PARIS: Arab News, the Middle East’s leading English-language daily, is to launch a new digital French edition: Arab News en Français. The Riyadh-based daily also announces the appointment of veteran journalist Randa Takieddine as its Chief Correspondent to the French capital, Paris.

The new edition will go live on July 14, coinciding with the French National Day. It will be inaugurated virtually by the French Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, François Gouyette. The launch event will bring together a number of high-profile Arab and French speakers, and will be conducted via a Zoom video conference and live-streamed on YouTube and other Arab News social media platforms. 

Arab News en Français will be the third international digital edition of the leading pan-Arab English language daily. It follows the success of Arab News Pakistan, launched in February 2018, and Arab News Japan, launched in October 2019.

“We are delighted to be launching Arab News en Français as part of our ongoing ‘more digital, more global’ strategy. This means we can bring our quality journalism to a whole new audience which is of enormous significance to us given France’s historic importance to the region and the large number of  French-speaking Arabs worldwide,” said Faisal J. Abbas, Editor-in-Chief of Arab News. 

“We are also equally delighted to announce the appointment of Randa Takieddine as our Chief Paris Correspondent. Randa brings years of journalistic experience and a vast understanding of Arab-French relations. She will be supported by a team of highly qualified reporters in Paris and other French speaking Arab and African countries,” he added. 

Takeidine has been a bureau chief and has reported in Paris since 1974 for numerous pan Arab publications such as Al Hayat and Annahar. 

Her work has been recognized with the French Legion d’honneur which was bestowed upon her personally by the late President Jacques Chirac. 

“I am honored and pleased to be part of Arab News in Paris and in its new French edition. It is a challenging and exciting task to be contributing to a better understanding of Arab affairs by French public opinion and vice versa,” said Takieddine. 

Arab News is part of the Saudi Research and Media Group (SRMG). It has been the English newspaper of record for Saudi Arabia and the region since its establishment in 1975.