Theweek

TheWeek is a free, 48-page, all-colour, independent weekly newspaper published from Muscat in the Sultanate of Oman. Oman’s first free newspaper was launched in March 2003 and has now gone on to gather what is believed to be the largest readership for any publication in Oman. Ms Mohana Prabhakar is the managing editor of the publication. Theweek is audited by BPA Worldwide, which has certified its circulation as being a weekly average of 50,300.

Background

Theweek is the first and so far, only publication in Oman to be audited. The results of the audit were first announced in January 2007 and have reinforced the market perception of the publication being a clear leader in terms of readership and reach. A survey done by Apex Press and Publishing, says that TheWeek has an average readership of 178,000.

Free copies of Theweek, published every Wednesday, are available from outlets spread across the main urban areas in Oman, including Muscat, Sohar, Sur, Nizwa and Salalah. It covers mostly local Oman-based news, including coverage of government policy, civic initiatives, celebrity features, local events and sports. It usually does not take any political news position.

The newspaper is published by Apex Press and Publishing, which was instrumental in introducing the concept of a 'free' newspaper in the Oman market. TheWeek reportedly gets its revenues from advertising. Contests that are run in the paper including the crossword, wordsearch and find the (hidden) Frog as well as games like Sudoku and wordbuster.