Newsweek, a premier weekly news magazine, has sealed a strategic partnership with ARY Digital Network for publishing its Middle East edition in the region.

The exclusive licensing partnership will permit ARY Digital Network to publish Newsweek Middle East, a localised newsweekly magazine in English and Arabic.

"Newsweek represents high quality journalism, and there is global demand for that," said Etienne Uzac, the co-founder and CEO of IBT Media, parent company of Newsweek. "We are thrilled to partner with ARY for the launch of NewsweekMiddle East and will continue to build the Newsweek brand in the Middle East."

A historically strong licensing brand, Newsweek has already established international editions through foreign licensing partnerships to meet its growing global demand, stated Uzac.

Newsweek Middle East will be the eighth international edition; other international editions are distributed in Japan, South Korea, Latin America, Montenegro, Poland, Serbia and the United Kingdom.

On the deal, Salman Iqbal, the founder and chief executive of ARY Digital Network, said: "I am very pleased to announce this long term partnership with IBT Media and the launch of Newsweek Middle East."

"Newsweek Middle East will be published in English and in Arabic with region specific content, offering award-winning reporting and commentary from some of the top writers in the Middle East and the world," he added.

The first issues of Newsweek Middle East will be available in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, UAE and Bahrain. The English version is likely to be launched by June 2015 followed by the Arabic version.-TradeArabia News Service