XPRESS
XPRESS is a free weekly newspaper and competitor to 7DAYS and Emirates Today. It was launched in the UAE on 15 March 2.007[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8] XPRESS is a multicultural community paper for both UAE nationals and expatriates. The magazine is published in Dubai by the Al Nisr Group as a sister paper to Gulf News. It covers news, leisure and entertainment and sports, with an emphasis on local stories.
History
[edit]Work on XPRESS – then known as Project X – began in the basement of the Gulf News offices off Sheikh Zayed Road near Safa Park in early 2005. Rumours of the project leaked into the media over the following months, but the details – including its name – remained secret until its launch on 12 March 2007.
Initial media reports indicated that Al Nisr Media intended to publish XPRESS twice weekly, and hoped to obtain a licence to publish daily.[9] However, it launched as a weekly.
The newspaper was designed by Mario Garcia, president of the Tampa-based Garcia Media, who described it as "a vibrant, contemporary newspaper totally created for the reader of the 'always on' culture".[10]
Reception from Dubai's media circle was mixed, with one pundit describing it as "a headache on every page"[11] and accusing it of running parochial stories. However, that reporter praised the paper's dedication to original stories and said it helped fulfill a growing desire for local news.
XPRESS has reduced its story count and reduced staff during its history. Its dedicated website was absorbed by Gulf News.
In March 2013, XPRESS launched an Abu Dhabi edition.
Mazhar Farooqui is the editor for both editions.
Distribution
[edit]Al Nisr Media print between 80,000 and 100,000 copies of XPRESS each week.[3]
The primary means of distribution are Dubai's petrol stations, along with apartment block foyers and malls.
References
[edit]- ^ Greenslade, Roy (16 March 2007). "The Guardian". Retrieved 12 December 2011.
- ^ "Gulf News". 15 March 2007. Retrieved 12 December 2011.
- ^ a b "ameinfo.com". ameinfo.com. 2 May 2007. Archived from the original on 11 February 2012. Retrieved 12 December 2011.
- ^ Trade Arabia Archived 27 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "dubaicityguide.com". dubaicityguide.com. Archived from the original on 20 April 2009. Retrieved 12 December 2011.
- ^ "dubai-online.com". dubai-online.com. 15 March 2007. Retrieved 12 December 2011.
- ^ "zawya.com". zawya.com. Retrieved 12 December 2011.
- ^ UAEinteract.com. "uaeinteract.com". uaeinteract.com. Retrieved 12 December 2011.
- ^ "ameinfo.com". ameinfo.com. 2 May 2007. Archived from the original on 11 February 2012. Retrieved 12 December 2011.
- ^ "garcia-media.com". garcia-media.com. Retrieved 12 December 2011.
- ^ "arabianbusiness.com". arabianbusiness.com. 15 March 2007. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 12 December 2011.