“Great Stories are the ones you have heard and want to hear again. The ones you can enter anywhere and inhabit comfortably. They don’t deceive you with thrills and trick endings. They don’t surprise you with the unforeseen. They are as familiar as the house you live in. Or the smell of your lover’s skin. You know how they end, yet you listen as though you don’t. In the way that although you know that one day you will die, you live as though you won’t. In the Great Stories you know who lives, who dies, who finds love, who doesn’t. And yet you want to know again. That is their mystery and their magic.” — Arundhati Roy, The God of Small Things

I can hardly believe it, but The Arabian Stories (TAS) is one-year-old! We started on January 1, 2019 on a modest note, but with a vision to be bigger and better. And today, as TAS complete one year, we’d like to take a moment to look back at what we’ve shared together, and where we’re going.

But, before that let us start by thanking all our wonderful readers/audiences. Where would we be without you? No, literally: where? You’re the oil in our engine. Yes, we mean it!

Without readers and advertising clients, we wouldn’t have been able to do any of these stories. 

That is why we wanted to take a second to thank you. 

It has been a phenomenal one year for TAS that has looked at digital story telling through a smooth blend of video, and text, offering a modern, sharp take on the world.

TAS has quickly become the favourite destination of a mobile-savvy, audience that now relies on the platform to guide them through topics ranging from everything local and entertainment, to sports and business.

In this exciting one year, we have experimented with content formats (more importantly visual), technology and different ways of engaging our readers meaningfully. Throughout this ride, we’ve broken news as well as our own expectations. Today, as we speak, we are the fastest growing digital news media platform in the country with over 250,000 monthly page views and with a strong social media foothold that is growing steadfastly.

Digital video shows

Now what makes us different from other news media channels in the country? We are unique in what we do and we are the only news media to have permanent video shows. To start with, In May 2019, we launched Oman’s first women based talk-show HerStory hosted by the talented Her Highness Sayyida Mayya Al Said that has broken all our expectations in terms of viewership. Our monthly video show CityLights is now the talk of the town, thanks to its inimitability and exclusivity. CityLight focuses on colourful life, people, places, food and culture. 

SpotLight, is another show that is a trendsetter among the audience. Every month, we feature newsmakers who have a message to the society. For car lovers, we have recently launched AutoShow, hosted by the one and only Tariq Al Barwani. As I write this, we just concluded season one of HerStory and we’re in the process of starting season 2 soon. This is not it. In the coming months, we have some great plans to enhance our visual story telling. So, stay tuned for that!

I never cease to be amazed at the loyalty, strength and passion of TAS supporters and on behalf of Team TAS, I want to say thank you to each and every one of you.

To our advertisers (who we fondly call – our partners), well without you I would not be writing this. Thank you for standing by us and helping us succeed. You are all special!

Thank you for making this an amazing year. Thank you for believing in our vision and of course our products. We’re committed to making TAS your ultimate destination for feel-good and informative digital content, for many, many years to come! Now, it’s time to celebrate!

Happy Birthday to US!