DUBAI // It was commonly seen as Hobson's choice - pay more for an international magazine or get the "watered down" locally produced version for a fraction of the cost.
But today people are increasingly choosing homegrown versions of the likes of Hello!, Grazia and Men's Health, according to editors and publishers.
Readers say they now prefer some titles "made in the UAE" because of their recently improved content and relevance.
Jordana Tasker, a 30-year-old Briton of Lebanese origin, is one of an increasing number of residents choosing local publications over the more expensive imported titles.
"I see no reason why I would buy an imported international magazine, they are so expensive and don't really address any issues I would find relevant. I'd rather read the local edition of Grazia than an international title like Vogue.
"For a start, the fashion pages are relevant to the region, which means I can buy an item from a shop down the road. Also, who doesn't like reading about gossip or seeing their friends?"
International editions can cost up to Dh60. In the past few years, publishers have introduced several local editions of well-established magazines, at a fraction of the cost of their global sister publications.
Consequently, the Emirates is now home to Harper's Bazaar, OK, and Esquire, while others such as IQ, Ahlan and Insider took their cue from established templates such as GQ, Hello! and Heat.
Kerrie Simon, of Grazia Middle East, is among the wave of editors attracting readers to their variations of established international magazines.
She said: "We've managed to tap into what our readers want. We strive to be interactive, whether through e-mail, face-to-face discussions at reader events or through our Facebook page. We can gauge exactly what our readers like. This then becomes our focus in the magazine.
"We've also built up our readers' trust in that we're a respected source of information for traditionally sensitive subjects, such as marital affairs, fertility, domestic violence and charity work. While we do focus on international celebrities, we have a strong local content too."
Retailing at Dh7, Grazia, which has a circulation of 10,400, is the region's biggest-selling fashion and lifestyle weekly, with weekly sales of 7,200.
Other celebrity gossip weeklies aimed at women, such as Ahlan (Dh7) and Hello! Middle East (Dh10), have established successful circulations.
Men's magazines, meanwhile, face a tougher task convincing their readers they can compete with their international counterparts.
Last year, a regional edition of Esquire was released with a print run of 15,000 - 8,000 for sale in the UAE, 2,000 for the wider GCC, and 5,000 complimentary copies.
In the past there have been several attempts at mimicking the templates of such established titles.
However, the UAE's male readership has yet to be convinced. Christian Burne, a 36-year-old British communications consultant who lives in Dubai, said: "I never buy regional editions, they are simply not of the same quality. I am willing to pay the extra price for better content.
"Locally published English-language magazines lack that cutting edge. They don't really inspire."
Stefan Young, 30, a property agent in Dubai, said: "I actually don't bother with men's lifestyle magazines at all, the international ones are too expensive and get heavily censored, while the local ones tend to be very tame by comparison. Some topics just don't translate to our markets and others are simply taboo."
One of the reasons that regional titles are necessarily "tamer" is cultural and religious sensitivities.
Grazia's Ms Simon said catering to cultural sensibilities did dictate content, but did not affect the quality of the publication. "We do need to be careful not to be insensitive in our reporting. We would never run images of women in clothing that could be deemed offensive," she said.
"When we run coverage of swimsuits, for example, we're careful not to use provocative poses or language that would offend.
"But we have found the local readership to be a lot more liberal and understanding than stereotypes would have you believe. These are very well travelled, well educated people who want to be informed, whether about a swimsuit or the rise of the female suicide bomber, which we ran recently."
Lucy Freeman, the co-founder of the creative agency StickyGinger, said the general quality of magazines remained erratic.
"Men's titles in this region are naturally tamer given that, on the whole, sex sells and let's face it, you're never going to get your FHM reader satisfied as the content has to be watered down considerably.
"Women are a different breed. Different ages and demographics obviously alter the taste factor, but what links us all together is the fashion.
"There are a handful of excellent titles and conversely, there are titles that clearly rest on their laurels. It's apparent that brand editorial is heavily supported by advertising."
Ms Simon said: "There's a fine line between telling your readers what you think they should read, and offering them what they actually want to read."
