DUBAI: It is not surprising that Khaled Almaeena still gets stopped in the street and asked about Arab News 鈥� even when he is abroad in places like New York or Canada.
The 63-year-old veteran Saudi journalist certainly knows the newspaper better than most. He served as its editor in chief twice 鈥� between 1982 and 1993, and again between 1998 and 2011 鈥� and in November 2016 was given the honorary title of 鈥渆ditor emeritus鈥� by current Editor in Chief Faisal J. Abbas.
Almaeena will on Tuesday be honored at the second International Media Gala (IMG), organized by Arab News and held in Dubai.
The former editor of this newspaper is set to receive a lifetime achievement award at the event, held to coincide with the first day of the Arab Media Forum. 
He said on the eve of the event that Arab News has always been 鈥渁 beacon鈥� for the people.
鈥淚t stood for the voice of truth, moderation; it stood for people鈥檚 rights 鈥� for justice, and those who are not privileged. We fought hard for labor rights, women鈥檚 rights,鈥� he said.
Under Almaeena鈥檚 watch, the paper developed strong ties with its readers, sometimes fighting causes on their behalf 鈥� including cases where people were wrongly sent to jail.
鈥淚t was a 24-hour job,鈥� the former editor said during an earlier interview in Jeddah鈥檚 Amara Caf茅.
鈥淧eople would come to my house, saying that their sponsor hadn鈥檛 paid their money (or) the police had done this or that.鈥�
The veteran Saudi journalist is not known for a shortage of colorful anecdotes, and they come especially freely as he talks through the significance of Arab News鈥� anniversary.
鈥淚t has succeeded, it has survived, it has grown,鈥� Almaeena said of the newspaper. 鈥淒espite the many challenges that we went through, it has been able to make its mark.鈥�
Over black coffee 鈥� the staple liquid sustenance of many a journalist 鈥� Almaeena explained how queues of people used to form outside the newspaper鈥檚 offices and those of its owners.
The daily was nicknamed 鈥淭he Green Truth鈥� 鈥� partly due to the green wash of its front page 鈥� and its top man was dubbed the 鈥淧eople鈥檚 Editor.鈥�
Almaeena reels off several examples of why such a title was fitting. Many years ago, an Asian man contacted him in a desperate state.
鈥淗e said to me that if I didn鈥檛 see him that evening at 6 p.m. he would commit suicide,鈥� Almaeena recounted.
That evening, the man told Almaeena how his mother-in-law used to beat him and take his monthly salary 鈥� making his life a misery.
鈥淚 said, 鈥榳hat do I have to do with it?鈥�. And he said, 鈥榊ou are the Arab News, where do I go?鈥�,鈥� Almaeena explained.
The solution was human, helpful and somewhat mischievous 鈥� all qualities that the former editor himself exudes. Almaeena asked a friend to call the man鈥檚 mother-in-law, pretending he was from an official office, and told her to stop beating the man or face deportation.
The ruse worked, and the woman stopped the beatings. Some time later the man got a Green Card to move to the US 鈥� and Almaeena received Eid greeting messages from him for years afterward.
This was just one example of how Almaeena and Arab News helped members of the community, fighting for human causes and investigating social issues.
鈥淧eople coming from outside had no access to the Saudi authorities, so whenever they had any problem they would write to us. So we became like an agony column for a lot of them,鈥� said Almaeena.
鈥淭he role of the newspaper was to give hope to the people here. I used to get letters from prison, we got people out of prison鈥� There were many people who would write to us.鈥�
He still gets asked about Arab News in his native 黑料社区 鈥� and even when traveling abroad in the US or Canada.
鈥淪till people write to me 鈥� An Egyptian gentleman came to me and told me that his sponsor is giving him hell. And I said, 鈥榳hy did you come to me?鈥� And he said, 鈥榶ou were the guy at Arab News helping (people).鈥欌€�

