The Digital Arabic Library will go online in 2026 on Amazon as part of a three-year project led by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre.
More details of the initiative, announced last month at the International Congress of Arabic Publishing in Abu Dhabi, were revealed on the opening day of the Frankfurt International Book Fair on Wednesday. Officials outlined to The National the roll-out plan, revenue model and copyright framework.
Under the agreement, Sharjah company Arabookverse has been appointed as the executing partner to digitise Arabic titles, convert them into formats compatible with Amazon's platforms and co-ordinate with publishers across the region. Amazon will handle global hosting and distribution.
“The goal is to build awareness among publishers, readers and the wider public about the electronic book and the digital transformation taking place around it,” Saeed Al Tunaiji, executive director of the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre, said. “It’s not simply about turning a printed book into a digital file. What we’re doing is creating a knowledge-based economy, and that’s extremely important.”
The digital library will go online early next year under plan that runs until 2028, after which the platform will remain permanently accessible to readers.
Ali Abdelmoneim, founder of Arabookverse, said participating Arab publishers will gain access to real-time analytics on readership and sales – data rarely available in the regional book trade. The partnership will also introduce a transparent revenue model based on Amazon’s existing sales system.
“One of the key questions publishers ask is: how will we make money from this? And they’re right because the answer lies in monetisation,” Abdelmoneim said. “Since this initiative partners with Amazon, all Arabic content will appear on the world’s largest digital library, generating steady, transparent revenue flows to rights holders.”
That financial incentive, Al Tunaiji said, “helps publishers move from dependence on support funding [such as grants] to participation in a digital marketplace”.
Abdelmoneim said that confidence is reinforced by the stronger copyright protection made possible through digitisation.
“Piracy used to be a major concern. Now, through the smart use of artificial intelligence, we can protect our content effectively,” he said. “Our system flags anything suspicious – text or imagery – as soon as it’s uploaded, which is a major benefit. It also highlights how AI can be used responsibly, not to replace human work but to safeguard it.”
In the months ahead, Arabookverse will work with publishers in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Lebanon and Kuwait, co-ordinating outreach through the Arab Publishers Association and national publishing bodies.
Regular training workshops will be held at major regional book fairs, including Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Cairo, covering submission formats and rights management.
The Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre will also use regional and international book fairs to promote the project and attract publishers. A public campaign is being planned to show readers how to access the site and explore the breadth of material available online.
Al Tunaiji said the first phase of the library will prioritise fiction, non-fiction, poetry, philosophy, history and the arts. A committee led by the centre will review content submitted by publishers.
“The only exception, at least in the first year, is children’s books,” he said. “Those require additional processes for illustrations, design and rights clearance for illustrators.”
He added that the initiative also aims to reach Arabic-speaking readers in northern Africa and diaspora communities worldwide, many of whom face high shipping costs and limited access to printed Arabic titles.
More importantly, he said, it places the Arab publishing industry on a more even footing with international counterparts.
“Arab publishers have been late to adopt this transformation. But today Abu Dhabi is filling that gap by providing the infrastructure needed for the region’s publishing sector to move forward,” Al Tunaiji said.
“In the past, we were always late to adopt new technologies for structural reasons. That can’t be the case any more. The UAE has built an extraordinary digital ecosystem, and now it’s time for publishing to match that pace.”
