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UAE: Experts, publishers hail Sheikh Khalifa for promoting Arabic literature

First International Congress of Arabic Publishing and Creative Industries begins in Abu Dhabi

Published: Sun 22 May 2022, 3:07 PM

By
Ismail Sebugwaawo

KT/Ismail Sebugwaawo

Experts and publishers at the Arabic language publishing congress in Abu Dhabi have hailed the late Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan for his efforts in promoting culture and Arabic literature.

In her opening remarks at the first International Congress of Arabic Publishing and Creative Industries 2022, Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi, President of the International Publishers Association said: “The late Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan had a great impact on promoting culture and supporting the publishing industry and we are confident that the new UAE President, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, will take forward his legacy as he too has been instrumental in enhancing Arabic literature.”

She noted that although the Arabic language publishing sector has witnessed steady growth in the past few years, more efforts were still needed to build a robust Arabic publishing industry which will last for years.

“The issue of copyright protection or Intellectual Property (IP) in the Arabic language publishing is very important to protect the great works and content of publishers, especially e-books and audio-books in this digital era where piracy is on the rise,” said Al Qasimi.

Dr. Ali Bin Tamim, Chairman, Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre said Sheikh Khalifa was keen on turning Abu Dhabi into a publishing hub with the support of cultural activities and publishers.

“Abu Dhabi, under the leadership of Sheikh Khalifa has been pivotal in promoting culture and enhancing Arabic language through supporting content creation. We should all support publishers and content creators so as to enhance the publishing industry,” he said.

“We feel that the Arabic language has great impact on expressing our culture. It gives us the ability to communicate and exchange messages. We all can be part of the cultural era that will steer the development of the Arabic publishing industry.”

The congress, which is the first of its kind in the Arab region has gathered renowned experts and leading publishers, content creators, and seasoned professionals from creative industries around the world.

Held as part of the 31st Abu Dhabi International Book Fair (ADIBF 2022) which begins on May 23 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Company (Adnec), the event aims to explore opportunities to empower and advance Arabic content on various platforms.

In her presentation titled: ‘The 70-20-10 Model for Innovation in Publishing’, Ann Hiatt, bestselling author and Silicon Valley veteran explained that the Golden Ratio is about how to stay competitive and future-proof in businesses and careers.

“The ideal ratio is 70-20-10. For businesses, this means that 70 per cent of core efforts and resources should be spent optimising existing products for existing customers while 20 per cent should be focused on adjacent efforts which expand the existing business into things that are new to the company.”

Hiatt added that the remaining 10 per cent is where the magic of future-proofing really lies. “This is where the transformational efforts happen by developing breakthroughs and investing in things for markets that don't yet exist. These are often referred to as Moonshots.”

She noted that for individual careers, the Golden Ratio can be applied by focusing 70 per cent of “your efforts on your core skill-set, 20 per cent of your time on applying and developing skills in new areas, while 10 per cent of your time and focus should be on anticipating the needs for your team and individual career in the future and building up that knowledge before it is needed.”

“The majority of errors most companies and individuals make is either not attempting or mismanaging the transformational 10 per cent efforts. My talk will outline these common mistakes and how to combat them early for exceptional results and reap their disproportionately impact on our fates,” said Hiatt.

The event was organized by the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi).

ismail@khaleejtimes.com