Al-Watan (Kuwait)

Al-Watan (in Arabic الوطن meaning The Homeland) was a Kuwaiti Arabic language daily published by the Al Watan publishing house. The editor in chief was Khalifa Al Ali Al Sabah, a member of the Kuwaiti ruling family, Al Sabah.[1]

Al Watan
الوطن
TypeDaily newspaper
PublisherAl Watan publishing house
Editor-in-chiefKhalifa Al Ali Al Sabah
Associate editorWaleed Al Jasem
Founded17 January 1974
LanguageArabic
Ceased publicationJanuary 2015
Circulation100,000 (2006)
WebsiteAl Watan

History and profile

The paper was launched in 1974.[2][3] In April 2014, the paper and Alam Al Youm were temporarily closed down for two weeks by the Kuwaiti government due to the publication of a videotape showing former senior officials plotting a coup in Kuwait.[4] In June 2014, both papers were shut down for five days because of the same reason.[1][5]

In January 2015, the Kuwaiti government shut down Al Watan because the newspaper violated the license law, since it had less than enough capital to maintain a license.[6]

Circulation

The circulation of Al Watan was 86,000 copies in 2001 and it was the second best selling newspaper in the country.[7] The 2006 circulation of the paper was 100,000 copies.[8]

The paper's online version was the second most visited website for 2010 in the MENA region.[9]

References
  1. "Kuwait orders temporary closure of newspapers over defiance of gag order". Middle East Eye. 10 June 2014. Retrieved 31 July 2014.
  2. "Kuwait Press". Press Reference. Retrieved 15 September 2013.
  3. Barrie Gunter; Roger Dickinson (2013). News Media in the Arab World: A Study of 10 Arab and Muslim Countries. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 26. ISBN 978-1-4411-0239-3.
  4. "Kuwait shuts down newspapers after coup tape controversy". Your Middle East. AFP. 20 April 2014. Retrieved 31 July 2014.
  5. "Kuwait papers closed for violating 'plot' blackout". BBC. 20 April 2014. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
  6. "Kuwait shuts Al-Watan newspaper". Middle East Monitor. 20 January 2015. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
  7. "World Press Trends" (PDF). World Association of Newspapers. Paris. 2004. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
  8. "Kuwait" (PDF). Publicitas. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 December 2012. Retrieved 8 June 2012.
  9. "Forbes Releases Top 50 MENA Online Newspapers; Lebanon Fails to Make Top 10". Jad Aoun. 28 October 2010. Retrieved 11 September 2014.
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