The Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi opened its involvement at the Frankfurt International Book Fair yesterday with a lecture on the subject of the publishing industry in Abu Dhabi, presented by Sheikha Al Muhairi, Acting Director of the Libraries Department.

Al Muhairi gave a comprehensive presentation on the publishing industry and the government and private initiatives that support it, and discussed the prospects of publishing in the UAE with the international audience attending the largest book fair in the world.

The publishing and information sector has witnessed considerable growth since 2013, due to a number of supportive government initiatives developed by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi and the pivotal role that the Kalima Project, which was launched in 2007 with the aim of reviving the translation movement in the Arab world, has played in transferring international titles into Arabic.

These initiatives include the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, Al Ain Book Fair, Sheikh Zayed Book Award (which honours writers, intellectuals, and publishers whose work enriches Arab intellectual, cultural, literary and social life), and the International Prize for Arabic Fiction (the most prestigious and important literary prize in the Arab world, which rewards excellence in contemporary Arabic creative writing).

These initiatives also include Project Qalam, which aims at disseminating Emirati literature and nurturing promising talented authors, and the Poetry Encyclopedia, which encompasses a large collection of Arabic poems from different eras in an electronic library accessible for everyone. The specialised publications on Emirati heritage and oral history also contributed to the growth, in addition to other publications of the culture sector, and partnerships with other entities of this vibrant sector.

Al Muhairi also underscored the publishing initiatives launched by other institutions in Abu Dhabi, such as Abu Dhabi Media Company and twofour54, with an evident orientation towards e-publishing, and thus providing future generations of authors with a variety of publishing channels in the private sector.

She went on to highlight some legislation supporting the publishing industry, as the UAE recently adopted and enforced protection of intellectual property rights, and enacted a ‘reading’ law. These aspects indicate a prosperous future for the publishing industry in the UAE, as, according to the Emirates Publishers Association, it contributes AED 8.2 million to the national economy. Efforts are currently being made to increase this contribution competitively between the emirates, as the UAE incorporates 10 free zones, two of which are dedicated to publishing activities. Furthermore, UNESCO selected Sharjah as the World Book Capital for the year 2019.

In conclusion, she pointed out that the technical expertise supporting the publishing industry is now widely available in the UAE, but challenges remain in finding solutions to the problems of book distribution, supporting electronic content, and documentation.