With the participation of Bodour Al Qasimi and international publishing leaders
Sharjah International Publishers Conference opens Sunday to explore global publishing growth across 30 key topics
- Artificial intelligence, audiobooks and intellectual property rights top the agenda
- Two days of business meetings to explore partnerships and trade publishing and translation rights
Sharjah, October 31, 2026
Sharjah will bring together publishing industry leaders and experts from around the world tomorrow (Sunday), November 1, for the opening of the 16th Sharjah International Publishers Conference, which runs until November 3. The conference will feature a programme spanning 30 key industry topics, alongside business meetings where publishers and literary agents can exchange rights and explore partnerships.
The conference will open with a keynote address by Her Highness Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA), followed by an address from His Excellency Ahmed bin Saud Al Rawahi, Director of the Muscat International Book Fair, representing the Sultanate of Oman, Guest of Honour at the Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF).
The opening programme will also feature Sanyu Dillon, President of the Random House Group at Penguin Random House in the US, in conversation with Nadia Wassef, Co-Founder and Board Member of Diwan Bookstores in Egypt.
Artificial intelligence and audiobooks
The first day’s sessions will explore the use of artificial intelligence in book editing, proofreading and marketing, as well as audiobook production and distribution. Discussions will also address publishing and translation rights in the digital economy, adapting books for film and television, and ways to develop content into intellectual property.
Other topics will include opportunities for expansion into international markets, book marketing through Amazon and Noon, and the impact of changes in the media landscape on how publishers and authors reach readers.
Specialised Arabic-language workshops
The conference will also feature Arabic-language sessions examining the use of artificial intelligence to support the growth of small and medium-sized publishing houses, the acquisition of translation rights, and the development of books into intellectual property assets. Other discussions will address cross-market publishing between Oman and the United Kingdom, digital distribution and inventory management, and opportunities to expand the reach of Arabic books in international markets.
The conference will continue on Monday and Tuesday, November 2 and 3, with one-to-one business meetings from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm, bringing together publishers, literary agents and representatives of the wider publishing industry to explore opportunities for collaboration and trade publishing and translation rights.
The programme will also include morning Boardroom Exchange meetings. On Monday, a dedicated session will examine ways to strengthen the implementation of the Marrakesh Treaty and advance accessible publishing practices across the Arab region.
The conference takes place ahead of the 45th Sharjah International Book Fair, which opens on November 4. It forms part of the professional programmes organised by the Sharjah Book Authority to support publishers in developing their capabilities, accessing international markets and building stronger connections across the global book industry.
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