On this day, May 28, 2020, Okaz newspaper completes 60 years of its brilliant and bright professional track record with an incessant march spanning over six decades. In continuation of this march featuring excellence, we always strive to take advantage of the latest innovations and developments in the field of journalism to bring about a high level of professional standards to Okaz.

We are keen on adopting the highly advanced technology and tools of journalism in fulfilling all requirements to further boost our credibility while serving the nation and the people. All these are within the ambitious plans to upgrade content through the collective efforts of the editorial departments in order to bring out the newspaper as the best media product.

We are highly honored in this era of information technology revolution in adapting and adopting to transformations to keep this 60-year-old newspaper in step with the changes from time to time. Okaz and its leaders have been keen, over the decades, to stay abreast of the latest technology and trends of journalism, adhering to its basic principles by addressing the concerns of readers and attracting them to the newspaper with a modern approach.

These are undoubtedly exceptional moves that necessitated in going along with the happenings and new trends in the world of journalism using new technical means to convey the media message while delivering it to the readers and the targeted audience through all forms of digital journalism. This change was wrought by raising the slogan “To be the first” with more determination and decisiveness to continue to confront the Kingdom’s opponents and enemies.

Okaz has expanded all its media outlets and platforms to provide different forms of media work such as review, reporting and investigation in order to ensure mastery of the profession in supplying to readers complete information that they otherwise would not get from any other sources of information such as the Internet and social media.

Hence, Okaz is in the forefront of the Saudi media industry by staying in step with the times and it shall continue its mission sequentially by introducing new programs. The simple reason for needing a modern and discerning outlet like Okaz is that the media landscape is changing rapidly while access to information in the world is expanding and is rapid.

The newspaper, inevitably, is in need of continuous renewal process while ensuring its strong presence on multiple media platforms and outlets. In this context, even before celebrating its 60th anniversary, Okaz has managed to add a podcast through which it broadcasts a number of programs, in addition to producing some of its news with visuals.

I am personally honored to follow the footprints of those men whose names have been inscribed in the golden annals of this prestigious newspaper. They are remembered for their efforts in constantly searching for formulas for the vigorous continuation of Okaz in the foreground of the Saudi media despite the proliferation of challenges and varied realities in the entire industry.

It is a mission that will continue, based on the same professional principles that Okaz has followed over its past 60 years, with a trilogy of values — “precedence, credibility and reliability” — in addition to integrated media services for the benefit of the nation and the citizens.

Before concluding, I would like to mention, with appreciation and many thanks, the name of Sheikh Abdullah Saleh Kamel, chairman of the Board of Directors of Okaz Organization for Press and Publication, who was never ambivalent in his support while spending his time, effort and money to overcome the difficulties that stand in the way of the march of Okaz because of his conviction that the newspaper’s destiny is closely linked with success, excellence, and being a frontrunner.

We, the staff of Okaz, have pledged ourselves to take a faster and stronger step so that the newspaper lives up to the slogan “To be the first” ... and continues to remain the first.