Theweek

Infobox_Newspaper
name = TheWeek


caption = The front page of TheWeek's 200th issue
type = Weekly newspaper
format = Tabloid
owners = Apex Press and Publishing
publisher = Mr Saleh al Zakwani
foundation = 2003
political = Neutral news coverage
headquarters = CBD Area, Ruwi, Muscat, Oman
website = [http://www.freetheweek.com www.freetheweek.com]

"TheWeek" is a free, 48-page, all-colour, independent weekly published from Muscat in the Sultanate of Oman. Oman’s first free newspaper was launched in March 2003 and has now gone on to gather what is believed to be the largest readership for any publication in Oman. Ms Mohana Prabhakar is the managing editor of the publication. "TheWeek" is audited by BPA Worldwide, which has certified its circulation as being a weekly average of 50,300.

"TheWeek" is the first and so far, only publication in Oman to be audited. The results of the audit were first announced in January 2007 and have reinforced the market perception of the publication being a clear leader in terms of readership and reach. A survey done by Apex Press and Publishing, says that "TheWeek" has an average readership of 178,000.

Free copies of "TheWeek" can be picked up every Wednesday from a large number of outlets spread across the main urban areas in Oman, including Muscat, Sohar, Sur, Nizwa and Salalah. It covers mostly local Oman-based news – everything from people and events to government decisions and civic initiatives. Celebrities visiting Oman or with an Oman connection, local events and Oman’s sports heroes are covered regularly in the publication. It usually does not take any political position with the emphasis being more on ‘featurish stuff’.

The newspaper is published by Apex Press and Publishing, Oman's premier publishing house, which was instrumental in introducing the concept of a 'free' newspaper in the Oman market. TheWeek reportedly gets its revenues from the large number of advertisements in it. Contests that are run in the paper including the Crossword, Wordsearch and Find the (hidden) Frog as well as do-it-yourself games like Sudoku and Wordbuster are very popular with its readers. The publication is popular with the English reading population in the country and is even recommended for classroom reading by many educational institutions in the country.