Alam Al Yawm (Arabic: عالم اليوم; The World of Today) was a newspaper published in Kuwait.[1] The paper had an independent and moderate stance and was in circulation between 2007 and 2014.

Alam Al Yawm
TypeDaily newspaper
Owner(s)Ahmad Al Jabr Al Shemmeri
Founder(s)Ahmad Al Daas
Ahmad Al Jabr Al Shemmeri
Editor-in-chiefAhmad Al Daas
Founded8 January 2007
Political alignmentModerate and independent
LanguageArabic
Ceased publicationJuly 2014
Circulation23,000 (2012)
WebsiteAlam Al Yawm

History and profile

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Alam Al Yawn was first published on 8 January 2007.[2][3] The founders were two businessmen, Ahmad Al Daas and Ahmad Al Jabr Al Shemmeri.[2] The former was also the editor-in-chief.[4][5] Al Shemmeri was the owner of Alam Al Yawm.[6][7]

In 2012 Alam Al Yawn sold 23,000 copies.[1]

In April 2014, the paper and Al Watan were temporarily closed down for two weeks by the Kuwaiti government due to the publication of a videotape allegedly showing former senior officials plotting a coup in Kuwait.[8] In June 2014, both papers were again shut down for five days because of the same reason.[4][9]

In July 2014 the license of the paper was revoked by the Kuwaiti authorities, and the paper ceased publication.[6][10] The Kuwaiti Ministry of Information cited the reason for closure as "losing some of the terms and conditions for obtaining a licence."[11] The citizenships of the owner, Ahmad Al Jabr Al Shemmeri, and of his family members were also revoked by a decision of the Kuwaiti cabinet on 21 July 2014.[7][10]

Political stance and content

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Alam Al Yawm was an independent and moderate paper.[12][13] However, the paper was close to the Kuwaiti opposition group, Popular Bloc.[2]

In November 2009, Mohammed Abdulqader Al Jassem published an article in the daily, criticizing the manipulation of the Kuwaiti newspapers by Prime Minister Nasser Al Mohammed Al Sabah.[12] Upon this event both the writer and Alam Al Yawm were fined 3,000 Kuwaiti dinars on 7 March 2010.[12][14]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Press cuttings" (PDF). Injaz. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 18 September 2013.
  2. ^ a b c Kjetil Selvik (2011). "Elite Rivalry in a Semi-Democracy: The Kuwaiti Press Scene". Middle Eastern Studies. 47 (3): 477–496. doi:10.1080/00263206.2011.565143. S2CID 154057034.
  3. ^ Ali Abdulsamad Dashti (2008). The effect of online journalism on the freedom of press: The case of Kuwait (PhD thesis). University of Stirling. hdl:1893/794.
  4. ^ a b "Kuwait orders temporary closure of newspapers over defiance of gag order". Middle East Eye. 10 June 2014. Retrieved 31 July 2014.
  5. ^ "Kuwait Parliament Speaker receives Alam Al Youm editor in chief". KUNA. 23 December 2006. Archived from the original on 3 July 2015. Retrieved 18 September 2013.
  6. ^ a b Sumaya Bakhsh (25 July 2014). "Kuwait: Fear over freedoms as nationalities revoked". BBC. Retrieved 7 October 2014.
  7. ^ a b "Five Kuwait politicians' citizenship revoked". Kuwaiti Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 22 July 2014. Archived from the original on 5 April 2020. Retrieved 7 October 2014.
  8. ^ "Kuwait shuts down newspapers after coup tape controversy". Your Middle East. AFP. 20 April 2014. Retrieved 31 July 2014.
  9. ^ "Kuwait papers closed for violating 'plot' blackout". BBC. 20 April 2014. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
  10. ^ a b Ferhiyo Ismail Ali (3 August 2014). "Kuwait Strips Dissidents' Citizenship". The Global Panorama. Retrieved 7 October 2014.
  11. ^ "Kuwait: Fear over Freedoms as Nationalities Revoked" (PDF). LDESP. July 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 October 2014. Retrieved 7 October 2014.
  12. ^ a b c "Court fines a journalist and two newspapers in Kuwait". CPJ. New York. 8 March 2010. Retrieved 18 September 2013.
  13. ^ "Kuwait Media Reaction - American Policy, Iraq and Iran". Wikileaks. 9 July 2007. Retrieved 18 September 2013.
  14. ^ "Kuwait". Freedom House. 2011. Retrieved 11 October 2013.