Saudi Research and Media Group

Saudi Research and Media Group (SRMG), historically known as The Saudi Research and Marketing Group and also referred to as the Saudi Media Group, is a Saudi media company headquartered in Riyadh. Its roots reach back to 1963, when Hisham Hafiz and Mohammed Ali Hafiz helped establish Al Madina Printing and Publication Company. That publishing and printing business later became Saudi Printing and Packaging Company and formed part of the corporate foundations from which SRMG developed. SRMG expanded beyond domestic printing through the launch of Asharq Al Awsat in London in 1978. The Arabic-language newspaper became one of the group's principal international media properties and helped establish a publishing network serving readers across the Arab world and diaspora communities. The company was registered as a limited liability company in Riyadh on 5 July 1988 and converted into a joint stock company in 2000. It subsequently listed on the Saudi stock market on 8 April 2006. The group operates across several parts of the media value chain. Its portfolio has included newspapers, magazines, printing and distribution services, advertising and marketing, digital publishing, research and polling, events, innovation, and television or video products. Publications associated with the group include Asharq Al Awsat, Arab News, Al Majalla, Urdu News, Arrajol, and Al Eqtisadiah. SRMG has also developed the Asharq network and operates Asharq Documentary, a free-to-air Arabic factual-content channel. The company has reported an international footprint spanning 18 locations and stated that its titles reached a combined monthly audience of approximately 165 million in 2021. In 2021, the group changed its name from The Saudi Research and Marketing Group to Saudi Research and Media Group, reflecting a broader positioning beyond traditional publishing and marketing. It also reorganized its activities around five areas: media, international operations, events, research and polling, and innovation. This structure supports a strategy aimed at combining established print brands with digital platforms, audiovisual content, business information, and media-related services. SRMG has close institutional and political ties to Saudi Arabia. Members of the Saudi royal family, including sons of King Salman, have chaired the company at different periods, and the group is frequently described by outside observers as aligned with the Saudi government. Those relationships have shaped perceptions of its news operations, particularly in the United Kingdom and other Western markets, where its publications are often viewed as conveying perspectives consistent with the Saudi state. Saudi Arabia's restrictive media environment also forms important context for evaluating the group's editorial role. The company announced a new headquarters in Riyadh's King Abdullah Financial District in April 2022. The planned site was presented as part of an international expansion program and as a base for the Asharq network. In the same period, SRMG agreed to support the launch of three Egyptian news channels in cooperation with United Media Services, an entity associated with Egypt's General Intelligence Service, following Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's visit to Egypt. In 2023, the group reported its highest quarterly profit since its 2006 listing, with quarterly profit reaching SAR 249 million. SRMG remains an active, diversified media group whose principal strengths are Arabic-language publishing, regional news brands, media services, and expansion into digital and audiovisual formats.

SRMG traces its origins to 1963, when Hisham Hafiz and Mohammed Ali Hafiz helped establish Al Madina Printing and Publication Company. The enterprise later became Saudi Printing and Packaging Company, formally established in 1972. Kamal Adham, a former Saudi intelligence chief, was among its early shareholders. These origins gave the eventual group a base in printing, publication, and distribution. The group took an important international step in 1978 with the launch of Asharq Al Awsat in London. The newspaper became a major Arabic-language title with readership across the Middle East and beyond. SRMG was registered as a limited liability company in Riyadh on 5 July 1988 and was converted into a joint stock company in 2000. It listed on the Saudi Exchange on 8 April 2006, marking the transition to a publicly traded corporate structure. Leadership of the company has included several members of the Saudi royal family. Ahmed bin Salman chaired the group from 1989 until his death in 2002, after which Faisal bin Salman became chairman. Turki bin Salman succeeded Faisal in February 2013; Turki left the chairmanship in April 2014. The board appointed Badr bin Abdullah Al Saud as chairman and an independent board member in December 2015. Ghassan bin Abdulrahman Al-Shibil succeeded him in June 2018, and Abdulrahman Ibrahim Alrowaita became chairman in May 2021. Jomana Alrashid was appointed chief executive in October 2020, becoming the first woman to occupy SRMG's CEO role. In August 2008, SRMG formed an independent board of trustees, described as the first such body established by an Arab media company. The group continued building a portfolio of more than 30 daily, weekly, and monthly publications, including Asharq Al Awsat, Arab News, Al Majalla, Urdu News, Arrajol, and Al Eqtisadiah. Its activities expanded beyond editorial publishing into printing, distribution, advertising, marketing, and media services in the Middle East, Europe, and other international markets. The company adopted the name Saudi Research and Media Group in May 2021. Around the same period, it reorganized its business into media, international, events, research and polling, and innovation divisions. The reorganization reflected an effort to combine legacy print assets with digital products, video, events, research, and technology-oriented activities. SRMG has stated that its brands reached approximately 165 million people per month in 2021 and that the group operated from 18 international locations. SRMG has also expanded into audiovisual media. Its Asharq network includes digital and broadcast-oriented news activity, while Asharq Documentary provides Arabic-language factual programming through a free-to-air channel. In 2022, the group announced a new headquarters in Riyadh's King Abdullah Financial District, linking the development to international expansion and the Asharq network. During the same year, it agreed to fund the launch of three Egyptian news channels in cooperation with United Media Services. The group's political context is significant. It is registered in Riyadh and operates in a country where independent media are highly restricted. Its historical leadership links to the Saudi royal family and its close relationship with the government have led observers to characterize SRMG publications as broadly aligned with Saudi state perspectives, particularly when distributed in Western markets. These affiliations are central to understanding the company's reputation and editorial positioning. SRMG remains active as a diversified Saudi media group spanning publishing, broadcasting, digital media, research, events, and communications services.

