EPA Outlines the Challenges of Arab Publishers at CIBF

One of the biggest threats to the Arab publishing sector, according to Neveen Eltohamy, is piracy.

on Feb 08, 2023

EPA Outlines the Challenges of Arab Publishers

The Emirates Publishers Association (EPA) has concluded a successful participation at the prestigious Cairo International Book Fair, 54th annual edition by highlighting 25 member publishers and their exceptional works on EPA'S Manassah platform. This is in line with EPA's strategic efforts to raise the profiles of Emirati authors and publishers in the region and around the world.

EPA's innovative Manassah initiative, a platform designed to assist Emirati Publishers with marketing their publications at various local and international book fairs and exhibitions, was on display at the recently concluded book fair, which ran from January 25 to February 6. It featured 2,345 copies of 250 distinctive titles published by member publishers.

Rashed Al-Kous, the EPA's Executive Director, led the delegation to Cairo and oversaw a series of meetings with the fair's organizers, high-ranking officials, and participating publishers to discuss past initiatives and upcoming plans by the Association to highlight the work and accomplishments of local publishers and industry experts on a regional and global scale. To increase the reach of their members to wider audiences of readers in the UAE and the Arab globe, he also explained the EPA's operational tactics designed to enhance book distribution and marketing.

EPA emphasizes how critical social media and other technology are for selling book titles.

EPA featured notable speakers Ali Abdel Moneim, publisher and publishing consultant; Neveen Eltohamy, Kayan Publishing House; Ahmed Ruwaihel, Chief Strategy Officer, Tahoun; and Abdullah Al Kaabi, EPA board member, during a panel discussion titled Content and Available Means of Publications.

Abdullah Al Kaabi, the EPA's projects manager, emphasized using social media and other technologies throughout the discussion, which AlAnoud Ali chaired. He also emphasized how important it is for publishers to set up online venues to display their print and electronic products.

Ali Abdel Moneim talked about the difficulties encountered by publishers in the Arab world.

He emphasized the necessity for thorough training that familiarises literary editors and publishers with the foundations of their professions, saying that most use trial-and-error techniques before realizing the value of planning and marketing to reach their target audience.

One of the biggest threats to the Arab publishing sector, according to Neveen Eltohamy, is piracy. She continued that all nations must uphold their intellectual property laws to protect the rights of writers and publishers.

Regarding the transition to audio content marketing, Ahmed Ruwaihel pointed out that the amount of money invested globally in audiobooks is rising quickly. He also said that piracy is still a problem for Arab audio material. He said that investors are keeping an eye on trends worldwide and expressing interest in funding the region's audiobook market.

EPA is displaying the works of 25 Emirati publishers on its Manassah portal.