DUBAI — “Sayidaty,” the most popular and top-selling Arabic language magazine for women, has launched its English edition. The first English issue was out in December, which was received by readers and advertisers with great interest.
At the English edition’s launch ceremony held in Dubai recently, its top executives exuded confidence over its success and said that it had been embarked upon with a view to rewriting its own history in the Arabic world in English.
“Sayidaty will prove that it can bridge the gap between East and West,” said Mohamed Fahed Al-Harthi, Sayidaty’s editor in chief, in his speech at the launch ceremony at Dubai’s Garosvenor House recently.
The event was reminiscent of the days of the famous Asmahan Al-Atrash. The program opened with Sada Al-Afrah dancers performing to the tune “Nights of Vienna,” a song made popular by the late Syrian princess and singer, Asmahan Al-Atrash.
Then followed Al-Harthi’s speech in which he assured that Sayidaty would meet the need of an increasing number of Arabs in this generation who crave for a locally-produced magazine in English than for an Arabic-translated English publication from other parts of the world. “This reality has given birth to Sayidaty in English,” he said.
“In the Middle East alone, expatriate communities have settled in large numbers for several years, but their need to get first-hand information on varied and diverse issues around them is yet to be met in their host countries,” Al-Harthi said. “For this twin-reason, Sayidaty’s English edition has been launched.
Bandar Alassiri, manager of Al-Khaleejiah Advertising and Public Relations Company, explained why Sayidaty should bloom to become the Arab world’s leading English magazine.
A seemingly endless treat of songs and dances followed. In her cool, soothing voice, singer Cynthia Hanna showed her incomparable talent with songs ranging from the Spanish “Besame Mucho” to various English numbers. Her accompaniment rendered by saxophonist Thomas Foyer was superb. Designers Ghina and Maha Al-Asiry’s Coquelicor collections and Lebanon’s Brutei collections made the finale of the presentation complete.
Al-Harthi, Ghina Naja, Abeer Atta and Alassiri cut the ceremonious cake to mark the occasion.
The eye-catching debut cover of Sayidaty then graced the billboards across Dubai’s major highways and became the talk of the town.
