(MENAFN - Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) KUWAIT, Nov 18 (KUNA) -- Publishers in the Gulf region and beyond face numerous challenges foremost among which is the spread of online publishing, experts agreed on Saturday.
Speakers at a panel discussion on "Arab publishing and the Gulf market," argued that Information and communications technology (ICT) dominated "our daily life including the business of traditional publishing." The panel, co-organized by Kuwait's 42nd International Book Fair and the Arab Publishers' Association, highlights the importance of book reading and the concerns of publishers in the region, said Saad Al-Enezi, director of the fair.
"Kuwait and other countries in the Gulf region attach great importance to cultural enlightenment and works to facilitate the publishing business though hosting such fairs regularly," he said.
Al-Enezi, head of the fairs' dept. at the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters (NCCAL), noted that Kuwait hosted earlier this year the second meeting of directors of Arab book fairs which led to significant recommendation for promoting culture and publishing.
"The governments of the Gulf countries put great resources at the disposal of publishers at such book fairs in order to help them find the best ways to attract creative writers and market their products," he said, noting that "the ball is now at the court of publishers." On his part, Mohammad Al-Siba'ie, director general of Saudi Arabia's Dar Al-Waraq Publishing House, said the pre-eminent religious, historical and geographical status of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has entitled it to attract celebrated writers since early the 19th century.
"The books written in this period in the Hejaz region (west Saudi Arabia), by local or expatriate authors from Egypt and elsewhere, reflect the various stages of progress of the cultural movement," he pointed out.
The Saudi renaissance and the spread of universities provided ample atmosphere for the emergence of a new class of intelligentsia who contributed to the progress of the cultural movement and the boom of printing and publishing.
"The 1990s constitutes a significant milestone in the flourish of the printing and publishing business with several bookstores and publishers starting to compete with the world's most prestigious peers," Al-Siba'ie added.
Meanwhile, Ali Al-Sha'ali, head of the consultative committee of Abu Dhabi International Translation Conference, highlighted the need of coordination among those in charge of authoring, publishing and marketing business, on one hand, and users of books, such as the ministries of education, culture and information and libraries, on the other.
"The United Arab Emirates launched several initiatives to help the views of these parties close to each other and help them realize the needs of each other," he said.
In this regard, Al-Sha'ali underscored the significant of the "culture without borders" initiative in providing books to libraries, and Mohammad bin Rashed Al Maktoum Foundation (MBRF) in providing grants for cultural and translation projects.
"These initiatives signal the UAE quest for becoming an Arab hub for publishing and overcoming the challenges facing publishing, notably the high cost," he added.
The panel is one of the numerous cultural activities on the agenda of Kuwait's 42nd International Book Fair being held at Kuwait International Fair ground in Mishref Area between November 15 and 25. (end) hjb.gb
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