Okaz
| Type | Daily newspaper |
|---|---|
| Founder(s) | Ahmed Abdul Ghafoor Attar |
| Publisher | Okaz Organization for Press and Publication |
| Editor-in-chief | Hashim Abdo Hashim |
| Founded | 1960 |
| Political alignment | Liberal |
| Language | Arabic |
| Headquarters | Jeddah |
| Circulation | 250,000 (2010) |
| Sister newspapers | Saudi Gazette |
| OCLC number | 2265453 |
| Website | Okaz |
Okaz (Arabic: عكاظ) is an Arabic Saudi Arabian daily newspaper located in Jeddah. The paper was launched in 1960 and its sister publication is Saudi Gazette. The paper is simultaneously printed in both Riyadh and Jeddah and has offices all over Saudi Arabia. However, the daily mainly serves the provinces of the Hejaz and Asir. Abdullah Saleh Kamel is the chairman of the board of directors of the Okaz Organization for Press and Publication.Lawrence Wright of The New Yorker states that Okaz is Arabic version of the New York Post.
Okaz was established in Jeddah in 1960 by Ahmed Abdul Ghafoor Attar and is one of the oldest newspapers in Saudi Arabia.John R. Bradley, in his book Saudi Arabia Exposed: Inside a Kingdom in Crisis, described it as a "downmarket newspaper ... the closest Saudi Arabia has to a yellow press."
Despite Bradley's description, Okaz was originally a cultural weekly based in the Hijaz. In October 1964, it was relaunched as a daily paper.
Its name was used as Okadh in some scientific publications while referring to it. In fact, the paper is named after the popular Okaz market, which was one of the largest open markets during the pre-Islamic era in the Hijaz region. The market inspired the founders of the paper was Suq al Ukaz where eminent poets of the period came together to congregate poems and hold recitation competitions in Taif.
Okaz was most popular newspaper in Hijaz at the beginning of the 1990s. In the mid-1980s, the paper was often perceived as a newspaper in decline because of failure to invest. However, it invested in printing facilities and its circulation expanded. In 2009, Okaz is regarded as the most popular paper in the Hijaz and third most popular in Riyadh. Furthermore, Okaz is said to be one of only two major Saudi print media that do not have the member of the Al Saud family among its share-holders. Based on the results of a media survey conducted by research company Ipsos Stat, Okaz is first in readership ratings, beating many other newspapers published in the country.Dubai Press Club states that the paper is mostly preferred by Saudi nationals and younger people.
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