News stories that define time

Khaleej Times evolved with the times and stood out in its coverage of news and its popularity

My association with Khaleej Times started way back in 1987 when I arrived in Bahrain to join my spouse after graduation. We lived in a two-bedroom flat in Adliya, and Khaleej Times would be dropped off every morning at our doorstep. After finishing my morning chores, I would sit to read the newspaper. This was a habit inculcated in us as little children to stay up-to-date with our general knowledge. Since I was new to the place and had no friends at that stage, a lot of time would be spent reading the paper and magazines that would come with it.
Weekend, now WKND, the Friday magazine edition, was a favourite. As an amateur cook, I would try out the different recipes and try to impress my better half. I would separate the recipe pages and bind them to create my own custom recipe book. I would look forward to reading 'Between the Lines' written by Bikram Vohra and I would chuckle over his subtle jokes. Over the years, I could relate more to his column as the family got bigger and 'TV remotes' went missing. The parenting columns in Weekend were also very helpful to deal with everyday problems related to kids. It would seem as though they were just meant for me in a personal way. That is the type of connect that Khaleej Times has with its readers, and this was before the Internet age.
I remember the enticing subscription offers that would be the talk of the town with gold coins, travel cases, vouchers, and much more. It would all be there. As the kids grew up, they also picked up the habit of reading, and Young Times was their favourite. They would wait eagerly every Tuesday when the magazine would be distributed.
We moved to the UAE in 1997 and continued subscribing to Khaleej Times, even though I worked for a Sharjah-based daily at the time. The connection then became more professional as I would compare the stories covered by KT to other newspapers in the country.
Getting a job in Khaleej Times was a dream and it became a reality in 2006. It was a drastic change in the work environment. Having worked with City Times, WKND, the news desk, and currently Supplements, each department had challenges of its own. What I really enjoyed over the years was covering the annual Dubai Shopping Festival and Global Village, winning awards for KT. These were moments of recognition for the hard work and late hours put in.
There were also rollercoaster days, and days of uncertainty, which thankfully did not last long. Around the city, so much was happening in terms of news. Dubai Media City was established along with other dailies. Several companies in Dubai Media City came out with a range of publications. Many of them are not around today. However, Khaleej Times evolved with the times and stood out in its coverage of news and its popularity. Today, it is the people's paper and we look forward to the next 40 years with hope and enthusiasm. Happy Birthday, Khaleej Times!

Suchitra Steven Samuel

suchitra@khaleejtimes.com