The National, the UAE’s new English language newspaper published from Abu Dhabi, hit the stands today. 

Abu Dhabi Media Company, the diversified entertainment and media conglomerate, unveiled the newspaper during a gala event staged at the Emirates Palace Hotel under the patronage of General Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council.

Attendees at the event were addressed by Mohamed Khalaf Al Mazrouei, chairman of Abu Dhabi Media Company who stated that The National “…was born out of a vision that recognises the key role that a free, professional and enlightened press plays in the national development process."

VIP guests at the launch event were introduced by video to the newspaper’s array of reporters and writers, based in the seven emirates and foreign bureaux throughout the world, who promise to deliver fresh compelling content. 

The National has a 200-strong team of journalists.

Martin Newland, editor-in-chief, said: “After eight months of preparation and anticipation we are finally live and on the presses.  Now it is up to discerning readers to sample a quality newspaper with content drawn from its own reporters across the nation and the world.  We aim to provide quality, must have reading:  when we cover a story, we will own it, in the process creating a national conversation.”

Newland, former editor of the Daily Telegraph and a former launch editor of Canada’s National Post, said The National contained 80 pages of “intelligent and well-designed” news, business, sports, culture and features coverage. 

Newland added: “Content will be designed to reflect our readers’ concerns in relation to the national character of the UAE, in the context of an interconnected world.”

The interactive, updated and fully converged online version of the newspaper is available at www.thenational.ae. - TradeArabia News Service