Frankfurt: The UAE’s activities in the international publishing industry were highlighted at a series of meetings that took place at the Global Publishing Summit here.
During the meetings, Ahmad Bin Rakkad Al Ameri, chairman of Sharjah Book Authority (SBA), said European Union (EU) countries import $33 million worth of books from the Arab world, with the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium making up 94 per cent of these imports.
At the same time, the Arab world imports $1 billion worth of books, with the EU having a 29 per cent market share. He further explained how this represents a significant opportunity for growth for EU exporters and discussed how basing their operations in the UAE would offer them an array of opportunities to access markets in the developing world.
“The Arab world comprises around 370 million people and demographically it is characterised by being a youthful and digitally connected population. The UAE’s publishing market is estimated to be $233 million and expected to triple in size by 2030. This anticipated growth signals huge opportunities for international publishers,” said Al Ameri.
He pointed out that the UAE is the EU’s largest trade partner and offers considerable advantages for EU publishers as a regional operational base to access developing markets.
Geographically, the UAE is at the nexus of Europe, Africa, and Asia with world-class infrastructure to facilitate logistics. “We offer one of the most secure and business-friendly regulatory environments, are a cost-efficient alternative to other locations and are home to a highly skilled and well-educated workforce,” he added.
Focusing on Sharjah in particular, Al Ameri explained how the emirate had emerged as a leading city in realising the UAE’s vision of becoming a global publishing hub. He highlighted how Sharjah scored in the top 10 rankings for ‘Global Cities of the Future Small and Mid-sized Cities’ in the categories of Economic Potential, Human Capital, Lifestyle, Connectivity, Business Friendliness and Cost Effectiveness.
“Ever since its inception, Sharjah has strived to promote the importance of books. Sharjah is home to the third largest book fair in the world, Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF), which has a dedicated children’s literary event, Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival, and hosts numerous campaigns to encourage reading,” said Al Ameri.
SBA continues its presence at the Frankfurt Book Fair, which runs from October 19 to 23, to highlight the forthcoming SIBF that takes place on November 2-12 at Expo Centre Sharjah.
