In a global media landscape defined by digital transformation and the relentless rise of AI, the UAE market offers a unique case study in the power of legacy and the evolution of trust. As the oldest English-speaking newspaper in the region, the Khaleej Times occupies a singular position, balancing a half-century of heritage with a forward-facing multimedia strategy.
NDA Publisher Andy Oakes sat down with Charles Yardley, CEO, and Katie Allen, Head of Advertising Revenue, to discuss the enduring appetite for print, the nuances of the UAE advertising market, and why “handshake economics” remains at the heart of their business.
Print is often discussed as a medium in decline in Europe and the US, yet it remains a powerhouse in the UAE. What is driving that continued appetite?
Charles Yardley: There remains a genuine appetite for printed media here. “Insatiable” might be too strong a word, but there is a definite, sustained demand. The newspaper remains the “front door” of our brand.
It gives us the credibility, and the validation required to pivot into other mediums and sectors. The legacy of being the oldest title in the region provides the trust that allows us to diversify.
Katie Allen:. When something is seen in print, it carries a specific weight. We launched a new print product last year called KT LUXE, a weekly luxury magazine that allows us to lean into new categories, attract new marketing partners and build other platforms off the KT LUXE brand. and we are fully backing it because the supplements and custom publishing sectors are thriving.
Charles Yardley: Its not just the newspaper, we have the weekly portfolio of magazines, including WKND which comes out monthly and City Times which runs in the newspaper as well as a large suite of thematic supplements and a thriving custom publishing business. The market and the desire for that physical presence remain incredibly strong.
How do you manage the tension between maintaining that print legacy while becoming a competitive 21st-century digital product?
Charles Yardley: It is a challenge faced by legacy newspapers globally, but for us, print is the foundation. We are charging our distribution team to increase analog subscriptions year-on-year, which is a serious turnaround strategy in a world where those numbers are generally falling.
Katie Allen: We are seeing that this validation crosses over to our digital products. Our digital business saw double digital growth year on year, particularly across social media, and partner content. We have a relatively new multimedia division that launched KT Plus, a social video platform that’s geared towards the “next gen” audience. What started as a social video platform Instagram, morphed into a fully-fledged multi-platform franchise, as we built out a new list of game changer and disruptors, the KT Plus 150 List. The list ran across the newspaper and digital and in November last year we convened the list makers, entrepreneurs and brands in festival style environment where the community was able to participate and learn from their peers. The inaugural KT Plus 150 Summit was the second most successful live event in 2025 for the brand, and we look forward to building on this community as well as other audiences that the Khaleej Times attracts
Despite being a digital-first product, many of the disruptors we invited for photoshoots had one primary question: “Am I going to be in the newspaper?” Even for a social-video-native audience, the physical paper remains the ultimate stamp of success which was refreshing to hear and again cements the importance of the newspaper in the overall product mix.
The advertising landscape in the UAE feels quite different from the UK, particularly regarding the relationship between media owners and agencies. What have you observed there?
Katie Allen: I was surprised when I joined to see such a high proportion of customer-direct business. In the UK, the independent agencies are becoming more powerful, but here, you have the big networks alongside a very strong network of PR agencies.
Charles Yardley: The PR and communications sector has much more clout here than in the UK. They have significant budgets behind them.
You mentioned a specific branded content product, KT Talks. How does that differ from traditional advertorials?
Charles Yardley: KT Talks allows a brand to connect directly with our audience using the same publishing tools and CMS that our journalists use. Most brands spend a fortune creating content that lives six clicks deep on their own corporate site where nobody sees it.
We take that content and place it in a contextually relevant environment on our site, which sees seven million people a month. It is a tenancy-fee model where the content stays on our site forever, clearly labelled, ensuring transparency while giving the brand a permanent voice.
How is the UAE’s regulatory environment evolving, particularly regarding data and GDPR?
Charles Yardley: The UAE is progressing rapidly towards a robust data protection framework aligned with international best practices, including GDPR. We are already working towards full GDPR compliance and welcome the clarity and confidence this evolving regulatory landscape brings to businesses operating in the region.
Katie Allen: The UAE introduced federal data protection regulations in 2022, closely aligned with GDPR principles. One of the country’s key strengths is its agility, allowing it to adopt best-in-class global models while maintaining a strong focus on innovation and growth. We see this as a very positive direction for the market.
Finally, how is AI being integrated into a business that is so rooted in heritage?
Charles Yardley: AI is embedded across every part of the organisation, from the newsroom to finance and IT, helping us automate processes, streamline operations, and create efficiencies.
While the UAE values strong personal relationships and face-to-face engagement, Abu Dhabi and Dubai are also at the forefront of global AI adoption, driven by a clear national vision. We are embracing these tools to enhance what we do, both commercially and editorially, while staying true to our heritage.
