Saudi newspaper appoints country`s first female editor-in-chief

USPA News - A Saudi woman was appointed Sunday to take over as the new editor-in-chief of the English-language newspaper the Saudi Gazette, making her the country`s first woman to hold such a position at a daily newspaper, the company announced. Outgoing editor-in-chief Khaled Almaeena made the announcement on Sunday in a letter to readers, saying he was moving on to focus on his writings and to concentrate on other ventures, for which he had no time while running the day-to-day operations at the Jeddah-based daily newspaper.

Almaeena said he appointed his deputy Somayya Jabarti to take over as the newspaper`s editor-in-chief, effective immediately. "She has been associated with me for almost 13 years, and I`ve had the goal almost as long of wanting to see a Saudi woman enter the male-dominated bastion of editors-in-chief," he said. The veteran journalist added: "It was not a question of gender but of merit that decided and earned her this opportunity. I am proud to have played a role in her career. She is determined and dedicated, and I can assure her and the team that I will be there to assist and advise, so that Saudi Gazette further advances as a media unit in a highly competitive and digital age." The appointment makes Jabarti the first woman to serve as the editor-in-chief of a major daily newspaper in Saudi Arabia, where women are banned from driving and need permission from a close male relative to be able to travel and work. But the kingdom has seen some progress in recent years, with women soon being able to vote and run for office. "There`s a crack that has been made in the glass ceiling. And I`m hoping it will be made into a door," Jabarti told Al Arabiya after Sunday`s appointment, explaining that she hopes to set an example for other female journalists. "This is a first for a Saudi daily. A mold has been broken where editors-in-chief of Saudi daily newspapers are concerned." Jabarti, who joined the Saudi Gazette in March 2011, added: "Being the first Saudi woman is going to be double the responsibility. One`s actions will reflect upon my fellow Saudi women. The success will not be complete unless I see my peers who are also Saudi women in the media, take other roles where they are decision makers."