حوار حول صناعة النشر في العالم العربي : تقرير رئيس اتحـاد الناشرين العرب

Abstract

This discussion examines the state of the publishing industry in the Arab world through a comprehensive analytical perspective, drawing on the report of the President of the Arab Publishers Association. It highlights the structural and historical challenges facing this industry in comparison with its Western counterparts. Despite the relative growth of Arab publishing activity, the size of the market remains limited and disproportionate to population size and the expansion of higher education, as the value of the Arab book market does not exceed two billion dollars, representing only a small fraction of the global market. The dialogue underscores the negative impact of political and economic crises—such as regional conflicts, the COVID-19 pandemic, rising printing and paper costs, and reliance on imported production materials—which have led to reduced output and threatened the sustainability of publishing houses.

The discussion also addresses the challenges of digital transformation, the dominance of foreign platforms in digital publishing, weak protection of intellectual property rights, and the widespread phenomenon of print and digital piracy, all of which pose direct risks to both authors and publishers. At the same time, the dialogue highlights positive aspects, including the emergence of new active Arab publishing hubs, support for translation initiatives, the growing role of women in authorship and publishing, and the efforts of the Arab Publishers Association in fostering cooperation, resolving disputes, and producing professional studies. The dialogue concludes with a future-oriented vision that emphasizes the need for legislative reform, the development of comprehensive databases, support for reading culture, and the empowerment of Arab digital publishing to ensure its regional and global presence.