The promised "New Beginning" has been fulfilled with Saudi Gazette carving a niche for itself in the digital era as it positions itself to be the window to project Saudi Arabia's developmental march on the lines of Vision 2030. About two years back, on May 2019, Saudi Gazette made its transition from a print and digital combo to an exclusive digital portal to reach a wider section of readers dynamically in real time. And with a variety of platforms it provided news and views on your fingertips. I had written then, from today the presses will stop, the ink will be dry, and the crinkle of the Saudi Gazette newspaper will be heard no more. But as one chapter closes, another opens, and the spirit of Saudi Gazette will still flourish — albeit in the digital form. Our work goes on, our mission endures, the war still rages, and the dream shall never die. As is the global trend, the media industry has been hit by the ill wind of economics. Saudi Gazette has also been buffeted by this global wind. Moreover, the winds of change shaping the world are shaping this industry too, and we hope to adopt and adapt to this change for a smooth journey ahead. We took this decision like many international newspapers (to close the print edition) after a long and clear thought process and finally based it purely on prevailing global economics and trends. We had reached a point when the economics of the print edition no longer proved viable for the group. Here I would like to pay tribute to the incredible team of people who for all these years have produced a brilliantly professional newspaper. Though we've decided to change, we'll stay focused on one key thing. We may be pivoting, but are, however, not shifting our perspective on serving our loyal readers as long as we can. We'll be dedicated to tackling the digital business, so that we have a successful growing company and a successful news operation long after print is gone. While we may disappear in paper form, one edition will live forever in our hearts. For this is a "New Beginning" with technology and our move is in step with the trends and times. A big thank you to our readers, colleagues and friends, the new beginning of SG online is now on track.
