Oldest English newspaper in Gulf celebrates 63 years of publication

Front page of Kuwait Times on anniversary

KUWAIT: Kuwait Times, the oldest English-language newspaper in the Gulf, is celebrating its 63^rd year amid a robust commitment to professionalism, dedication. modernity and hard work.

Founded by Yousuf Saleh Al Alyan in 1961, Kuwait Times has steadily grown into a source for in-depth reports on local, regional and international news, developments, business, sports, features, entertainment and analyses of issues across the globe.

The 40-page broadsheet also publishes special pages in Urdu, Malayalam and Tagalog to cater to the country’s expatriate community.

It also offers entertainment, sports news and features. In 2024, Kuwait Times further expanded its reach by launching the Kuwait Times archive, a dedicated platform that provides access to historical content from its bound archives.

Kuwait Times also made history in 2006 when it became one of the northern Gulf country’s first electronic newspapers, Kuwait News that developed into an integrated digital news service.

The website and verified accounts on X, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Telegram highlight the latest developments.

Today, the powerful combination of Kuwait Times and Kuwait News in a country where information is among the most advanced in the region, has created a modern media powerhouse and a formidable media hub with comprehensive news for the people in Kuwait and beyond.

In April 2023, they launched the first virtual news presenter using artificial intelligence (AI). Named “Fedha,” the AI anchor made her debut on the Twitter account of Kuwait News. Another success story.

However, the road to success has not always been easy over more than six decades

These years have been “a lifetime. A remarkable lifetime,” Editor-in-Chief Abd Al-Rahman Al Ayan says.

Founder of Kuwait Times in 1961 Yousuf Saleh Al-Alyan

“When my father, Yousuf Saleh Al-Alyan, started Kuwait Times in 1961, his mission was straightforward: Provide the English-speaking community with a reliable source of news and information about Kuwait,” he said.
“He also understood that journalism, at its heart, is about bearing witness, and in the years since Kuwait Times published its first issue, we have borne witness to historic developments, extraordinary achievements, and the darkest days. We survived and continue to survive and will bear witness to the brightest future of our beloved Kuwait.”
Abd Al-Rahman recalls how the launch of the newspaper made history in Kuwait and the region.

“On September 24, 1961, my father set out to record and report Kuwait’s daily news, and in doing so, he and the newspaper became an important part of Kuwait’s history.”

Today, Abd Al-Rahman say he continues to uphold his father’s mission with Kuwait Times as well as with the Kuwait Journalists Association where Yousuf had an instrumental role in establishing it, serving as its president for four consecutive terms before stepping down to make way for younger talent. He was made honorary president of the association.

The pioneer journalist who was a fluent speaker of Arabic, French, German, Hindu, English, and Persian, passed away on December 5, 2007 at the age of 75.

The father staunchly believed in constructive criticism that contributing positively to society rather than tearing it down.

The father’s outstanding legacy as a pioneer of independent journalism is being honored by the son.

Kuwait Times Editor-in-Chief Editor in Chief Abd Al-Rahman Al Ayan

“I feel proud to continue my father’s legacy,” Abd Al-Rahman says.

“Growing up, journalism was an important part of our family life, a great source of insight and information about Kuwait, the Arab region and the wider world, which shaped our daily discussions,” Abd Al-Rahman says.

“I feel lucky and blessed to have grown up in a family for whom news was as important as our daily meals. There has never been a greater need than now for reliable journalism, and Kuwait Times strives to combat misinformation and false facts with its long-established practice of professionalism, dedication and hard work.”