who wants his paper to be "perfectly organized."

"White space that travels up and down the broadsheet pages to remind everyone that there is room to grow here.  Overall, it is a sort of The Guardian of London, before it redesigned to the Berliner format. If one word describes the look of a newspaper, gravitas comes to mind here;" said Garcia.

Source: Garcia Media through IFRA Executive News Service