SHARJAH, 1st November, 2026 (WAM) — H.H. Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA), said: “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.”
Addressing the guests and attendees of the 16th annual Sharjah International Publishers Conference, she further noted that while publishing operates within an accelerating age, she looks ahead with steady optimism because, “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.”
Sheikha Bodour told conference participants that the industry will do it again, together.
Organised by the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) and running until November 3 at Expo Centre Sharjah, with the participation of 1,433 publishers from 126 countries, the annual conference runs for three days ahead of the opening of the 45th Sharjah International Book Fair.
Alongside Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi, the opening ceremony was attended by Ahmed bin Rakkad Al Ameri, CEO of SBA; Gvantsa Jobava; President of 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 US, and Jose Manuel Anta, Managing Director of FGEE in Spain, alongside a number of prominent Arab and international publishers, writers and media professionals.
During the opening ceremony, Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi honoured KlooBR, for coming out the winner in Sharjah Publishing Sustainability Fund (Onshur)’s ‘Disrupt Track’. The competition attracted 94 applications from 17 countries.
Operating in Portugal and Brazil, KlooBR provides innovative AI-powered solutions for the publishing industry and recorded thousands of paid transactions in its first year of operation. As part of the win, SBA will make a strategic investment to support the company’s establishment and growth in Sharjah.
Delivering the Sultanate of Oman’s address at the conference’s opening, Ahmed bin Saud Al Rawahi, Director of the Muscat International Book Fair, commended Sharjah’s standing as an international cultural centre and highlighted how artificial intelligence is transforming the publishing industry.
“The real challenge is not to resist technology, but to guide it in ways that serve knowledge and creativity,” Al Rawahi said, pointing to the role of artificial intelligence in accelerating publishing processes, improving translation and expanding access to content, alongside the responsibilities it raises around creative authenticity, authors’ rights, intellectual property and the credibility of content.
Al Rawahi also traced the history of printing and publishing in the Sultanate of Oman, from manuscripts and the Royal Press in Zanzibar in 1882 to the establishment of the Royal Press in Muscat in 1959 and the subsequent shift towards digital publishing.
He expressed the Sultanate’s pride in being selected as Guest of Honour at the 45th Sharjah International Book Fair, noting that its participation provides opportunities to showcase Oman’s cultural heritage and literary and intellectual achievements, while expanding the global reach of Omani books through translation, rights exchange and sustainable professional partnerships.
The opening also featured a keynote conversation between Sanyu Dillon, President of the Random House Group at Penguin Random House in the United States, and Nadia Wassef, Co-founder and Board Member of Diwan Bookstores in Egypt.
Dillon expressed optimism about the future of publishing, noting that periods of disruption and contraction in the industry have historically been followed by new opportunities for growth. She pointed to the continued strength of print book sales and the resurgence of independent bookstores in the United States.
Dillon also stressed that understanding readers’ needs and behaviour has become essential to developing effective publishing and marketing strategies. She noted that personal recommendations remain a key driver of book sales, even as their influence has shifted from booksellers and friends towards creators and influencers on digital platforms.
She cited the marketing of the novel Alchemized, authored by SenLinYu, which sold 1.6 million copies in North America over 13 months with support from an influencer-led campaign. Dillon also emphasised the importance of combining market data with professional judgment and focusing on the experience readers seek from a book — whether learning or entertainment — rather than promoting only its subject matter and plot.
The first day of the conference featured 30 roundtables across four rounds, including seven in Arabic. Discussions covered applications of artificial intelligence in book discovery, editing, marketing and content licensing, as well as audiobook production and distribution and the development of small and medium-sized publishing houses. The discussions explored translation rights, adapting books into audiovisual works, developing intellectual property with commercial potential, and marketing strategies that help publishers and authors reach readers through digital platforms.
The roundtables also examined opportunities for expansion into markets including Japan, China, Latin America and Spain, publishing collaboration between the Sultanate of Oman and the United Kingdom, book distribution and inventory management, as well as online piracy, hybrid publishing, children’s books and comics.
The PublisHer Lounge programme on the first day included a TikTok workshop, a session on the art of building professional relationships, and mentoring sessions with women leaders in the publishing industry. The programme will continue over the following two days from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm, alongside professional photography sessions.
The conference will continue on November 2 and 3 with business-to-business (B2B) deal-making meetings between participants from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm, alongside Boardroom Exchange meetings. Through these pre-booked sessions, participants will be able to connect with senior executives from publishing and technology organisations and international partners across the book industry, discuss new ideas, and gain professional guidance and practical insights from industry leaders.
Source: Emirates News Agency