Apple-centric Shufflegazine gains traction in UAE
updated 04:05 pm EDT, Tue April 28, 2009
Shufflegazine grows in UAE
In the UAE a new, Apple-based magazine called Shufflegazine has launched at a time when many magazines are closing down. Omran al Owais, the founder and creative director of Centimetercube, based in Dubai, believes that Apple is a product that is recession-proof, and that Apple coverage will generate enough interest to allow the magazine to survive and hopefully grow.
Owais cites the iPhone and iPod phenomenons as both a trend and lifestyle, supporting demand for local news coverage and reviews of Apple products. The magazine first published in October with a run of 10,000 copies; it has since expanded into Abu Dhabi, as of this month, and is hoped to double its print run and sell throughout the GCC running into 2010.
The expansion arrives as the UAE version of PC Magazine has announced it will close operations this month, but Owais believes that people in the region still want and will support a magazine that provides technology news, especially when it arrives in both English and Arabic, as Shufflegazine does. The magazine's focus on reviews of products sold in Dubai and around the Middle East may also strengthen its marketability.
The magazine maintains a website with daily news to bolster its presence, as well as a Facebook page and a Twitter feed.
