The Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC) has announced the results of the 2023 edition of its ‘Spotlight on Rights’ programme, which enhances Arabic content across various platforms.

Each year the programme provides support for publishers participating in the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair (ADIBF) who wish to acquire translation rights or convert printed books into e-book and audiobook formats. This helps boost efforts to translate content to and from Arabic, as well as efforts to digitalise print publications.

‘Spotlight on Rights’ received a total of 1,021 requests in the current cycle, including 575 requests for converting physical books into e-books and audiobooks, along with 446 requests for translation grants. The number of publishing houses that applied for the grant this year was 191.

A total of 289 titles were awarded a grant, including 101 titles in the translation category, 120 in the e-book category, and 68 titles in the audiobook category. The winning titles were submitted by 51 publishing houses that received the grant.

His Excellency Saeed Hamdan Al Tunaiji, Executive Director of the ALC, said: “The ‘Spotlight on Rights’ programme contributes significantly towards enriching the Arabic digital library with select content covering various intellectual, literary, and scientific fields. The programme has garnered attention from local, regional, and international publishers, successfully launching several of their prominent releases in digital and audio formats. This is in line with our goals at the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre to promote authorship, translation, and publishing, while actively contributing to the expansion of publishing activities, and making knowledge and innovations more accessible in wider formats.”

Launched in 2009, the Spotlight on Rights programme has distributed over 1,324 books in various categories, including children’s literature, science, history, social sciences, and more, through over 191 publishers.

In 2020, the programme introduced grants for audiobooks, in line with the rapid evolution of the global publishing sector. Moreover, the programme aims to contribute to the development of e-books and audiobooks in the Arab world, taking the lead on that front in the region, and bringing Arabic and international releases to readers everywhere.