The value of Arabic intellectual property, the development of Arabic-language AI tools and new ways of financing the region’s creative industries are among the subjects at this year’s Congress of Arabic and Creative Industries in Abu Dhabi.
Back for its fifth iteration, the annual event will take place at Manarat Al Saadiyat, bringing together policymakers, authors, technologists, content creators and investors for a day of keynotes, panel discussions and masterclasses. Entry is free upon registration.
Egyptian singer-songwriter Hamza Namira will also perform in the evening, following a session discussing his craft.
Organised by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre under the theme Arabic as Infrastructure Identity, Knowledge & Economic Power in the Digital Age, the congress will address how Arabic creative industries can grow regionally and internationally.
Sessions will tackle a range of topics, including one which will look at the commercial value of Arabic creative work, from book rights and transmedia franchises to game localisation and licensing agreements.
In what organisers describe as one of her first official speaking engagements in the region since her appointment, Anne-Claire Legendre, president of Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris, will take part in the opening session, Arabic Language and Identity in a Changing World.
The discussion will consider how Arabic language and culture can adapt to new digital technologies.
Others will touch upon investment gaps in the creative economy of the Middle East and North Africa. Financing Arabic Creative Industries will feature Anghami co-founder Eddy Maroun, Global Ventures founder and managing partner Noor Sweid, and Egyptian screenwriter and producer Mohamed Hefzy.
In the session, How Gamification Can Bring Language, Learning and Culture to Life will consider how games and interactive learning can support Arabic-language acquisition, cultural identity and community engagement.
Historian and author Roy Casagranda will deliver Arabic and Europe: A Story of Encounter, a keynote session tracing centuries of exchange between Arabic and the Latin world, including Arabic influences on Spanish and Italian, and the movement of knowledge and culture across the Mediterranean.
The masterclass programme includes Writing Arabic Comedy for Digital, led by Egyptian actor, writer and producer Ahmed Amin.
American novelist and scriptwriter Todd Gallicano, who wrote the 2023 Netflix comedy Best. Christmas. Ever!, will lead the masterclass Creating Story Worlds, focusing on how to build expansive plots with recurring characters that can extend across different platforms.
Human Stories, Smart Tools: A Mobile Journalism Masterclass will cover the use of AI for research, source-finding, transcription, translation, rough-cut editing and distribution.
Dubbing in the Age of AI will examine how artificial intelligence is changing dubbing workflows and the challenges of preserving emotion, authenticity and cultural nuance.
How to Create a Global IP will cover developing ideas into intellectual property for international markets, including storytelling, audience development, brand creation and wider distribution.
Launched in 2022, the congress has expanded beyond publishing to take in the wider creative industries. Last year’s event featured Jordanian director Tima Shomali, Lebanese filmmaker Nadine Labaki, Palestinian-American comedian Mo Amer and Tunisian-Egyptian actress Hend Sabry, with discussions ranging across Arabic storytelling on screen, on stage and in literature.
Congress of Arabic & Creative Industries takes place on September 20 at Manarat Al Saadiyat, Abu Dhabi
