The Gulf, a new international weekly business magazine covering the six GCC countries, made its debut yesterday.

Published by Hilal International (UK Limited), part of the Bahrain-based Al Hilal Group, The Gulf aims to fill a gap in the market for authoritative reporting and commentary on the Gulf region, focusing on business, financial and economic developments.

"We will be providing high-quality analysis, insight, opinion and data on the core markets of the Middle East," said editor Digby Lidstone.

"We are combining a weekly magazine with online news and information resources.

"The Gulf is an essential source of business intelligence for anyone with an interest in this dynamic region," he said.

Lidstone was formerly the features editor of the London-based weekly Middle East Economic Digest (MEED).

The magazine has contributors in Asia, the Far East, Europe and North America.

"We have also recruited an experienced international editorial team from around the world giving the magazine a solid and professional base of reporting and analysis," said The Gulf's publishing director Abdullah Jonathan Wallace.

"Given Al Hilal's 30-year history as a pan-Arab publishing house, we are drawing on our core competencies and contacts to provide insight and analysis on the booming markets of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait in particular, which have been traditionally under-reported elsewhere."

Wallace, who was the owner and editor-in-chief of MEED for 30 years, has put together a controlled circulation base of over 11,000, two-thirds in the GCC.

"We have drawn on Al Hilal's huge databank of executives in all areas of industry, government, finance and commerce throughout the region," he noted.

"We shall be circulating copies in a rotating pattern, offering free copies for a month and then soliciting paid subscriptions. Advertisers are guaranteed a weekly circulation of well over 5,500 copies."

The Gulf will also be available on bookstalls throughout the GCC and in key cities elsewhere such as London, Paris, New York, Singapore, Beijing and Hong Kong.

However, only subscribers will have privileged access to the magazine's online news portal www.thegulfonline.com.

The first, 52-page, issue majors on the reality of the Gulf's nuclear ambitions. Other leading stories include the rise of Abu Dhabi, the creeping threat of inflation and growing speculation in the property market.

The Gulf is the latest magazine in a stable of titles that includes the Gulf Daily News; Gulf Weekly; Oil & Gas News; Arabian Knight; Arabian Lady; Clientele; Gulf Construction; Gulf Industry; Middle East Medical, Oil & Gas News and Travel & Tourism News.

"Our portal Tradearabia.com is now regarded as one of the region's best for business news and information and is the repository of Al Hilal Group's editorial knowledge going back to the year 2000," said Al Hilal's managing director Ronnie Middleton.

"Adding The Gulf to our output will strengthen and develop both Tradearabia.com and all our other titles."

Over the last 30 years, Al Hilal Group has expanded and diversified into a range of ancillary activities. These include Hilal Computers (an IT solutions provider) and Hilal Conferences & Exhibitions. -TradeArabia News Service