Blood, sweat and tears
Almaeena did not begin his career in journalism, but had a love of languages and reading from an early age.
He grew up reading English-language papers like The Times and The Guardian, and attended a strict school in Karachi, where he said 鈥渢hey instilled in us discipline and caring for others.鈥�
Upon returning to 黑料社区, he landed a job at 黑料社区n Airlines (Saudia). He started reading the Arab News, and gradually his career path moved toward journalism, starting with some radio reporting, before writing for the Saudi Gazette newspaper.
He was asked 鈥� just 鈥渂y chance,鈥� Almaeena said modestly 鈥� to become the editor in chief of Arab News in 1982, beginning the first of two stints as the newspaper鈥檚 longest-serving editor.
鈥淚t was blood, sweat and tears all the way. I remember when I joined 鈥� the circulation was about 6,000 鈥� this was June of 1982. In September it went to 27,000.鈥�
鈥淲orking in Arab News in those days was a passion ... all those who worked in the SRPC (Saudi Research and Publishing Company) felt they owned the company,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he founders and publishers 鈥� the legendary Hafiz brothers, Hisham and Muhammad Ali 鈥� were craftsmen. They embodied all the noble ideals and exhibited compassion and empathy. They took tough decisions and were known to encourage ideas and innovation.鈥�
The readership was doubtless boosted by the paper鈥檚 engagement with its readers 鈥� developed, sometimes, through slightly mischievous means.
Almaeena鈥檚 early editorship coincided with the Falklands War 鈥� which, conscious of the number of Britons working in 黑料社区, Almaeena insisted on calling the 鈥淢alvinas War,鈥� as it is known in Argentina.
鈥淚t was a deliberate attempt 鈥� The Brits used to get angry, and that was the start of 鈥楲etters to the Editor鈥�,鈥� Almaeena said. The practice even prompted Sir James Craig, the British ambassador at the time, to write in to the newspaper, something Almaeena said was unprecedented in the Saudi press.

The Gulf war
The Gulf war represented both the high, and low point of Almaeena鈥檚 editorship of Arab News.
When Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait on Aug. 2, 1990, it sparked the news story of the decade for Almaeena. It was also one he was almost banned from writing.
鈥淭he minister of information called us on Aug. 2, 1990 and said not to write that Iraq had invaded Kuwait. I suffered all kinds of mini strokes in my mind,鈥� Almaeena recalled.
鈥淪o I went to him鈥� and I told him that 鈥業 will kiss your hand, Mr. Minister. The world knows that Saddam is in Kuwait... And you鈥檙e asking me not to write?鈥�. I couldn鈥檛 do that.
鈥淭o me, I think that was the worst day of my life, even in my personal life. Because I couldn鈥檛 live with it.鈥�
In the end, Almaeena got around the ban by carrying a headline that suggested all was not well in Kuwait 鈥� yet some of his fellow newspaper editors were not so bold.
鈥淭here were some other editors, poor people, who had to write 鈥榩roduction of strawberries is on the rise鈥�, and stuff like that,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e had to tell the truth. I could never be a toady, or curry favors with people.鈥�
Despite that attempted interference by the government, Almaeena said that the Saudi kings 鈥� most of whom he met over the course of his career and personal life, given his family鈥檚 close historical ties with the royal family 鈥� had never interfered with the newspaper. 鈥淭hey never told you what you wrote, what you didn鈥檛 write,鈥� he said.

CNN calling
While the first day of the Gulf War was the low point, the conflict also proved a highlight of Almaeena鈥檚 editorship, and helped put Arab News on the map.
Almaeena formed a team with editors of other publications to cover the invasion, moving the newspaper鈥檚 HQ to 黑料社区鈥檚 Eastern Province.
The newspaper ended up becoming a reference point for the international media covering the Gulf War, with famous journalists such as Christiane Amanpour, Katie Couric, Deborah Amos and the late Bob Simon seeking out information from Arab News.
鈥淎ll these people came, because we were a source of news,鈥� said Almaeena. 鈥淭hat put Arab News right on the map. I think that was the turning point of Arab News, in 1990, when CNN (was quoting) us.鈥�
More than 20 years later, Almaeena was editing Arab News 鈥� for the second time 鈥� when the 9/11 terror attack hit the US. Given this was now the Internet age, many people were searching for 鈥淎rab鈥� stories online, and the newspaper鈥檚 name naturally popped up in the results. In the space of one week, the newspaper received thousands of hate-mail messages, many using foul language. But Almaeena got a team of volunteers together to reply, at least to those using civil language, to calm them and explain the newspaper鈥檚 position.

The future
Almaeena is now managing partner of a communications company and has several other interests including social work and mentoring. Although he still writes, he does not miss the daily grind of journalism.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 miss the headlines and deadlines,鈥� he said.
That said, Almaeena sees a solid future for Arab News, of which he is editor emeritus.
鈥淎rab News has always been a bridge between the expatriates, the Saudis and the government.
鈥淚 truly believe it can play a role, because now they are online, and the paper can really go ahead and do it.鈥�
鈥淏ut we have to be seen as an independent voice: Accurate, factual and not afraid to speak out when it needs to be done.鈥�
And speaking out is something that Almaeena himself, over the course of his career, has certainly excelled in.

* Parts of this interview were originally published in April 2017