Dubai: The Emirates Publishers Association (EPA) has met with global counterparts in its efforts to bolster the publishing industry in the UAE and abroad.
Emirates association members met with the International Publishers Association (IPA), Tunisian Publishers Association and the Saudi Publishers Association on the second day of the London Book Fair (LBF 2013), which took place this week in the UK.
The meeting was attended by EPA President Shaikha Budoor Bint Sultan Al Qasimi, IPA President, Youngsuk Chi, Ibrahim El Moallem, IPA Vice-President, the General Secretary of the Tunisian Publishers Association, Mohammed Al Maalej, and the President of the Saudi Publishers Association, Ahmad Al Hamdan and aimed to facilitate increased communication between the publishing associations from Tunisia and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the IPA in order to further the two Arab associations’ endeavours to obtain full IPA membership.
During the meeting, which took place at the Sharjah International Book Fair stand, the representatives from the Tunisian Publishers Association and the Saudi Publishers Association had the opportunity to tap into the expertise of both the EPA and the IPA and to explore ways in which to overcome any obstacles they might be facing in their application journey.
Speaking about the meeting, Shaikha Budoor said: “Intellectual capital is one of the most important resources for any nation, which is why the creation of a strong and vibrant publishing industry in the Arab world is vital to ensuring progress, growth, and development. This is however only possible if the publishers in the Arab regions have access to the expertise and experience that international exposure affords.”
“Meetings such as this one plays a significant role in contributing to supporting the region’s burgeoning cultural movement and establishing a strong footing for the Arab publishing sector in the world. The success that the EPA has achieved since its inception in 2009 has been both remarkable and unprecedented in the region and it is our hope to see this success cascade through to the rest of the Arab nations.
“The EPA will continue to strive to support other countries in their bids to become part of the IPA and work together with its counterparts to foster a prosperous and growing publishing industry in the region.”
Commenting on the occasion, Youngsuk Chi said: “We are delighted to see such a rapid increase in the number of Arab countries applying for IPA membership. This is a clear indication of growth in the region’s publishing sector, and IPA is pleased to work more closely with these associations to help prepare their eligibility for membership and to help them achieve greater progress. There is a strong desire to develop a vibrant publishing industry within the region, and we are confident that these associations, through leading by example, will be able to make a lasting impact in their region and put the Arab world on the global publishing map.”
Established in 2009, the Emirates Publishers Association is a public entity that serves the United Arab Emirates by working to develop the UAE’s publishing industry. The Association is a member of the Arab Publishers Association and a member of the International Publishers Association (IPA).
