Okaz
Okaz is a private Saudi Arabian newspaper and digital media company founded in 1960 in Jeddah, operating Okaz and Saudi Gazette across web, mobile, podcast, video, and print to serve Arabic-speaking readers in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1960
- HeadquartersJeddah, Saudi Arabia
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Okaz does
Okaz is a private Saudi Arabian media company founded in 1960 and headquartered in Jeddah, operating the long-established Okaz Arabic-language newspaper and the English-language Saudi Gazette. The organization is structured under the Okaz Foundation for Press and Publication (مؤسسة عكاظ للصحافة والنشر), a foundation-owned private entity with no public listing or venture capital funding identified. Okaz serves general Arabic-speaking readers in Saudi Arabia and the broader Middle East with news, politics, economy, sports, culture, and lifestyle content, and operates as one of the prominent national newspapers in the Kingdom.
Okaz has evolved into a multi-platform digital media operation built around its website (okaz.com.sa), native iOS and Android mobile applications, podcast productions (e.g., 'From..To' من..إلى), video/multimedia content, live streaming, RSS feeds, and a WhatsApp distribution channel. The product portfolio also includes two sub-brands: Saudiat (سعوديات), an interactive digital magazine focused on Saudi women's topics delivered via FlippingBook technology, and Al Kaffou Saud (الكفو سعود), an educational content series for youth. Coverage spans traditional news verticals (local, politics, economy, sports) plus lifestyle segments (fashion, tourism, esports, technology). The leadership team comprises Abdullah Saleh Kamal as Chairman, Jamil Al-Dhiyabi as Editor-in-Chief, Abdullah Al-Hasson as General Manager, and Abdullah Obian as Vice Editor-in-Chief.
Okaz generates revenue primarily through advertising, with a published rate card available via downloadable media kit on its website. Distribution reaches readers globally through digital channels (website and apps) and domestically through physical newspaper circulation within Saudi Arabia. The company employs between 101 and 250 people based in Jeddah. No customer logos, advertiser identities, financial figures, AI capabilities, patents, awards, or formal partnerships are disclosed in available source materials.
Okaz firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Okaz
- Legal name
- مؤسسة عكاظ للصحافة والنشر
- Website
- https://okaz.com.sa
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1960
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Okaz is a private Saudi Arabian newspaper and digital media company founded in 1960 in Jeddah, operating Okaz and Saudi Gazette across web, mobile, podcast, video, and print to serve Arabic-speaking readers in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Okaz industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Newspaper Publishing
- NAICS
- Periodical Publishers (513120), Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131), Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (5418)
- SIC
- Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711), Services-Advertising (7310)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Digital Publishing Platforms (News/Magazines) (BPAMAJAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Blogging & Website Publishing Platforms (MPACAIAB), Content Syndication, Distribution & Rights Management Platforms (BPAMAJAN)
Keywords
Where Okaz is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Jeddah
- HQ country
- Saudi Arabia
- HQ region
- Middle East
Offices2 records
Markets served
Okaz business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Advertising: Newspaper generates revenue through advertising placements, with published advertising rate cards available for download
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Other | Advertising packages |
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Okaz product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Okaz publishes a multi-platform Arabic-language news operation led by its daily newspaper and the okaz.com.sa digital platform, complemented by iOS and Android mobile applications, audio podcasts, video/multimedia productions, and the "Saudiat" interactive digital magazine for Saudi women. Content covers local, regional, and international news across politics, economy, sports, culture, fashion, tourism, esports, and technology, and the company monetizes primarily through advertising placements on its owned properties.
Product overview
Okaz is a Saudi Arabian newspaper published by Okaz Media Foundation (مؤسسة عكاظ للصحافة والنشر). The organization operates as a multi-platform news media company offering a digital newspaper website as its core product, alongside mobile applications for iOS and Android, podcast content, video/multimedia productions, RSS feed subscription services, and specialized sub-brands including Saudiat (focused on Saudi women) and Al Kefou Saudi (educational content series). The portfolio covers news categories spanning local affairs, politics, economy, sports, culture, fashion, technology, esports, and lifestyle content.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- سعوديات (Saudiat): Digital magazine focused on Saudi women's topics and issues
- الكفو سعود (Al Kaffou Saud)
Products and services
- Okaz Digital Newspaper (صحيفة عكاظ) The main digital news platform of Okaz newspaper, providing Saudi, regional, and international news coverage across multiple categories including local affairs, politics, economy, sports, culture, and technology. Targeted at general Arabic-speaking readers.