@Email:akhaled@thenational.ae
The%20specs%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.0-litre%204cyl%20turbo%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E261hp%20at%205%2C500rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E400Nm%20at%201%2C750-4%2C000rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E7-speed%20dual-clutch%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E10.5L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh129%2C999%20(VX%20Luxury)%3B%20from%20Dh149%2C999%20(VX%20Black%20Gold)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
England's lowest Test innings
- 45 v Australia in Sydney, January 28, 1887
- 46 v West Indies in Port of Spain, March 25, 1994
- 51 v West Indies in Kingston, February 4, 2009
- 52 v Australia at The Oval, August 14, 1948
- 53 v Australia at Lord's, July 16, 1888
- 58 v New Zealand in Auckland, March 22, 2018
The specs
The specs: 2019 Audi Q8
Price, base: Dh315,000
Engine: 3.0-litre turbocharged V6
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 340hp @ 3,500rpm
Torque: 500Nm @ 2,250rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.7L / 100km
ARM%20IPO%20DETAILS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EShare%20price%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Undisclosed%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ETarget%20raise%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%248%20billion%20to%20%2410%20billion%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EProjected%20valuation%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2460%20billion%20to%20%2470%20billion%20(Source%3A%20Bloomberg)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ELead%20underwriters%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Barclays%2C%20Goldman%20Sachs%20Group%2C%20JPMorgan%20Chase%20and%20Mizuho%20Financial%20Group%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs: 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk
Price, base: Dh399,999
Engine: Supercharged 6.2-litre V8
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 707hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 875Nm @ 4,800rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 16.8L / 100km (estimate)
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
The%20Iron%20Claw
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Sean%20Durkin%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Zac%20Efron%2C%20Jeremy%20Allen%20White%2C%20Harris%20Dickinson%2C%20Maura%20Tierney%2C%20Holt%20McCallany%2C%20Lily%20James%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
U19 WORLD CUP, WEST INDIES
UAE group fixtures (all in St Kitts)
Saturday 15 January: v Canada
Thursday 20 January: v England
Saturday 22 January: v Bangladesh
UAE squad
Alishan Sharafu (captain), Shival Bawa, Jash Giyanani, Sailles Jaishankar, Nilansh Keswani, Aayan Khan, Punya Mehra, Ali Naseer, Ronak Panoly, Dhruv Parashar, Vinayak Raghavan, Soorya Sathish, Aryansh Sharma, Adithya Shetty, Kai Smith
McLaren GT specs
Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: seven-speed
Power: 620bhp
Torque: 630Nm
Price: Dh875,000
On sale: now
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Eyasses squad
Charlie Preston (captain) – goal shooter/ goalkeeper (Dubai College)
Arushi Holt (vice-captain) – wing defence / centre (Jumeriah English Speaking School)
Olivia Petricola (vice-captain) – centre / wing attack (Dubai English Speaking College)
Isabel Affley – goalkeeper / goal defence (Dubai English Speaking College)
Jemma Eley – goal attack / wing attack (Dubai College)
Alana Farrell-Morton – centre / wing / defence / wing attack (Nord Anglia International School)
Molly Fuller – goal attack / wing attack (Dubai College)
Caitlin Gowdy – goal defence / wing defence (Dubai English Speaking College)
Noorulain Hussain – goal defence / wing defence (Dubai College)
Zahra Hussain-Gillani – goal defence / goalkeeper (British School Al Khubairat)
Claire Janssen – goal shooter / goal attack (Jumeriah English Speaking School)
Eliza Petricola – wing attack / centre (Dubai English Speaking College)
COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
'Moonshot'
Director: Chris Winterbauer
Stars: Lana Condor and Cole Sprouse
Rating: 3/5
Small Victories: The True Story of Faith No More by Adrian Harte
Jawbone Press
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
BOSH!'s pantry essentials
Nutritional yeast
This is Firth's pick and an ingredient he says, "gives you an instant cheesy flavour". He advises making your own cream cheese with it or simply using it to whip up a mac and cheese or wholesome lasagne. It's available in organic and specialist grocery stores across the UAE.
Seeds
"We've got a big jar of mixed seeds in our kitchen," Theasby explains. "That's what you use to make a bolognese or pie or salad: just grab a handful of seeds and sprinkle them over the top. It's a really good way to make sure you're getting your omegas."
Umami flavours
"I could say soya sauce, but I'll say all umami-makers and have them in the same batch," says Firth. He suggests having items such as Marmite, balsamic vinegar and other general, dark, umami-tasting products in your cupboard "to make your bolognese a little bit more 'umptious'".
Onions and garlic
"If you've got them, you can cook basically anything from that base," says Theasby. "These ingredients are so prevalent in every world cuisine and if you've got them in your cupboard, then you know you've got the foundation of a really nice meal."
Your grain of choice
Whether rice, quinoa, pasta or buckwheat, Firth advises always having a stock of your favourite grains in the cupboard. "That you, you have an instant meal and all you have to do is just chuck a bit of veg in."