Arab Media Outlook predicts circulation of dailies will soar in the next five years

Arab Media Outlook 2009 – 2013, the ground-breaking report from Dubai Press Club on the state of the media in the Arab world, has concluded that in spite of the challenging environment occasioned by the debilitating impact of the global financial crisis, the print industry in the region has weathered the storm better than in other markets.

According to the report, overall daily circulation and total number of titles are continuing to increase year on year in the region, while in most developed markets circulation levels and number of titles have consistently decreased. Over the past few years, the number of titles in the Arab Region has been steadily increasing, supported by new licences being awarded.

For example, a total of 10 new licences have been awarded in Kuwait since 2006 which led to a flood of new titles in 2007 and 2008. In fact, 2009 was the first time in many years that the number of newspaper titles in the region has actually remained almost constant, the report points out.

Internationally, however, the picture is much bleaker, the report explains. In the US, the number of newspaper titles available has decreased by 7% between 2007 and 2008 and continue to decrease in 2009, following several years of slow decline.

Overall daily circulation in the Arab Region is also continuing to increase, contrary to the developments being seen in many other markets. The US saw a 4% decline in total circulation between 2003 and 2008. Meanwhile in the Arab Region, in spite of the total number of daily newspaper titles stalling between 2008 and 2009, circulation has continued to increase, as demonstrated by the data in the report.

The report also predicts that the circulation of daily newspapers would continue over the next five years, though at a slower pace than before. This forecast is also supported by the responses of interviewees across the region’s print media industry. The report says that 61% of respondents from the print sector in the region feel positive about the prospects for the industry in 2010.

The Arab Media Outlook is now available online in both languages English and Arabic on the Dubai Press Club website. This would provide direct access of the outlook’s findings to information seekers such as policy makers, media corporations, journalists, students and the general public.