The Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC) has inaugurated its latest initiative, the 2025 Spotlight on Rights programme, designed to widen the global outreach of Arabic literature and bolster the translation and publishing sectors.
This programme aims to foster collaboration between Arab and global publishers by providing financial backing for diverse translation projects, covering print, e-books, and audiobooks. It enables the dissemination of premium Arabic and international works, while also reinforcing the importance of intellectual property rights.
Since its inception in 2009, this initiative has significantly contributed to the publishing landscape as part of the region's cultural progress. In light of recent global publishing trends, it expanded to include grants for audiobooks and e-books starting in 2020. Annual applications are accepted during the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair (ADIBF), emphasizing the centre’s role as a pivotal platform for rights exchange and knowledge sharing.
In the past five years, Spotlight on Rights has engaged hundreds of publishing houses worldwide, fostering the translation of both Arabic and international titles, in alignment with UAE's dedication to copyright protection.
The 2025 iteration witnessed a remarkable increase in global participation, with newcomers from countries such as Mexico, Slovakia, Greece, Canada, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, and Malaysia. This surge underscores the programme's growing international significance and its influence on the translation of Arabic literature.
His Excellency Saeed Hamdan Al Tunaiji, Executive Director of the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre, stated that the initiative reflects the centre's mission to bolster the publishing and translation landscape while expanding Arabic content into untapped markets. He highlighted that, over 17 years, the programme has enhanced rights exchanges, fostered translations, and supported a sustainable, innovation-centric publishing ecosystem.
He further emphasized that the increased involvement of international publishers highlights confidence in the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair as a cultural dialogue epicenter, showcasing the centre’s vital role in producing high-quality intellectual content that meets global standards.
During ADIBF 2025, the programme received 1,633 submissions from 113 publishing houses across 29 nations, with 69 grants awarded to 36 Arab and international publishers.
Grant amounts comprise:
AED 9,200 to AED 17,400 for printed translated literature
AED 3,700 to AED 7,400 for e-books
AED 5,500 to AED 7,400 for audiobooks
Since its launch, Spotlight on Rights has facilitated the publication of 1,390 translated works, spanning children’s literature, science, history, and social sciences, significantly amplifying the global reach of Arab culture while enriching Arabic libraries with quality translated works.
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