National Geographic Magazine: The Arabic Version

By: Muhammed Shamaa

Since the very first issue in 1888, and for over 120 years of its establishment, the National Geographic Magazine has bestowed its knowledge-passionate readers with exceptional on-ground and first-hand reports and photos about planet earth, its nature, its beauty, its inhabitants, and the outer space that surrounds the blue planet. It has delved deep into the forgotten history of nations, and it has been the emblem of professional scientific research, towards which millions of dollars were spent. The magazine has been printed in over 30 languages. And finally, the year 2010 witnessed the breakthrough of an Arabic version of this invaluable treasure.

The initiative to publish the magazine was undertaken by Abu Dhabi Media Company, which is based in the UAE. The same elegance and eloquence of the English version is nicely reflected in its Arabic sister, thus defining a new age for Arab readers who have been thirsty for knowledge but for many years were unfortunate for the lack of serious scientific resources or publications in Arabic. Another reflection in this magazine is the Arab generosity represented in the DVDs which are distributed for free with each issue, and which present some valuable National Geographic Channel’s programs dubbed into Arabic and aired regularly on the National Geographic Abu Dhabi channel.

The majority of the content of the Arabic version is being taken and translated into Arabic from the original English one. The final outcome is a beautifully translated and written Arabic with meticulous attention being paid at the scientific and technical terms. For this reason and many others, a panel of Arab experts, such as Dr. Zahi Hawas in archeology and Dr. Magdi Yaccoub in medicine among others, is commissioned as a consultancy panel for science-related topics. Accuracy and meticulousness are inherent parts of the research and explorations undertaken by the magazine’s reporters and explorers, and this is why the Arabic version has an obligation to reflect the tiny little details in every article or map its provides.

Readers of the National Geographic Magazine have always been great admirers of the breath-taking photos and posters of our beautiful planet. Arab readers are not an exception. The Arabic version has opened the doors wide open to its audience to explore the exquisite details of a planet that has been undergoing drastic changes, whether positive or negative, due to the noticeable human and environmental footprints. Readers in the Arab world were in dire need of a popular publication like the National Geographic Magazine, in order to increase their knowledge in areas never touched before. Despite the existence of some Arabic publications that delve into similar topics every now and then, we in the Arab world needed a world resource that could be available in our mother tongue to the masses.

The topics chosen for the Arabic version of the National Geographic Magazine are various and sometimes controversial. Nevertheless, since it was first published in October 2010, we have been able to read and see amazing photos of places in the Arab world that a lot of us never knew about before. The Fezzan oasis in the Libyan Desert is just one example of the ancient history of the Arab world and its abundance with places that need profound exploration.

The National Geographic Magazine has been an admirable resource of knowledge for over 120 years. Having an Arabic version enriches its portfolio and provides the popular scientific background that is needed to establish a young Arab generation full of passion towards exploration and experimentation. Merely translating the content is not enough. An Arab reader from Lebanon wished in her letter to the magazine to see in the next issues more topics done by “Arab writers about the Arabic environment.” Thus the need arises for Arab investigative journalists, scientists, geographers, biologists, and others who can be provided the platforms and the proper resources to undertake valuable exploration and research into their preferred fields of interest.