- Okaz Mobile Application Native mobile applications for iOS and Android platforms enabling users to access Okaz news content on smartphones and tablets.
- Okaz Podcast Audio podcast content produced by Okaz, including shows such as "من..إلى" (From..To) and "في التسعين" (In the Nineties), as well as interview series.
- Okaz Video / Multimedia Video news content and multimedia productions covering current events, documentaries, and visual storytelling.
- Okaz RSS Feed Service Free RSS feed service allowing users and aggregators to receive automatic notifications of new articles and content updates from Okaz.
- Saudiat (سعوديات) Digital Magazine Interactive digital magazine sub-brand of Okaz focused on Saudi women's topics and issues, including women's empowerment in the Kingdom.
- Al Kefou Saudi (الكفو سعود) Educational content series from Okaz featuring the character "Saud" teaching Saudi values and social topics to youth audiences.
Companies that use Okaz
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Okaz technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Okaz partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Okaz competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Asharq Al-Awsat: Pan-Arab daily newspaper published from Saudi Arabia, competing head-to-head with Okaz for Arabic-speaking readers and advertisers across politics, economy, and culture. Closest direct competitor in the Saudi-led Arabic newspaper market.
- Al Arabiya: Major Saudi-based 24/7 Arabic news network operating across web, TV, and apps. Directly competes with Okaz for Saudi news audiences and advertising budgets with a digital-first, multimedia model.
- Arab News: Saudi-based English-language daily covering Saudi, regional, and international news. Operates a similar digital-first newspaper model and competes for the same advertising pool targeting Saudi and international audiences.
- Al-Madina Newspaper: Long-established Saudi Arabic daily newspaper based in Jeddah. Direct print and digital competitor to Okaz within the Saudi domestic market, with overlapping political and cultural coverage.
- Sky News Arabia: Abu Dhabi-based Arabic 24/7 news outlet with strong digital presence across web, app, and video. Competes directly with Okaz for breaking-news audience share and premium digital advertising in the Gulf.
- Al Riyadh Newspaper: Saudi Arabic-language daily newspaper published in Riyadh, with a strong digital platform. Competes with Okaz for Saudi readership and classified/display advertising across verticals.
Broad incumbents
- Al Jazeera: Dominant pan-Arab news network with a significantly larger audience, budget, and multimedia footprint. Competes with Okaz across Arabic news, politics, and digital video — sets the ceiling for regional news scale.
Regional players
- Al Hayat / International Herald Tribune: Historic pan-Arab newspaper with established brand and broad editorial coverage. Overlaps with Okaz's international and political coverage but historically serves a more pan-Arab (rather than Saudi-domestic) audience.
Emerging players
- Sabq Online Newspaper: Saudi digital-native news platform focused on breaking news and trending content. Represents the type of mobile-first, low-cost competitor pressing on Okaz's audience and ad share from a digital-native cost base.
Others
- Saudi Press Agency (SPA): Official state news agency of Saudi Arabia providing primary-source news feeds. Functions as an upstream content provider/distributor that Okaz and other Saudi newspapers rely on for official stories; adjacent rather than competing.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Okaz social profiles
Digital presenceOkaz financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Okaz leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Okaz funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Okaz M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Okaz
What does Okaz do?
Okaz publishes a multi-platform Arabic-language news operation led by its daily newspaper and the okaz.com.sa digital platform, complemented by iOS and Android mobile applications, audio podcasts, video/multimedia productions, and the "Saudiat" interactive digital magazine for Saudi women. Content covers local, regional, and international news across politics, economy, sports, culture, fashion, tourism, esports, and technology, and the company monetizes primarily through advertising placements on its owned properties.
Is Okaz a public or private company?
Okaz is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Okaz founded?
Okaz was founded in 1960. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Okaz based?
Okaz is headquartered in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in the Middle East region.
How does Okaz make money?
One revenue line is on record: advertising.
Who are Okaz's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Asharq Al-Awsat, Al Arabiya, Arab News, Al-Madina Newspaper, Sky News Arabia and Al Riyadh Newspaper. Al Jazeera is listed as a broad incumbent. Al Hayat / International Herald Tribune is listed as a regional player. Sabq Online Newspaper is listed as an emerging player. Saudi Press Agency (SPA) is listed as an others.
Does Okaz have an API?
No public API is recorded for Okaz.
What industry is Okaz in?
Okaz's product category is Newspaper Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMAJAE, Digital Publishing Platforms (News/Magazines), with a secondary code of MPACAIAB, Blogging & Website Publishing Platforms. Its NAICS code is 513120 and its SIC code is 2711.