The KBA hybrid press for coldset/heatset production will be extended by two printing towers, two reelstands, additional hot-air dryer and will go live at the end of 2013. Founded around 50 years ago, Al-Yaum is one of the most popular newspapers in Saudi Arabia and the leading newspaper in the eastern region. Its printing press complex has been winning awards since the year 2006 to date: it was the first in the middle east and the second in the world to be IFRA ISO certified, the first in the middle east to win the IFRA Asia Award for best in print and the first in the middle east to become a member of the WAN-IFRA Star Club and the Color Quality Club. The complex is also ISO 9001 and UGRA certified.

Saleh Al Humaidan, managing director of Al-Yaum Media House, says: “We are expanding our capacity as a result of a boost in our printing business and the increasing demands of our advertisers for more colours and advertising in heatset sections. Working with Koenig & Bauer has been enjoyable and I look forward to continuing this fruitful partnership between our two companies. This expansion with KBA technology will allow us to increase our page output and colour capacity while at the same time maintaining our well-known, award-winning quality standards. We have been a member of the exclusive International Newspaper Color Quality Club for many years now.”

Configured for an output of 50,000cph with a cylinder circumference of 578mm (22.8in) and a maximum web width of 1,000mm (39.4in), the KBA Continent web press at Al-Yaum went live in 2005. As part of this extension two further printing towers will join the existing eight four-high towers and the two printing units, the number of reelstands will go from twelve to fourteen and a second hot-air dryer will be installed. Cross-section web leads, two KF 3 jaw folders and up to fourteen webs (two of which 4/4 heatset) support production of up to 100,000 copies with 28 broadsheet pages per hour.