The Tunisian media landscape is undergoing a major consolidation following a presidential directive to merge SNIPE-La Presse and Dar Assabah. Driven by a decree from President Kais Saied, the integration aims to safeguard the operations and heritage of both historic news organisations by placing them under a single, unified corporate structure. SNIPE-La Presse will act as the exclusive shareholder and manager, absorbing Dar Assabah from its previous controlling entity, Al Karama Holding.
According to an announcement by SNIPE-La Presse CEO Karim Ben Said, the transition officially commenced following the signing of a definitive share sale agreement. The transaction successfully transfers leadership and operational management away from Al Karama Holding—which controlled Dar Assabah since the December 2010 revolution—directly to SNIPE-La Presse as the sole executive shareholder.
During a general assembly attended by the chairperson of Dar Assabah’s board of directors and the executive leadership of SNIPE-La Presse, officials confirmed that this initial management transfer represents the first step towards full legal absorption. Moving forward, both publishers will maintain the continuous production of their respective print titles while operating under a single, streamlined management apparatus.
Ben Said emphasised the deep historical significance of both firms to Tunisian journalism. La Presse, the French-language daily newspaper, was founded on 12 March 1936, prior to Tunisia’s independence, and was later nationalised in the late 1960s. Meanwhile, Dar Assabah was founded in 1951 by Habib Cheikh Rouhou, publishing its inaugural issue on 1 February 1951, and cementing a legacy spanning over seven decades in the local press industry.
While acknowledging that both enterprises have faced severe operational difficulties recently, the CEO clarified that these financial headwinds reflect systemic global pressures on print journalism rather than issues isolated to these specific companies. Executive leadership expects that the merger will significantly rein in production and distribution costs while rapidly accelerating the digital transformation of both news outlets.
The merger aims to stabilise two of Tunisia’s oldest print media institutions by combining their corporate resources. By unifying management under a single executive strategy, the combined company expects to counter the financial pressures impacting traditional print journalism. This restructuring is designed to safeguard both brands’ market presence while creating the scale required to expand their digital media operations.
