Alef

About Alef

Alef is an independent, bi-monthly magazine published out of Doha, Qatar, in a bilingual English-and-Arabic format — one of the first bilingual magazine formats to come out of the Middle East. Focused on cultural topics indigenous to the Gulf region, it celebrates culture, creativity and innovation from talents across the six GCC states. Launched in London in July 2013, it was conceived as a cultural bridge: a magazine for anyone with a vested interest in Middle Eastern culture, whether artist or doctor, journalist or tourist.

History

Alef was founded by editor-in-chief Jack Thomas Taylor, a writer and magazine editor with over eight years of industry experience, who co-founded the title to develop cultural dialogue and understanding in the Arab world. The magazine was edited by Luma Bashmi, with both founders based in Doha, Qatar.

The launch was deliberately international. Alef was unveiled on 6 July 2013 at the Serpentine Gallery Pavilion in London's Kensington Gardens, in partnership with the Mayor of London's Shubbak Festival and Qatar UK 2013, the bilateral Year of Culture between Qatar and the United Kingdom. The first issue, July/August 2013, was titled "Reflections From Another World" and priced at QAR 25.

The title takes its name from Alef, the first letter of the Arabic alphabet — a fitting emblem for a publication that set out to be a first: one of the first bilingual cultural magazines from the Gulf.

Editorial Concept

Alef's content is organised around the five senses — Touch, Speak, Taste, Listen and See — alongside country-specific sections covering the six GCC regions. Articles in both Arabic and English cover art, craft, interiors and food, plus other creative and cultural topics from across the Gulf.

The second issue, September/November 2013, was titled "Journey" and took the Hajj as its theme. Other early stories included a travel piece on the Abu Dhabi mangroves, an illustration series on Qatar's souqs and markets, a feature-length interview with Qatari national archer Ibrahim Al Mohanadi, the music scene in Bahrain, the craftsmanship of Kuwait, and a sit-down with Saudi artist Abdulnasser Gharem. By February 2016, the magazine had reached its 16th issue.

Design and Craft

Alef's visual identity was as considered as its editorial concept. The brand identity and art direction were created by the Doha-based design consultancy 28, and the illustrator Aziza Iqbal was commissioned to create sets of pictograms for the magazine's sections — patterns inspired by Al Sadu, the traditional textile weaving of the Gulf. Cover designs drew on the same heritage: the September/November 2013 Hajj issue featured a minimal geometric Kaaba design within a hexagon combined with a modern take on the Sadu pattern.

Distribution and Reach

From the start, Alef was conceived as a global publication. It was made available on the global newsstand and in independent newsagents around the world, reaching its target audience through retail, subscription and strategic partnerships. The magazine's ISSN is 2308-3352, and its online home is alefmagazine.me.

The Bilingual Experiment

Alef's bilingual English-Arabic format was one of its most significant editorial decisions — and, at the time, one of the boldest in Middle Eastern publishing. Most of the region's magazines published in a single language. A genuinely bilingual magazine, with articles in both languages side by side, addressed a different reality: the Gulf's cultural scene is itself bilingual, with Arab and expatriate creatives working in the same galleries, studios and festivals.

The 2013 Cultural Moment

Alef's launch timing was no accident. 2013 was the Qatar UK Year of Culture, a bilateral celebration that brought Qatari culture to Britain and British culture to Qatar — and the magazine launched into that current, at the Serpentine Gallery Pavilion, alongside the Shubbak Festival's celebration of Arab contemporary art. The moment reflected Qatar's broader cultural strategy in the early 2010s: the years when the Qatar Museums Authority was acquiring art, opening exhibitions and positioning Doha as a cultural capital.

The Craft of the Object

Independent magazines live or die as physical objects, and Alef was crafted as one. The bi-monthly print format, the QAR 25 cover price, the global newsstand distribution through retail, subscription and strategic partnerships — these were the mechanics of a magazine intended to be collected, not discarded. The design work by the Doha consultancy 28, with Aziza Iqbal's Al Sadu-inspired pictograms woven through the sections, made each issue a designed artefact.

Position in Qatar's Media Landscape

Within Qatar's media landscape, Alef occupies a unique position: the independent bilingual cultural journal. Where the country's newspapers and business magazines serve domestic audiences in a single language, Alef was built from the beginning as a bilingual, internationally distributed publication about Gulf culture for the world. It stands as evidence of Doha's cultural ambitions in the 2010s — a magazine that launched in London to tell the Gulf's cultural story, in two languages, to anyone willing to listen.

Facts

• Title: Alef
• Founded: 2013 (launched 6 July 2013, Serpentine Gallery Pavilion, London)
• Founders: Jack Thomas Taylor (Editor-in-Chief & Co-Founder); Luma Bashmi (Editor)
• Headquarters: Doha, Qatar
• Languages: English and Arabic (bilingual)
• Frequency: Bi-monthly (6 issues per year)
• Focus: Culture, creativity and innovation from the Gulf region — art, craft, interiors, food
• Structure: Five senses sections (Touch, Speak, Taste, Listen, See) plus six GCC country sections
• First issue: July/August 2013, "Reflections From Another World" (QAR 25)
• ISSN: 2308-3352
• Official website: http://www.alefmagazine.me