Company Overview

Al Bayan is a leading Arabic-language daily newspaper based in the United Arab Emirates, known for its comprehensive coverage of local, regional, and international news. Established in 1980, Al Bayan has built a strong reputation for delivering high-quality journalism across various sectors, including politics, business, culture, and technology. The newspaper has a strong digital presence with its online platform, albayan.ae, offering up-to-date news, articles, and multimedia content to a global Arabic-speaking audience. With a dedicated team of professionals and a commitment to innovation, Al Bayan continues to be a key player in the media landscape of the Middle East.

Project Overview

I led the frontend development and integration of the NewsPublish CMS for albayan.ae, a news platform serving the Middle East. The project involved integrating a third-party CMS designed for seamless news publishing and ensuring a robust and user-friendly frontend for the editorial team and website visitors.

• Website: albayan.ae
• CMS: NewsPublish
• Client: Al Bayan
• Project Duration: [Project Duration]
• Role: Lead Frontend Developer
• Team Size: 500 employees (with approx 20 team members, including management, editorial, development, ads, devops etc)
• Technologies Used: Nextjs, HTML, SASS, JavaScript, React, API Integrations, NewsPublish CMS

Client Request

Objective: Seamlessly integrate the NewsPublish CMS with the existing infrastructure at albayan.ae, while ensuring a responsive, user-friendly frontend that would enhance content creation and management.

Key Requirements:

• Develop a custom frontend that aligns with Al Bayan’s branding and design guidelines
• Integrate NewsPublish CMS with the website’s backend systems
• Ensure fast-loading, responsive design optimized for mobile users
• Implement SEO-friendly features for better content discoverability
• Collaborate with the backend team to integrate APIs for dynamic content

Challenges:

• Customizing the CMS for Al Bayan’s unique editorial workflow
• Ensuring the frontend design was highly intuitive for both editors and readers
• Managing the integration of dynamic content with the CMS’s limitations and ensuring real-time updates

My Role & Solution

Role: Lead Frontend Developer

Responsibilities:

• Lead frontend development and integration for the NewsPublish CMS
• Developed a responsive and interactive UI tailored to the needs of news publishers
• Ensured seamless API integrations for real-time content updates
• Optimized the site for performance and SEO

Technologies Used:

• Frontend: HTML, SASS, JavaScript, React
• CMS: NewsPublish
• API Integrations: Dynamic content API

Outcome

Successfully integrated NewsPublish CMS, enhancing editorial efficiency for Al Bayan’s team
Achieved faster content updates, allowing editors to publish news in real-time
Delivered a fast-loading, responsive website
Enhanced content discoverability through SEO optimizations

Lessons Learned

Custom CMS integrations can be challenging but rewarding when aligned with client goals
User-centered design is key, especially for media websites where speed and usability are crucial
API management plays a pivotal role in ensuring smooth content flows and real-time updates