These words, printed on November 1st, 1949, announced the birth of the renowned AramcoWorld magazine. Interestingly enough, as if history repeats itself, Ithraeyat magazine was born during isolation as well, at the height of COVID-19 lockdowns to help keep people connected to each other via the beautiful and diverse world of art.
Indeed, Ithraeyat was born to break down walls of isolation with its debut edition themed ‘Isolation.’ I recall staying up on the evening of its birth, until the early hours of 3am, envisioning, writing up, and designing the layout and the list of ideas for this publication, as I had to present to my supervisors a magazine that not only highlights talents and creativity, but one that brings joy, and inspires positive reflection at a time of great distress and darkness.
Ithraeyat has evolved from a small PDF to a full-fledged magazine, one with creative community engagement initiatives, and many partners, local and international, and will continue to grow as it reaches its third anniversary.
In this issue, Ithraeyat also reveals its new logo, one founded on its use of symbols, art and creativity.
All new magazines look up to giants like AramcoWorld, which will be celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2024. What a legacy! For a magazine to stay around for so long, it has perfected many magical ingredients such as diligence, consistency, great writers and editors, and its evolution on various levels, becoming digital as well, and many other elements.
A new magazine comes to life – AramcoWorld.
AramcoWorld has a strong identity, and that is one of its successful foundations.
“We have promoted a sensibility, attitudes, ways of seeing and being in the world that is fundamentally discovery, exploration-oriented (an attitude with clear Aramco metaphorical associations!) based on a positive attitude toward the underlying interconnectedness and cross-pollinations of cultures with emphasis on how Islamic cultures have and do enrich others,” said AramcoWorld Editor Richard Doughty. “It’s a fundamentally cosmopolitan position, one that has benefited Saudi Aramco in its journey as a company that relies on a -global talent base, and that continues to impact more people.”
To find out more about the history of the magazine, click here. It started as an interoffice newsletter, that grew into a bimonthly educational magazine styled along the lines of popular US magazines.
“Historical, geographical and cultural articles helped the American employees and their families appreciate an unfamiliar land… The goals of fostering cooperation and building mutual appreciation among cultures of the historical ‘East’ and ‘West,’ remain unchanged for what has grown into AramcoWorld’s global readership,” as stated on its website.
“For decades its articles have spanned the Arab and Muslim cultural worlds, past and present, with special attention to their global interconnections.”
Please enjoy discovering the first ever issue of AramcoWorld, from its ‘field news’ to its ‘letters to the editor’ and even ‘bowling.’ Click here to read more.
