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Emirati publishing house was founded in 2005 and is a member of the Emirates Publishers Association



Based on its core belief that knowledge is a tool for human development and liberation, the ‘Dar Al Bitar’ publishing house was founded in 2005 with a mission to support and nurture readers with unique and valuable content that will help unleash their creativity.

 

The Dubai-based publisher’s body of work includes books on culture, literature, history, and criticism, in Arabic, English and French. It also publishes books for children including the ‘Shams’ series which are designed to develop children’s personalities and enhance their perception, while stimulating their curiosity. These books also help the younger generation express themselves better and adapt better to their communities.

 

Since its inception, ‘Dar Al Bitar’ has been enthusiastic about participating in cultural events to gain experience. It has participated in local events like the Sharjah International Book Fair and the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, regional events such as the Riyadh International Book Fair, as well as international events.

 

Dar Al Bitar is a member of the Emirates Publishers Association (EPA) which plays a pivotal role in supporting Arab publishers by providing valuable market insights and data. The EPA is also the local publishers’ gateway to international events, many of which have gone virtual due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

 

The Emirati publisher is focused on encouraging its stable of writers to advance their content, which includes intellectual, literary and scientific titles.

Dar Al-Bitar’s titles are available in most Arab countries. They are also available in many Asian and western countries, including China, Italy, and America, and can be ordered through its website and online platforms.

Though the Arabian Gulf Region is covered extensively by the global media, much of nuances of the region and its culture is lost in translation. The attention on the region has always been focused on politics and economy. Stories that abound about its rich culture and indigenous people have been largely ignored.

It was precisely to redress this that Sekka Magazine was founded in 2017 in Abu Dhabi as a online platform dedicated to documenting the stories of the Arabian Gulf Region. It has sought to reclaim the narrative of the region and provide the world with a different perspective of the people.

The magazine features stories under five categories - Game changers, Arts and Culture, Travel, Creative and Opinion, in Arabic and English, on its website: https://arsekkamag.com.

 

With more than 30 writers and storytellers contributing, Sekka seeks to provide the readers with quality and original content, publishing stories which have not been told before. The magazine publishes different points of view by women and men on significant topics that are relevant to the region. It gives voice to emerging writers, offering them a platform to reveal their talents, while seeking to encourage new thought

 

Sekka aspires to reach a larger number of readers from all over the world, introducing them to the rich culture and arts landscape in the Gulf Region and shedding light on the creativity of its people.

 

Sekka became a member of the Emirates Publishers Association (EPA) in 2019 and participated in in the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair (ADIBF) the same year. By seeking to participate in various cultural events locally and globally, the magazine strives to share its experience in digital publishing with the Arab audience, attract more followers and readers and engage the most talented Arab and Emirati writers and content makers to contribute to its quality content.

In line with its vision to nurture the reading habit among the younger generation through a mix of fascinating stories with real-life values embellished and with state of the art designs, Loaloa Publishing & Distribution, a local publishing house that specialises in literature for children and young adults, has added four new titles to their catalogue targeting the young generation. 
They included Aisha Al Harthy’s ‘A Snowman's Journey’; Nasser Al Dosari’s ‘Tale of a Grain of Sand’ and ‘Laila after the Wolf’; and Dr Safa Azmi’sseries titled ‘A Dragon’s Tale.’

To continue enriching literature targeting children and young adults with high quality titles produced utilising the latest technologies, Loaloa Publishing & Distribution now plans to diversify its portfolio to include the genres of science fiction, art, action and thrillers. It has also initiated publishing of its titles on digital platforms to make them accessible around the world. 

The publishing house also takes part in local and international cultural and literature events to access new markets for its titles. It participated in the Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival, Sharjah International Book Fair, Al Ain Reads, Muscat International Book Fair, and Abu Dhabi International Book Fair.

