Today's Edition
ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)
The Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC) is launching new grants under its 2025 Spotlight on Rights programme as part of ongoing efforts to expand the reach of Arabic content to new markets and strengthen the translation movement.
Spotlight on Rights promotes cooperation between Arab and international publishers by funding translation projects that expand access to high-quality Arabic and international content across print, digital, and audio platforms. Launched in 2009, the programme has played a key role in supporting and advancing the publishing industry as a cornerstone of cultural development, introducing grants for audiobooks and e-books in 2020 to reflect global shifts in the sector.
Accepting applications for grants each year during the annual Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, the programme reinforces the centre’s role as a platform that connects publishers and opens wider pathways for the exchange of knowledge across languages and cultures, fostering a more sustainable publishing environment. Over the past five years, it has attracted hundreds of publishers worldwide, helping bring Arabic and international works to new audiences while championing intellectual property rights in line with the UAE and Abu Dhabi’s leadership in copyright protection.
This year’s edition has seen notable growth in applications and a significant increase in international participation, with publishing houses from several countries joining for the first time, including Mexico, Slovakia, Greece, Canada, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, and Malaysia. This growing interest reflects the programme’s growing expanding global presence and its impact on supporting translation to and from Arabic, while aligning with the centre’s vision to enrich collaboration between Arab and international publishers and support the UAE’s strategic goal of building a competitive, knowledge-based economy driven by innovation and sustainable cultural production.
His Excellency Saeed Hamdan Al Tunaiji, Executive Director of the ALC, said: Our Spotlight on Rights programme aligns with the centre’s goals of supporting the publishing and translation ecosystem and expanding the reach of Arabic content into new markets. Over 17 years, this initiative has contributed to advancing rights exchange, promoting translation, and fostering a sustainable, innovation-driven publishing environment that can adapt to the rapid transformations shaping the cultural and creative industries, while strengthening ties between cultures.
“The growing interest in the programme from international publishing houses reflects confidence in the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair as a global platform for cultural dialogue. It also underscores the centre’s role in enabling publishers and translators to produce high-quality knowledge content in line with the highest international standards.”
The current edition of the Spotlights on Rights programme received 1,633 applications submitted by 113 publishing houses from 29 countries during the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair 2025 and approved 69 grants awarded to 36 Arab and international publishing houses.
Grants offered range from Dh9,200- Dh17,400 for each translated book, while grants for e-books range from Dh3,700-Dh7,400 and audiobook grants from Dh5,500-Dh7,400.
Spotlight on Rights is one of the key strategic initiatives supporting the translation movement in the Arab world. Since its launch in 2009, it has facilitated the publication of 1,390 translated works across a range of disciplines, including children’s literature, science, history, and the social sciences. Through effective partnerships with publishing houses around the world, the programme has strengthened the international reach of Arab culture and enriched Arab libraries with high-quality translated content.
