SHARJAH’s efforts to strengthen its position as an international publishing hub took centre stage Sunday as publishers from 126 countries gathered for the 16th Sharjah International Publishers Conference, with artificial intelligence, international rights trading and new business models dominating discussions.
The three-day conference, organised by the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) at Expo Centre Sharjah, has brought together 1,433 publishers, reflecting the growing international reach of the emirate’s publishing and cultural initiatives. The event runs through Nov. 3, ahead of the 45th Sharjah International Book Fair, scheduled for Nov. 4-15.
Opening the conference, Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, chairperson of the SBA, called for greater international cooperation to help the publishing industry navigate technological and commercial challenges.
“In Sharjah, we have always believed that our industry’s true resilience lies in cross-border solidarity. A challenge keeping a publisher awake in one corner of the world has often found a creative answer in another,” she said.
Sheikha Bodour said the industry had repeatedly demonstrated its ability to adapt to disruption, reinvent its business practices and build stronger connections with readers.
“Every time this industry has been challenged, publishers have not simply survived. They have adapted, reimagined their craft, and built new bridges to their readers,” she said.
The opening ceremony was attended by Ahmed bin Rakkad Al Ameri, CEO of the SBA; Gvantsa Jobava, president of the International Publishers Association; Ahmed bin Saud Al Rawahi, director of the Muscat International Book Fair; Sanyu Dillon, president of the Random House Group at Penguin Random House in the United States; and Jose Manuel Anta, managing director of Spain’s Federation of Publishers’ Guilds (FGEE), among other publishing professionals and cultural figures.
Sharjah backs publishing technology
A key announcement at the opening ceremony was the selection of KlooBR as the winner of the Disrupt Track of the Sharjah Publishing Sustainability Fund, known as Onshur.
The competition attracted 94 applications from 17 countries. KlooBR, which operates in Portugal and Brazil, develops artificial intelligence-based solutions for the publishing industry and recorded thousands of paid transactions in its first year of operation.
As part of the award, the SBA will make a strategic investment to support the company’s establishment and expansion in Sharjah.
The initiative reflects a broader effort to connect publishing with technology and entrepreneurship. Onshur supports the development of the UAE’s publishing sector through programmes designed for emerging publishers, established businesses and technology companies seeking to develop solutions for the industry.
The Disrupt Track specifically targets technology ventures with commercially viable products that can improve how publishers create, distribute and market content.
Oman highlights technology and publishing heritage
Delivering Oman’s address at the opening, Al Rawahi praised Sharjah’s role as an international cultural centre and discussed the opportunities and challenges artificial intelligence presents for publishing.
“The real challenge is not to resist technology, but to guide it in ways that serve knowledge and creativity,” he said.
AI can accelerate publishing processes, improve translation and widen access to books and other content, he said. However, its adoption also raises questions about authorship, intellectual property, copyright protection and the reliability of published material.
Al Rawahi traced Oman’s publishing history from its manuscript traditions and the establishment of the Royal Press in Zanzibar in 1882 to the opening of the Royal Press in Muscat in 1959 and the subsequent transition towards digital publishing.
He also highlighted Oman’s selection as guest of honour at the 45th Sharjah International Book Fair, saying the participation would provide an opportunity to showcase the sultanate’s literary heritage and contemporary intellectual achievements.
The programme is expected to promote Omani books and authors internationally through translation, publishing rights exchanges and partnerships with publishers in other countries.
Penguin Random House executive sees opportunities in changing market
The opening programme also featured a conversation between Dillon and Nadia Wassef, co-founder and board member of Egypt’s Diwan Bookstores, on the changing economics of publishing and the evolving relationship between publishers and readers.
Dillon expressed optimism about the industry’s prospects, arguing that periods of disruption and market contraction have historically created opportunities for new growth.
She pointed to the continued demand for printed books and the resurgence of independent bookstores in the United States as evidence that digital technology has not eliminated readers’ appetite for physical books.
However, she said publishers must understand changing consumer behaviour and adapt their marketing strategies accordingly.
Personal recommendations remain an important factor in book sales, she said, although the sources of influence have changed. Recommendations once associated largely with booksellers, friends and family increasingly come from content creators and social media influencers.
Dillon cited the marketing campaign for Alchemised, a novel by SenLinYu, as an example of the commercial potential of influencer-led promotion. The book sold 1.6 million copies in North America over 13 months, she said, with social media creators playing a significant role in its marketing.
She also emphasised the importance of combining market research and sales data with editorial experience and professional judgment. Publishers, she said, should focus on the reading experience they are offering, whether education, information or entertainment, rather than relying solely on a book’s subject or plot to promote it.
Rights trading and artificial intelligence dominate discussions
The conference’s opening day featured 30 roundtable discussions across four sessions, including seven conducted in Arabic.
The discussions covered the use of AI in book discovery, editing, marketing and content licensing, as well as audiobook production, digital distribution and the development of small and medium-sized publishing houses.
International rights trading emerged as another major theme, with participants examining translation opportunities, adaptations of books for film and television, and ways to develop literary works into intellectual property with commercial potential.
Other sessions explored expansion into markets such as Japan, China, Latin America and Spain, alongside publishing cooperation between Oman and the United Kingdom.
Participants also discussed inventory management, online piracy, hybrid publishing, children’s books and comics, as well as strategies for helping authors and publishers reach readers through digital platforms.
The discussions reflect a publishing market in which the commercial value of a book increasingly extends beyond print sales to translation, audiobooks, screen adaptations and other forms of intellectual property.
Business meetings and professional development
The conference’s PublisHer Lounge programme included a TikTok workshop, a session on professional networking and mentoring opportunities with women leaders in publishing. The programme will continue through Nov. 3.
Business-to-business meetings are scheduled for Nov. 2 and 3, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., alongside Boardroom Exchange sessions. The pre-arranged meetings will bring publishers, literary agents, technology companies and other industry representatives together to explore partnerships, negotiate publishing and translation rights, and discuss potential business opportunities.
The conference forms part of Sharjah’s wider strategy to develop its publishing ecosystem by connecting cultural exchange with commercial opportunities and international cooperation.
The 45th Sharjah International Book Fair, with Oman as its guest of honour, opens at Expo Centre Sharjah on Nov. 4 and runs through Nov. 15.
