Martin Newland’s newspaper for the United Arab Emirates has gone live online and published its first edition.

Developing The National, which is owned Abu Dhabi Media Company (ADMC), has involved an international recruitment drive by ex-Telegraph editor Newman with journalists from The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Times and The Daily Telegraph joining the team.

Around 200 staff will work to produce the website and 80-page paper, which will initially run from Friday to Sunday.

The site currently carries a slideshow of the making of the new paper – a nice touch. It also offers an e-paper edition of the print product and online commenting functions for users.