Every article The Saudi Times publishes is checked before it reaches readers. This page explains the standards our journalists work to and the process a story passes through on its way to publication.
Sourcing standards
We report from primary sources wherever possible: official statements, published data, regulatory filings, court records, and named individuals speaking on the record. Where we rely on a secondary source, we say so and link to it so readers can judge it themselves.
Our principal sources for reporting on the Kingdom include the Saudi Press Agency, government ministries and regulatory authorities, listed-company disclosures, and established regional and international news organisations. Financial and market reporting draws on official exchange data and company filings.
Verification before publication
Factual claims are checked against their original source rather than an intermediary. Figures, dates, job titles, company names and direct quotations are verified individually. Where a claim cannot be substantiated, it is either attributed explicitly to the party making it or left out.
Where a story makes a significant claim about a named person or organisation, we seek comment from them before publication and record in the article whether a response was received.
Editorial review
No article is published without editorial review. Every story is read by an editor before it goes live, and business and financial reporting receives additional scrutiny given the consequences of error in that field.
Images
Photographs used in our reporting are licensed, credited to their source, or drawn from public archives with attribution. We do not present illustrative images as documentary evidence of an event, and we do not alter photographs in ways that change their meaning.
Anonymous sources
We name our sources wherever it is possible to do so. Anonymity is granted only where the information is of clear public interest and the source faces a genuine risk in speaking openly. Where a source is unnamed, we explain to readers why, and describe the source’s position closely enough to convey their standing.
When we get it wrong
No newsroom is infallible. When we publish an error, we correct it openly and on the record. Our approach is set out in full in our Corrections Policy, and readers are encouraged to report anything they believe to be inaccurate.
