(Chairman of the Board of Directors of Okaz Organization for Press and Publication) The celebration of the 60th anniversary of bringing out the first issue of Okaz newspaper epitomizes the brilliant march of six decades of great success and professionalism on the plank of patriotism as well as on credibility and reliability. Ever since its birth on May 28, 1960, Okaz has given top priority to the interests of the homeland and the citizen, and was and still is a strong media front in confronting the enemies of the homeland. In addition to this, the newspaper has been communicating issues that are of concern for citizens and expressing their opinions on all occasions such that it could enter into the hearts of people before their homes as the leading newspaper. The advancement in age added to the youthfulness and elegance of Okaz. As it moves towards the future, Okaz boasts of its new style in accordance with a serious media policy and a constructive and balanced approach. This occasion brings with it the march of success of a giant media bastion that did not depart from the values of the homeland and society but rather, it established the rules for professional journalistic work with a higher degree of responsibility. On this auspicious occasion, we have the right to be proud of the remarkable achievements made by Okaz when it drew up its road map consistently and successfully in confronting the challenges and keeping pace with the entire gamut of changes, which enabled it to raise the slogan "To be the first," and gain more admiration and pride. As a national media outlet, Okaz articulates the nation's conscience and citizen's voice with professionalism, credibility and responsibility. There is no doubt that Okaz's successes have not come from a vacuum, but rather were the outcome of successive developmental phases, starting with studies and field surveys depicting the desires and aspirations of readers, and that were subjected to study and analysis, until the final product reaches out to the readers in the form of the newspaper that they read every morning. In front of these bright lights from the history of Okaz, I have immense pleasure and pride to recall the great efforts made by the pioneering founders of the newspaper. I take this opportunity to thank everyone with the prayer that may God have mercy on those who have passed away. I also extend thanks to the colleagues who are presently working with Okaz, including editorial, administrative and technical staff, correspondents and the field workers. I emphasize to say that the Board of Directors of Okaz Organization would continue to support this media edifice in order to reinforce the pioneering role that the newspaper has shouldered in serving the national media goals. The board would also continue to support the newspaper to overcome the challenges in light of the changes in the media field necessitated by the wave of the highly advanced modern technologies, artificial intelligence and augmented reality. Through the development project that was launched during December 2019, Okaz has sought to forge a new path through which it continues its pioneering march with a new identity and solid content that takes advantage of the electronic and digital media spaces, and thus soaring in the sky of excellence, so that Okaz remains in the forefront, as we have vowed during the past 60 years. Finally, I ask God to remove the cloud of coronavirus, eradicate the epidemic and save the entire humanity from the scourge. I also pray for the Kingdom and its people to continue to enjoy security and safety under the leadership of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman, deputy premier and minister of defense.
