Muscat: As cultural magazines across the Arab world grapple with shrinking readerships and rapid digital change, Nizwa magazine has chosen reflection over retreat. At a workshop titled 'Sustainability of the Project and Updating the Vision', the Omani cultural magazine opened its long-running experience to dialogue, critique and renewal.
Introducing the workshop, Nizwa’s Managing Editor, Huda Hamed, framed the moment as both a milestone and a question. “Nizwa was launched in 1994 and has now completed more than thirty years of continuous publication,” she said. “It reached readers across the Gulf, the Arab world, and even major libraries in Britain and France. But after three decades of solidity and seriousness, we felt it was necessary to pause and listen.”
Speaking to the Observer, Huda explained that the motivation behind the workshop stemmed from a generational shift in readership and changing modes of cultural consumption. “We are facing a new generation that is different from the one that followed the magazine in its early years,” she noted. “Through this workshop, we wanted to engage with writers, intellectuals, visual designers and people interested in technology, to ask: how can we make this project closer to both the old reader and the new one?”
The workshop brought together researchers, writers, artists, designers and university students to review the magazine’s journey and explore ways to develop its content, visual identity and digital presence. Discussions were structured around four main themes: the magazine’s cultural content, Nizwa’s writers, visual identity development and digital platforms.
Sustainability emerged as the central concern. Huda addressed the issue directly, pointing to the closure of many well-established newspapers and magazines worldwide. “The core question of this workshop is how we can ensure our continuity in the face of fast changes,” she said.
“Today’s reader often prefers quick, accessible content, podcasts, short videos, listening while driving, rather than long texts. So we asked ourselves honestly: should we remain exactly as we are, or should we change and move closer to new reading habits?” Importantly, she stressed that any change would not come at the expense of the magazine’s identity. “We are open to development, but without compromising Nizwa’s core values and cultural depth,” she said.
Ayoub al Yarubi, a student at Middle East College, described the workshop as “rich and inspiring", highlighting discussions around digital identity, logo development and magazine covers.
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
