Dubai: On July 14, 2020, while the Eiffel Tower in Paris was illuminated by fireworks for the French national day, the logo of Arab News en Francais appeared on the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. This young French-language news website joined Arab News, one of the veterans of the Saudi Arabian press founded in 1975. Sharing with its big brother an editorial line faithful to values of inclusivity, equity and truth, Arab News en Francais adopted the slogan: “Beyond differences.” The founders’ idea was to build bridges between the Arab world and France, contributing to the circulation of information in both directions in the wake of the fast-paced modernization projects led by Saudi Arabia under the Vision 2030 agenda of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Overcoming the obstacles of ignorance and prejudice became a mission for Arab News en Francais, beyond simply delivering news. Shortly after its launch, this young media outlet faced a trial by fire with the catastrophic blast at the port of Beirut on Aug. 4, 2020. Its teams, newly formed but highly adaptable, provided rapid and comprehensive coverage from various angles. Quickly benefiting from Arab News’ partnership with YouGov, Arab News en Francais shared with its audience not only the voting intentions of Arab citizens in the US before the last presidential election but also their preferred brands on the Arab industrial scene. It also conducted a survey on integration in France titled “How are French people of Arab origin perceived?” — which garnered record-breaking audience engagement. This survey was followed by an expert panel discussion on the topic “Integration in France: Perception problem or systemic crisis? — the experts’ opinion.” Such coverage offered foreign readers an inside look at the sensitivities of Arab societies, ranging from politics to economy and culture. As early as January 2021, Arab News en Francais was able to provide live coverage of the uprising of young Tunisians against President Kais Saied’s failure to deliver on his economic promises. This coverage resulted in a surge in audience engagement in Tunisia. In October 2021, teacher Samuel Paty was murdered in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, France. Paty was decapitated by a Chechen extremist after showing his students offensive caricatures of Prophet Muhammad as part of a lesson on freedom of expression. Once again, Arab News en Francais provided a voice for all opinions through its coverage and editorials. In December of the same year, Arab News en Francais covered the landmark visit of French President Emmanuel Macron to Saudi Arabia, marking the first step of a new journey of friendship and cooperation between the two countries, particularly in culture and trade. France, long involved in the archaeological excavations taking place in AlUla, has also taken the lead in the tourism and cultural development of this ancient oasis, which spans an area equivalent to the size of Belgium. This historical city, an important meeting point on the incense route more than 2,500 years ago, is today the site of a grand project under the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 economic diversification agenda. Since Macron’s visit, Arab News en Francais has closely followed the evolution of the bilateral relationship, including the two countries’ shared vision on climate change and the development of clean energy. This was recently demonstrated by the joint signing of the French-Saudi cooperation roadmap on hydrogen and renewable energy on July 9, 2023. On Feb. 1, 2022, a tragic accident occurred in Chefchaouen, Morocco, which captured global attention, particularly in the Arab world. A five-year-old child, Rayan Aourram, fell into a deep well used for rainwater collection while playing in front of his house. Arab News en Francais provided hour-by-hour updates on the rescue operation. Sadly, after five days of tireless effort, Rayan died before rescuers could reach him. The outlet has covered everything from the COVID-19 pandemic to the French presidential election in April 2022, the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, to Macron’s visit to Algeria in August 2022 and the efforts of Franco-Algerian reconciliation. It also covered the FIFA World Cup in Qatar from a French and Maghrebi perspective, the conflict in Sudan triggered in April 2023, and the recent protests in France following the death of an Arab youth in the Paris suburb of Nantes at the hands of a French police officer. These events have allowed this news website to demonstrate its ability to go “beyond differences,” constantly bridging the gap between Arab nations, France and the rest of the world by giving voice to diverse opinions. Culture has been a pillar of Arab News en Francais’s mission from the start thanks to a privileged partnership with the Arab World Institute in Paris. With nearly 300,000 French speakers identified in Saudi Arabia through the efforts of the French embassy and Ambassador Ludovic Pouille, a driving force behind this dynamic, Arab News en Francais has gained a considerable number of readers in the Kingdom itself. It has covered events such as Francophonie Month and the July 14 celebrations under the Arabian sky. Its journalists have been present at summits of the International Organization of La Francophonie, the Cannes Film Festival, the Marrakech International Film Festival, and the Red Sea Film Festival, conducting interviews with decision-makers and creators to highlight the richness of artistic productions at the crossroads of cultures. On the Arab News en Francais website, business and economics are a particular priority area. In-depth articles allow readers to closely follow market movements, the repercussions of climate and geopolitical events, as well as short and long-term prospects. Finally, Arab News en Francais has endeavored to provide added value through opeds from important public figures, interviews with experts, politicians, artists, filmmakers, and exhibition curators in France and throughout the Arab world. After three years, the result is exponential audience growth in France and primarily Francophone Arab countries, demonstrating that it is possible to strengthen connections between these countries, societies and cultures beyond differences, with the French language serving as a beautiful catalyst.