Art News

National Geographic Magazine to Start Publishing in Arabic

DUBAI (AP).- After decades of turning out yellow-framed covers featuring Egyptian artifacts and other Mideast treasures, National Geographic magazine will for the first time soon start printing in Arabic. The picture-packed science magazine lining countless bookshelves plans to issue its first Arabic edition next month, making its more than century-old publisher the latest Western media company to tap the growing Middle East media market. “The stories in this magazine talk about all countries and all cultures,” said Mohamed al-Hammadi, editor-in-chief of the new edition, who expressed hope it would give Arab readers a deeper understanding of the planet and how others live. “The readers here, they need this,” he said in an interview. With backing from the oil-rich emirate of Abu Dhabi, “National Geographic Al Arabiya” aims to reach readers across 15 countries from