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alpha gets a makeover

Men’s lifestyle magazine alpha has been given a new look and more compact page size. The title, published by GN Publishing, also boasts several new sections and contributions from a host of new writers covering topics from celebrities to reportage to grooming and fitness. The redesign is a result of research into the magazine’s reader profile as well as readers feedback, and the new-look January issue is now available from leading retailers priced at AED 15.
alpha is now enjoying its fifth year and we felt it was time to freshen up some of the content and give it a new look,” says Nitin Nair, Editor, alpha. “From January, readers can expect a much fuller magazine, with plenty of ‘how-to’ sections, additional UAE content, plus we’ve recruited a handful of exciting new writers who will complement the existing line-up. We’re sure our regular readers and people who have never read the magazine before will love it.”

WatchTime Middle East launches app edition

Watch and horology magazine WatchTime Middle East has launched the first fully interactive digital app edition of the title, available exclusively for iPad in the Apple App Store. The app edition, which launches with the latest issue of GN Publishing’s quarterly magazine, is available to download across the GCC. It will include the same content as the print edition, as well as app-only content such as videos featuring regional collectors and industry experts. Future issues of the app edition will publish simultaneously to the print edition and are priced at AED29.99 for a single issue, or AED69.99 for an annual subscription.

“It was important that the reader has a completely new experience on the iPad with interactive content and exclusive videos; I’m happy to say that we’ve managed to do that on our digital app edition of the magazine,” says Nitin Nair, Editor, WatchTime Middle East. “It’s an exciting new format for us and initial feedback from readers and the industry has exceeded our expectations.”

James Hewes, Publishing Director, GN Publishing, adds “I’m delighted that WatchTime Middle East has extended its reach with the new fully interactive digital app edition. It is our first move into fully interactive, paid-for apps as readers look for more than just digital page-turner replicas of their favourite magazines. The interactive format of the app also gives us the ability to offer clients an exciting new platform to reach engaged watch enthusiasts in the GCC.”

WatchTime to launch Middle East edition

Gulf News Magazines will launch the Middle East edition of WatchTime magazine tomorrow, which will hit the newsstands quarterly in all major newsagents, supermarkets and up to 100 select hotels. With a circulation of 8,000, WatchTime Middle East will be a quarterly title and comprise a mix of the best US editorial and locally sourced content, with Editor Nitin Nair and Features Editor Craig Hawes working closely with Joe Thompson, WatchTime Editor-In-Chief.

“The launch of WatchTime Middle East couldn’t be more timely,” says James Hewes, Publishing Director, Gulf News Magazines. “Swiss watch imports to the UAE have risen by 36 per cent in the last two years and we’re confident that WatchTime, already a highly respected publication in the industry, will quickly become a must-read for watch enthusiasts and collectors in the region.”

Gerrit Klein, CEO of Ebner Publishing International, parent company of WatchTime adds, “We are very happy to welcome Gulf News Magazines as a great business partner. They share our strategy of publishing top-quality media with the highest journalistic standards and an absolute focus on readers. Ebner Publishing has been a family-owned business with a global focus for 200 years and Gulf News is a respected authority with many years of experience in the Middle East – an ideal combination. We are sure that WatchTime Middle East will grow fast and achieve the same reputation among watch fans and the watch industry as WatchTime USA has had in the 15 years since its launch.”