"Sharjah Publishing City" Delineates publishers’ crossing paths between Arab and Asian markets

Sharjah, June 24 / WAM / The Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone participated in the Beijing International Book Fair 2026 as the first free zone specialized in the publishing sector in the world to introduce Chinese and Asian publishers to the opportunities provided by Sharjah to enter the Arab and regional markets, in addition to presenting opportunities to benefit from the city’s platform to reach the Middle East and North Africa markets and expand their presence in the region, in addition to opening new paths for Emirati and Arab publishers to build practical relationships with publishing houses, printing and distribution companies, and creative industries institutions in China. And the Asian region.

Participation in the exhibition came as part of the delegation of the Emirate of Sharjah in the “Emirati House” pavilion, in which the UAE was the guest of honor at the 32nd session of the exhibition, which was held at the China National Convention Center in the Chinese capital.

As part of its efforts to convey the image of business in the Emirate of Sharjah, the free zone participated in a session entitled: “Sharjah Publishing City, a global platform for the growth of the publishing industry,” during which Saif Al Suwaidi, Director of Sharjah Publishing City, Shi Yang “Haifa,” Director of “Awtar” Publications, and Maywan “Aisha,” Director of New Pages Publishing and Distribution House, spoke. The session reviewed how to help publishers expand through infrastructure, printing on demand, and international distribution.

Saif Al Suwaidi said: Our participation in the Beijing International Book Fair bears special importance because we are addressing an Asian market that has great weight in printing, digital publishing, rights trade, and supply chains related to books. Today, Sharjah Publishing City has become a destination for an increasing number of companies coming from China and Asia because it gives them a location close to the Arab markets, a clear work environment, and an operational structure that helps them move from a limited commercial presence to long-term partnerships within the region.

He added that our presence in Beijing presented us with a practical opportunity to explain what Sharjah provides to both Asian and Arab publishers. The Arab publisher is looking for more efficient solutions in printing, distribution, and reaching readers, and the Chinese and Asian publisher is looking for a reliable gateway to understanding and dealing with the Arab market. From here comes the value of the city, as it combines organizational structure, professional services, and specialized partners, making Sharjah a true meeting point between a developing Arab publishing industry and widely influential Asian markets.

During the exhibition, Sharjah Publishing City discussed opportunities for cooperation with printing presses and specialized companies in China with the aim of providing competitive printing options for Emirati and Arab publishers. The city also highlighted its strategic partnerships that support building an integrated system around the publisher, most notably its partnership with Lightning Source in printing on demand solutions, which allows publishers to manage printing quantities with greater flexibility and reduce storage burdens.

The city introduced the visitors to the exhibition to the contribution of its partnership with the Arab Book Fair in enhancing the presence of Arabic content and expanding its circulation opportunities, in addition to its partnership with Big Bad Wolf, which opens additional channels for books to reach a wider audience of readers through various sales and distribution paths.

The participation of the Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone resulted in opening new horizons of cooperation with a number of Chinese translation and printing companies, in addition to attracting companies interested in establishing their businesses in the city, thus enhancing Sharjah’s position as a global center for the publishing industry and related creative services.

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