Post by : Badri Ariffin

The Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC) has introduced fresh grants through its 2025 Spotlight on Rights programme, which seeks to broaden the global reach of Arabic literature and bolster the translation and publishing landscape.

This programme fosters collaboration between Arab and international publishers by financing translation endeavors across print, e-books, and audiobooks. Its intention is to deliver premium Arabic and global literature to wider audiences, while championing intellectual property rights.

Since its inception in 2009, the initiative has been pivotal in advancing the publishing ecosystem as part of regional cultural development. Following international trends, the inclusion of grants for audiobooks and e-books commenced in 2020. Submissions are taken annually during the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair (ADIBF), reinforcing the centre’s position as a platform for rights exchange and knowledge sharing.

In the past five years, the Spotlight on Rights has drawn interest from numerous publishers globally, encouraging translation between Arabic and other languages in line with the UAE’s robust copyright protection policies.

The latest edition has seen notable growth in international participation, with publishers from Mexico, Slovakia, Greece, Canada, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, and Malaysia joining for the first time. This increasing interest underscores the programme’s expanding international significance and its role in facilitating Arabic translations.

His Excellency Saeed Hamdan Al Tunaiji, Executive Director of the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre, emphasized that this programme underscores the centre’s dedication to nurturing the publishing and translation ecosystem while penetrating new markets for Arabic content. He highlighted that the initiative has reinforced rights exchange and promoted translation, helping to cultivate a sustainable, innovative publishing environment over the past 17 years.

The growing engagement from international publishers reflects confidence in the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair as a central hub for cultural dialogue, emphasizing the centre’s role in producing top-quality knowledge content that conforms to international standards.

At ADIBF 2025, the programme garnered 1,633 applications from 113 publishing houses in 29 countries, resulting in 69 grants awarded to 36 Arab and international publishers.

Grant amounts available include:

• AED 9,200 to AED 17,400 for printed translated books

• AED 3,700 to AED 7,400 for e-books

• AED 5,500 to AED 7,400 for audiobooks

Since its inception, the Spotlight on Rights programme has facilitated the publication of 1,390 translated works across various domains such as children’s literature, science, history, and social sciences. The initiative persists in reinforcing the global standing of Arab culture while augmenting Arabic libraries with superior translated literature.