Studies and Reports

Studies and Reports

The Publishers' Association Issues 

A study on publishing in the Arab world covering the years 2022 and 2023 
The number of books published for the first time rises to 93,000 titles 
Djibouti and the Comoros appear for the first time on the Arab publishing map 

The Arab Publishers Association issued a study on the publishing movement in the Arab world for the years 2022 and 2023. Professor Mohamed Rashad, the head of the Association, stated that many data points in the Arab publishing arena indicate an unprecedented rise in publishing activity in the region. This is a natural result of increased awareness and interest in reading among the younger generations. 
All of the above are positive indicators. On the other hand, there are many negative indicators, the most challenging of which is the unprecedented rise in paper prices. This has negatively affected the demand for printed books and increased the demand for digital books.
The study indicates that the greatest threat to the publishing industry is the slow encroachment of major international publishing companies. Gradually, these companies have begun to seize the supply budgets of Arab universities, and the university textbook, which has been a driving force behind the Arab publishing movement, particularly since the 1970s, has declined. Therefore, in this study, we dedicated a section to the university textbook. On the other hand, the publishing of heritage encyclopedias from verified manuscripts in print, and the multiple editions of the same verified manuscripts, all constitute a waste of effort that requires discussion. This led us to open the door for discussion on this approach. For this reason, the Arab Publishers' Association, in collaboration with the Institute of Arab Manuscripts, aimed to create a website for Arabic manuscript heritage to avoid the repeated publication of verified manuscripts, to build a database for researchers, and to provide data on unpublished manuscripts to encourage their publication.

Mr. Mohamed Rashad mentioned that many discussions about the publishing movement in the Arab region were chosen to be the focus of this study because, without frankness and criticism, we would have no vision for the future. Whatever challenges lie ahead, no matter how difficult to address, it is useful to be candid about them and to raise awareness early, so that there are prospects for solutions and plans that allow us to recognize what we have missed and to strive toward the future.
Through its Center for Studies and Research, the Union continues to issue these studies to advance the publishing industry and attempts to fill the gap created by the lack of any data or information on the Arab publishing industry.
Dr. Khaled Azab, the study's compiler, added that tracking the publishing movement in the Arab world is extremely difficult, and without the cooperation of publishers from Arab countries, it would be impossible—especially given the reluctance of national libraries in Arab countries to issue national bibliographies annually, sometimes going years without publishing them.
In fact, monitoring in some studies, such as the study by the International Publishers Association, shows a discrepancy with the reality in Arab countries, to the extent that estimates for some Arab countries do not take into account the publishing activity they monitored through the publications issued by publishers in these countries. Conducting a survey of publishing activity requires addressing one of the issues, which is transforming publishers into established institutions that can provide future generations of publishers, in addition to giving publishers stability through modern structuring. Many publishers lack a complete bibliography of what they have published since their inception, as well as missing contracts that document the rights of the publishing house. Therefore, these publishers face problems with their rights, which would allow them to republish or sell publishing rights to others. Moreover, when a publishing house is liquidated, it is closed without considering the value of the publishing rights it owns, which could be sold or redistributed for republication by others. In this study, for the first time in Arab publishing, Djibouti and the Comoros Islands show positive development, and several countries, such as Algeria and Iraq, as well as the Sultanate of Oman, demonstrate noticeable progress in publishing activity.

The movement of book publishing in Arab countries in 2022-2023

Many Arab countries that have policies and programs to stimulate publishing are now reaping the benefits of these policies, such as Morocco and Saudi Arabia. However, in the end, what this study presents to monitor the publishing movement in the Arab world for the years 2022-2023 serves as a reference that researchers can benefit from and build upon.
Arab Publishers Association