Saudi Gazette
| Type | Daily newspaper |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Okaz Organization for Press and Publication |
| Editor-in-chief | Somayya Jabarti |
| Managing editors | Shams Ahsan and Mahmoud Ahmad (for local and Gulf affairs) |
| Founded | 1976 |
| Language | English |
| Headquarters | Jeddah |
| Circulation | 50,000 |
| Sister newspapers | Okaz |
| ISSN | 1319-0326 |
| Website | Saudi Gazette |
Saudi Gazette is a leading English-language daily newspaper published in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. It is available both in print and online.
The newspaper started in 1978, with a western editorial staff under the leadership of Saud Islam, a Saudi native and business studies graduate (London). Key western staff worked at the newspaper.
While the newspaper was based in Jeddah, on the Red Sea coast, it had two bureaus: Riyadh, the kingdom's capital, and Al-Khobar on the Persian Gulf in the Eastern Province. Prior to computerization, bureau reporters telexed their stories to Jeddah where Jaffar Khan (India) and his staff typeset the transmission for press runs. Photos and related visuals for publication with stories from bureaus were pouched to Jeddah via air.
From 1981 to 1983, Western journalists serving on the Gazette's staff included David Therough (U.K.), Rick Thompson (U.S.) and Kevin Muehring (U.S.). Jeddah-based Randall Palmer (U.S.) would later serve as a reporter in the newspaper's Riyadh bureau alongside Peter Theroux (U.S.). Theroux, while serving as a Gazette reporter, also was a correspondent for United Press International. Brad Heller (U.S) would later join the reporting staff in Riyadh. Gazette reporter Rick Snedeker (U.S.) was based in Jeddah until he was assigned to the newspaper's Al-Khobar bureau, where he joined James Wright Domnick (U.S.). Domnick was a Gazette reporter and columnist who also served as a correspondent for The Associated Press. Domnick's AP dispatches were telexed to Nick Tatro and staff in Beirut until Israel invaded southern Lebanon in June 1982. He thereafter telexed wire material to Aly Mahmoud at AP Bahrain. Jenny Cook (U.S.) was based in Jeddah and served as features editor.
A chief photographer was appointed in 1981, Chris Wheatley, who rebuilt and taught the local photographers to use modern film tanks and timed film development. Until that point, Okaz photographers used a tray, dipped the film into it in darkness, hearing the film scrape on the tray bottom and timing it with a popular song, sung by the photographer. The published photos were often too dark and off-kilter, with Towers leaning at 35 degrees, etc. Doug was appointed junior staff photographer in 1982 and Jamal was the Sudanese photographer on the street. Armed with Western-style practices, Jamal soon became the star among the native-speaking photographers. With the addition of an English sports editor, the publication figures overtook the Arab News for the first time in its history.
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