About

Arabian Establishment for Commerce is a pioneer company in Qatar, in the business of importing and distributing world’s leading newspapers and magazines as well as suppliers of high quality office equipment and stationery of various brand names. The company is founded by Late Abdulla Hussain Naama in the name of Dar Al Orouba in 1972 and published the Qatar first newspaper called Al Arab.

Abdulla Hussein Al-Naama (1915 - 1995)

He is credited with the pioneering of the written media in Qatar. Bin Naama, who was called by his colleagues and friends in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, went to Bahrain to study at the Hacken School which was part of the American Hospital, against the wishes of his father, who was at the time in charge of Qatar Customs prior to the oil discovery. He later went to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait for work and did minor jobs but later joined Arabia Oil Company (Aramco) and was put in charge of security at Ras Tanura refinery. While he was with Aramco, the company sent him to U.S.A to study English for one year.

In the late 40s he returned to Doha at the request of Sheikh Hamad Bin Abdullah Al Thani. He was appointed as Customs Office Manager at the port of Umm Said which was then the headquarters of the Qatar Petroleum Company.

In 1954 he resigned his job and set up *Arabian Library* that specializes in the sale of stationery, newspapers and magazines in Doha. Thus became the pioneer in this type of business. In 1957 he set up *Arabian Printing Press* with the importation from India of a small printing machine that were operated by foot. Previously all printing were done in India and Bahrain.

On February 5th, 1970 he published *Al-Ouroba*, the first weekly magazine in Qatar and on 6th of March 1972, *Al-Arab*, a daily newspaper took to the stand and followed later by *Gulf News*, an English weekly magazine, but was discontinued after few years.

Mr. Al-Naama passed away on 16th March 1995 short of fulfilling his dream to make Arabian Publishing House one of the biggest in the Gulf. He left four sons and two daughters.

We are exclusive agent for many foreign Newspaper and Magazines in Qatar for the last 40 years. The number of titles we distribute in the local market is more than 700 titles. (English, French, German, Indian and Arabic).

Our magazines & newspapers can be found in all leading outlets like Carrefour, ALIF, Spinneys, Mega Mart, Lulu etc.