Plans for Bahrain-based English daily

A new English newspaper from Bahrain, with separate editions for all the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) countries and India, will be launched in a few months, a prominent Indian businessman based in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, told Emirates Business.

The proposed English daily will be based in Bahrain and will publish individual editions for the major GCC states including the UAE followed by an Indian edition at a later date, Dr Ravi Pillai, Managing Director of the Saudi-based Nasser S Al Hajri Corporation, said.

Bahrain currently publishes two mainstream English dailies, Gulf Daily News from Al Hilal Group and Bahrain Tribune from Al Ayam Group.  With a population of more than one million, Bahrain has many English-speaking nationals and expatriates who currently read only two English dailies.

"We plan to launch the new English paper in the next three to four months and are currently negotiating with the management of an existing English daily in Bahrain. The name of the newspaper cannot be disclosed at this point. If the takeover bid is not successful, we will launch a separate English newspaper," Dr Pillai, recipient of this year's Padma Bhushan Award from the Indian government, said.

The Non-Resident Indian investor said people involved in the English media were part of the consortium behind the new English daily but details of GCC investors, if any, could not be disclosed.  He felt the time was right for the launch of a new English daily in the region.

"We have considered various options including the UAE market, which is currently overcrowded.  I believe there is scope for a high-quality English newspaper in Bahrain. Initially, we plan to publish editions only for the Bahrain and GCC markets while an Indian edition is under consideration for the long-term," he said.

Dr Pillai added that investors have already applied for the newspaper licence from the Bahrain Ministry of Information. A Pravasi Bharatiya Samman awardee, Dr Pillai is currently director of Jaihind TV, the television channel launched by the Indian National Congress, India's ruling party.

Nasser S Al Hajri Corporation is a leading Saudi construction group specialising in oil refining, petrochemicals and other heavy industries and is one of the largest employers of Indians in the Middle East. Dr Pillai has opened an office for the UAE in Abu Dhabi and is planning to bid for major refinery projects.

He has been also associated with major business projects including Malabar Gold, the new chain of jewellery shops that has rapidly expanded its branch network in the Middle East.

The English newspaper industry in the region has seen fast growth with new English titles being launched in the UAE, Oman and other GCC states.

"There is scope for an English daily in Bahrain because the number of English-speaking nationals there is equal to the number of English-speaking people in the UAE," said Zakariya Mohammed, Chief Operating Officer, Gulf Madhyamam, an Indian newspaper brought out from Dubai with an edition in Bahrain.

While there are five English newspapers in the UAE, there are only two English dailies in Bahrain. There are three Malayalam newspapers – Gulf Madhyamam, Malayala Manorama and Middle East Chandrika – and four Arabic dailies.

"We launched Gulf Madhyamam in 1999 and recorded more than 20 per cent annual growth among the Bahrain readership," Mohammed said.

Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.