1. 2022New Riyadh headquarters is announced

   SRMG announces a headquarters in King Abdullah Financial District as part of its international expansion plans.

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2. 2021Company adopts the SRMG name and a five-division structure

   The group changes its name to Saudi Research and Media Group and organizes its activities around media, international, events, research and polling, and innovation.

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3. 2008Independent board of trustees is formed

   SRMG establishes an independent board of trustees in August, an arrangement described as a first for an Arab media company.

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4. 2006Listing on the Saudi Exchange

   The group becomes publicly listed on Tadawul on 8 April 2006.

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5. 2000Conversion into a joint stock company

   SRMG changes its corporate form to a joint stock company.

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6. 1988SRMG is registered as a Riyadh limited liability company

   The company is registered in Riyadh on 5 July 1988.

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7. 1978Asharq Al Awsat launches in London

   The launch gives the group an international Arabic-language newspaper platform.

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8. 1972Saudi Printing and Packaging Company is formally established

   The earlier printing and publication business is reorganized under the Saudi Printing and Packaging Company name.

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9. 1963Al Madina Printing and Publication Company is founded

   The company's corporate roots begin with the establishment of Al Madina Printing and Publication Company by Hisham Hafiz and Mohammed Ali Hafiz.

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A Saudi-based, regionally oriented media group combining established Arabic and English-language publishing brands with digital media, audiovisual content, events, research, and communications services.

• Asharq Al AwsatNewspaper1978

  An Arabic-language international newspaper launched in London in 1978. It is one of SRMG's best-known news brands and serves readers across the Arab world and international Arabic-speaking communities.

• Arab NewsNewspaper and digital news

  An English-language news publication associated with SRMG, focused primarily on Saudi, Middle Eastern, and international affairs for an English-speaking audience.

• Al MajallaMagazine

  A magazine title within SRMG's broader publication portfolio, contributing analysis and feature journalism to the group's regional and international media offering.

• Urdu NewsNewspaper and digital news

  An Urdu-language publication serving South Asian audiences in Saudi Arabia and the wider region.

• ArrajolLifestyle magazine

  A men's lifestyle title included in SRMG's magazine portfolio, covering lifestyle-oriented editorial content for Arabic-speaking readers.

• Al EqtisadiahBusiness newspaper

  A business-focused publication associated with SRMG, addressing economic, financial, and commercial subjects in the Saudi and regional markets.

• Asharq DocumentaryTelevision channel

  A free-to-air Arabic-language channel offering factual and documentary programming as part of the Asharq audiovisual network.

• 2022Announcement of a new headquarters in Riyadh's King Abdullah Financial DistrictStrategy

  SRMG linked the headquarters project to an international expansion strategy and the development of the Asharq network.

  What changed. The group announced plans for a new Riyadh headquarters in King Abdullah Financial District.

  Aftermath. The project was presented as a base for the group's expanded media and international operations.

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• 2022Funding agreement for three Egyptian news channelsProduct launch

  Following the Saudi crown prince's June 2022 visit to Egypt, SRMG entered an arrangement involving United Media Services.

  What changed. SRMG agreed to fund the launch of three Egyptian news channels in cooperation with United Media Services.

  Aftermath. The arrangement represented an expansion of SRMG's regional audiovisual and news ambitions.

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• 2021Rebrand from Saudi Research and Marketing Group to Saudi Research and Media GroupStrategy

  The group's activities had expanded beyond traditional publishing, printing, and marketing into digital media, broadcasting, research, events, and innovation.

  What changed. SRMG adopted its current name and reorganized operations into media, international, events, research and polling, and innovation divisions.

  Aftermath. The change positioned the company as a broader regional media platform rather than primarily a publishing and marketing group.

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• 2023SRMG reports its highest quarterly profit since listing

  SRMG recorded quarterly profit of SAR 249 million in 2023, described as its highest quarterly profit since the company's 2006 listing.

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• 2022SRMG announces Riyadh headquarters in King Abdullah Financial District

  SRMG announced a new headquarters in Riyadh's King Abdullah Financial District, presenting the project as part of its global expansion and as a future base for the Asharq network.

  Other
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• 2022SRMG agrees to support three Egyptian news channels

  Following the Saudi crown prince's visit to Egypt, SRMG agreed to fund the launch of three Egyptian news channels in cooperation with United Media Services.

  Product launchM&A
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• 2021The Saudi Research and Marketing Group adopts the name Saudi Research and Media Group

  The company changed its name in May 2021 as it broadened its identity from a traditional research, marketing, and publishing group toward a wider media platform.

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• 2020SRMG appoints Jomana Alrashid as chief executive

  Jomana Alrashid became SRMG's chief executive in October 2020 and was described as the first woman to hold the position.

  Leadership change
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1. Saudi Research and Media Group