Loaloa Publishing & Distribution has also benefitted from the boom in the UAE publishing sector. Initiatives such as the Arab Reading Challenge and 1001 Titles, the translation grants offered by Sharjah Book Authority, and the incentives of Sharjah Publishing City have all contributed to establishing the publishing house as one of the frontrunners on the local publishing scene.

According to the publishing house, entities such as the Emirates Publishers Association and Sharjah Publishing City, among others, had contributed to the boom in the translation and publishing sector on a local as well as regional level, especially in children and young adults’ literature. 

Loaloa Publishing & Distribution is now on an ambitious expansion spree, investing in technology and diversifying its offerings, whether in traditional publishing or digital format, to meet the demands of the market.

Since its founding in Dubai in 2011, Al Hudhud Publishing and Distribution has positioned itself as a leading publisher of children’s literature. Its publications cater to all segments including educational institutions. Its aim is to advance the skillset of individuals, promote a culture of reading and nurture young talents in UAE as well as the GCC region.

 

The publishing house is dedicated to translating literature in order to build bridges between cultures and exchange knowledge and expertise between authors, intellectuals and publishers. Some of Al Hudhud Publishing and Distribution’s distinguished titles include ‘Ali and His Smart Friend’, ‘Good Night’, ‘Am I Different?’ and ‘Little Merchant’, among many others.

 

According to Ali Al Shaali, Owner of Al Hudhud Publishing, the publishing industry in the UAE has been advancing rapidly due to the wise leadership’s initiatives and projects to nurture a culture of reading in the country.

 

He said: “Governmental, cultural and educational entities are receptive to launching book fairs in the country. The booming Arabic publishing market is witnessing an influx of new publishers, and their participation in regional and international exhibitions has resulted in quality literature that aid in the exchange of culture.”

 

He added: “The Emirates Publishers Association (EPA) has impacted the local publishing sectors, contributing immensely to positioning the UAE at the forefront of the publishing industry in the GCC as well as the larger Arab region. This is evident from the participation of EPA at local, regional and international book fairs.”

 

Sale of Al Hudhud publications are the highest in the UAE, followed by Saudi Arabia. It also has a presence in Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman, in addition to Jordan, Algeria and Egypt. The publishing house has a distribution network in the USA and aims to include UK and Canada to its markets soon.

Bibliosmia Publishing and Distribution House, which was established few months ago, seeks to publish the best titles encompassing every genre of literature.  
 
Bibliosmia is the effect of a book’s scent, as one breathes in the aroma of the pages, while flipping a book. The house publishes titles in all languages with a focus on translating international books, written in foreign languages, into Arabic. Bibliosmia’s team comprises a host of highly experienced personnel in the fields of literary editing, professional linguistic processing, direction, coordination and promotion.

Key titles published by Bibliosmia include, ‘Broken Hearts’, a collection of Short Stories; ‘Jacuzzi Drowning’, a novel; and ‘The Art of Decoupage’, an educational book. The publishing house looks forward to taking part in the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair 2019, with plans to expand in future, across the Gulf, MENA region and the world. In line with the UAE’s vision, Bibliosmia  attaches immense  importance to reading as a habit, that directly contributes to the growth of the book publishing industry.
 
The management of the publishing house commended the support of the Emirates Publishers Association (EPA), highlighting the efforts aimed at helping all emerging publishing houses to face all kinds of industry challenges. The management reiterated  that the EPA provides all members with counselling and mentoring, as well as substantial information on key local, regional and international cultural events.
 
Bibliosmia’s services are delivered locally, across the Gulf and the Arab world. Books are ordered via social media platforms and online, through the publisher’s official website.

Since its establishment, Austin Macauley Publishers has been on a mission to bridge cultures and open communication channels in various countries around the world. Its active contributions by producing books with rich and diverse content have appealed to younger generations and helped strengthened their reading habit by growing their fondness for books.

 

New language, new promise

Austin Macauley Publishers is British publishing company, with headquarters in London, Cambridge, New York, and now Sharjah. This energetic and innovative independent trade publisher dabbles in both fiction and non-fiction genres. Having originally published books only in English, the publisher has entered the Arabic language publishing landscape since setting up a new base in the UAE, and has since offered taken many Emirati and regional authors under its wing.

 

Once the publishing house started its operations in the UAE, it recognised the need for more children’s literature and local educational content, along with the need to diversify Arabic content.

 

What’s in the pipeline?

Currently, the publishing house has several titles in the pipeline, by both international and Emirati authors. These include the Black Swan Sagaby Rod Giblett, Aircraft Ground Handlingby Subash S. Narayanan, From the Heights of Heaven to the Depths of Despairby Grace Lagos, and children’s book, Diversity,bySheikha Maryam Saqer Al Qassimi.

 

They are also planning to release two works of young Emirati author, Mezoon Alnaqbi, titled Searching Adventuresand Legacy of Foggy Village. Additionally, they will be adding to the reader’s shelves new works by the following Arab authors: Laila Bashar Kloob, Sami Mohammed Hussein, Muna Al Suwaidi, and others.

 

They are active participants at prominent literary events around the world, namely, Library Association Conference, Book Expo America, Book Con America, New York Rights Fair, Guadalajara International Book Fair, and Sharjah International Book Fair.

 

Based on extensive research of the academic publishing market, Austin Macauley has identified a gap in the sector for bilingual educational books, which are going to be a central focus of the 2019 publishing plan. They are also working on advancing their translations department in order to increase the opportunities for writers aspiring to take their works to more readers.

 

EPA’s commitment to growing the local industry

The publishing industry in the UAE is considered one of the fastest growing industries in the region. Its socioeconomic stability and efforts to boost freedom of expression is attributed to the collaborative efforts of government and cultural entities who work closely with publishers. The UAE is well known for its passion for culture, education and knowledge-based development, and Austin Macauley is one of the nation’s newest partners in furthering this ambition.

 

As a member of the Emirates Publishers Association (EPA), Austin Macauley successfully navigated through the initial teething troubles to successfully establish themselves in the UAE. EPA continues to offer them the necessary tools and information effectively tap into needs of the local publishing sector, and grow its business accordingly.

 

Most of Austin Macauley’s sales were generated in the European and North American continents. Since establishing themselves in Sharjah, the publisher has recorded a steady increase in sales figures in the Middle East – a result of careful understanding of market demands and meeting them by working closely with local distributors in their respected countries.

 

Emirati author and illustrator, Abdullah Al Sharhan, had a dream to qualitatively promote Arab and Emirati cultures by producing children’s content that champions cross-cultural communication. That dream he fulfilled by creating Dar Ajyaal Media in 2009. What began as a modest operation involving a team of creative experts to build innovative media solutions to promote Emirati and Arab culture in a meaningful and attractive way for children and young adults, has today become one of the region’s biggest in the field with the support of Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development and Abu Dhabi Media Free Zone - Twofour54.
 
Ajyaal Media’s strong focus on developing Arabic-language children’s content resulted from their research, which revealed that even though Arabic libraries are rich with reading materials for children, their first interactions with books at nurseries were mostly with non-Arabic language materials.
 
This is why it was keen to publish special attractive titles with quality content, which would serve as a stepping stone for young readers to familiarise themselves with Arabic letters, words and texts, winning the full trust of parents by meeting the highest international standards.
 
The iconic cartoon character “Hamdoon”,  featured in one of the most successful animated series in the region; currently premiering its third season in the Emirati dialect, is Ajyaal Media’s creation. The media house has also been publishing Children 999 – popular a monthly children’s in collaboration with UAE’s Ministry of Interior (MoI), since 2012. Its picture books, Hareez and Saaleek are famously popular among young lovers of literature.
 
Ajyaal Media’s wide-ranging expertise is reflected in the diversity of platforms it offers engaging content. For instance, audio-visual publication like the “Hamdoon” animated series, audio publications, “Al Maryahanah” – a heritage-song album for children, and finally, print publications, including My Lost Name and A Tale of a Book that have achieved monumental success.
 
Titled 1000 Words and Pictures, Ajyaal Media’s latest children’s book is designed to foster Arab culture. Comprising romanisation, it includes guidelines to pronounce Arabic letters utilising the Roman (Latin) script, which makes it suitable for non-Arabs who wish to learn their first Arabic words.
 
Since 2012, Ajyaal Media participated in local cultural forums and book fairs, showcasing its publications through the organisations and publishing houses, with which it forged partnerships or signed off collaboration agreements. In 2017, it started to participate in different book fairs across the UAE, including Al Ain Book Fair (AABF), Abu Dhabi International Book Fair (ADIBF) and Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) with its own stand, in addition to taking part in cultural events and festivals, such as Sharjah International Children’s Film Festival (SICFF).
 
Ajyaal always seeks new expertise and untold stories, aspiring to provide young generations with local and Arab attractive and unique alternative, with a focus on quality and innovation in the content production, to become the reliable and trusted partner of families in educating and entertaining children.
 
UAE’s publishing sector has seen significant development and expansion over the last years, with dozens of local publishing houses that provide readers with quality Emirati and Arabic books and exceptional direction, production and distribution services. this development attributed a striking surge, and Ajyaal Media seeks to be part of it and provide quality publications to readers.
 
Ajyaal Media prides itself on being an EPA member and aspires to expand the outreach of books towards the knowledge-based society through the concessions and facilitation, as well as the integrated vision on the publishing sector, research and reports that are provided by EPA to understand market demands and align with the mindsets and ideological trends of the UAE and the region.
 
Ajyaal believes that more people are reading books; both, print and electronic. It seeks to combine the visual production market and book fairs to adopt key books to TV and film production or any other media forms, which will be a paradigm shift in the publishing market.
 
Ajyaal has physical sales points at Dalma Mall in Abu Dhabi and other venues, as well as sales and distribution channels in the UAE and wider Gulf Region, and the UK. Their electronic store is a popular access point for readers to view their latest titles and other merchandise online.

In August 2017, and following Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, an idea started floating around to bring the centuries-old Chinese culture to the Arab world, to build bridges between two diverse and rich cultures. Thus, Dragon Publishing was established to bring Chinese literature closer than ever to Arabic language readers.

 

One of the publications, a scientific series titled Fascinating Insectspresents the fascinating world of insects to children and young readers through captivating artwork and introductory pictures. Another well-known series, Learning Outside Home, goes into detail about trees and plants in an easy and informative format perfect for children.

 

Dragon Publishing has also released a collection of translated renowned Chinese proverbs by philosophers like Confucius and Zhuangzi. Dragon’s catalogue also includes books on children’s mental development and history, which have been translated with pictures and illustrations for easy understanding of young Arab readers.

 

Advanced contributions

 

Dragon Publishing has effectively embraced technological advancements. They have been enhancing people’s reading experience by engaging them through Virtual Reality (VR) technology. Additionally, the publisher plans to release educational videos add another innovative medium of learning. They intend to publish a lot more to include rich and diverse international titles.

 

The Emirates Publishers Association (EPA) has played an integral role in the launch and development of Dragon Publishing through a plethora of incentives and support programmes, they designed to assist the publisher reach intranational standards.

 

Furthermore, EPA takes into consideration the difficult economic status of countries in the region, resulting from continuous turmoil, and has hit several sectors including publishing. EPA projects are designed to help redevelop the publishing industry in these nations.

 

Dragon Publishing has extended is marketing its titles on online platforms, expanding its readership steadily through participation in international exhibitions. They have also extende3d their points of sales to malls and stores. They are actively engaging Chinese publishers and encouraging them to translate their publications into Arabic to cater the Arabic language readers in China.