What can we create together
International Congress of Arabic Publishing and Creative Industries (PCI)
21 - 22 May 2023
Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre
Abu Dhabi, UAE
Organized By
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About the
Congress
The Congress aims to showcase the latest
trends in publishing, highlighting the
adaptation of books into other formats
The Congress is the first in the Arabic publishing world
to facilitate conversation between publishers, content
creators, thought leaders, and entrepreneurs from different
platforms to learn how different media can thrive as the
business of storytelling evolves.
Adapting Stories
Adapting Stories
Adapting Stories
Adapting Stories

Discover Our 2023 Edition

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30

Speakers

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6

Conscious Conversations and Discussions

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12

Brands Showcasing Storytelling Technology

Keynote Speakers
Banana Yoshimoto
world-renowned Japanese contemporary author
Brian Michael Bendis
Peabody award winning comics creator; Amazon and New York Times bestseller
All Our Panel
Speakers
Ibraheem Abbas
Author and scriptwriter
Adham Abdullah
Senior creative Arabic copywriter, Wunderman Thompson
Maha Abdullah
Senior Product Manager of International Typography at Adobe, Middle East and North Africa (MENA) localization consultant and regional languages expert, formerly of NETFLIX and Disney+ Streaming Services
Luma Al Adnani
CEO and co-founder of Adam wa Mishmish
Mohammad Alshaibani
Creative Director, Sandstorm
Etienne Augé
Historian specialized in futures studies and science fiction; Principal lecturer at Erasmus University Rotterdam
Yasser Bahjatt
Author and futurist; translator of the novel “HWJN” to English
Michele Bambling
Visiting Associate Professor Art and Art History, New York University Abu Dhabi
Karim Beidoun
CEO and Head of Content, Hakawati
Mohammed Esmat
Author and Translator
Rafed Fatani
Regional General Manager, Alexa, MENA, Amazon
Mo Gawdat
AI Expert; Bestselling Author and Former Chief Business Officer, Google X
Ali Ghamlouch
Head of Shahid Originals | MBC Group
Helena Gustafsson
Chief Content Officer of Storytel, and CEO of StorySide, Storytel's audiobook and e-book publisher
Nizar Habash
Professor of Computer Science at New York University Abu Dhabi and the director of the Computational Approaches to Modeling Language (CAMeL) Lab
Anne Hauguel
Project manager and content curator of the Children’s Museum, Louvre Abu Dhabi
Ammar Haykal
CEO, Majarra
Younes Al Jada
Gaming Localization and translation manager, Tamatem Inc.
Nayla Al Khaja
CEO, Nayla Al Khaja Films and founder, The Scene Club
Abdel-Wahab Khalifa
Expert in Arabic Literature and Translation; Senior Lecturer in Translation and Interpreting at Queen's University Belfast, N. Ireland, UK
Nadia Khayat
Managing Director, All-Prints Distributors and Publishers
Ahmed Mourad
Author and screenwriter
Mohammed Al Ogaily
VP of Product at Anghami, the leading music streaming platform in MENA.
Saeed Saeed
Features writer for The National, specialized in arts and culture.
Hanada Taha Thomure
Endowed professor of Arabic language and director of the Arabic Language Center for Research & Development, Zayed University
George Walkley
Independent consultant and digital publishing expert
Badr Ward
Founder and CEO, Lamsa
Yasir Al-Yasiri
Director and screenwriter
Testimonials
Al Kingsley
"Thank you for a fantastic visit and brilliantly organised event. Your team made the trip so easy and welcoming. Genuinely after 30 years in the sector, this was the best organised event I have attended. I very much hope we can do it again the future"
Sherif Bakr
"It was such a good organization and moderation . I was so relaxed that I felt I was with friends talking casually. You guys all Rock. Thanks a million."
Giacomo D"Angelo
"I learned a lot at the conference, I met many new people and I also started to build new professional relations thanks to you. I feel very grateful for that, and I hope that my humble contribution was useful for you all."
Maha Abdullah
"It's so heart warming and promising to witness such an important and highly organized event happening in our MENA region with the unfortunate and obvious lack of attention to the Arabic language and the related industries that we are currently witnessing. To see this level of investment and dedication can only make us feel very proud and confident that this is the beginning of many more great achievements to come."
Discover our Program

Day 1

Keynote Speech
Brian Michael Bendis, Peabody award winning comics creator; Amazon and New York Times bestseller
Keynote
Speaker
Brian Michael Bendis
Peabody award winning comics creator; Amazon and New York Times bestseller
Read Bio
CONSCIOUS CONVERSATION 1
Arabian Fantasy Tales: Where Did all the Magic Go?
The history of Arabian fantasy tales has always been unique, in themes, characters, and storytelling techniques that has become the backbone of the fantasy genre in foreign creative production. Yet modern Arabic fantasy productions are facing challenges in establishing a distinct genre identity amongst Arab and international audiences. How can creatives draw inspiration from the rich history of Arabian fantasy while also breaking new ground? What role Arabic fantasy can play in promoting Arab culture and values to a global audience? What are the elements required to create a compelling and original Arabian fantasy content that can stand on its own merits in the global marketplace?
Panel Moderator
Abdel-Wahab Khalifa
Expert in Arabic Literature and Translation; Senior Lecturer in Translation and Interpreting at Queen's University Belfast, N. Ireland, UK
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Panel Speakers
Nayla Al Khaja
CEO, Nayla Al Khaja Films and founder, The Scene Club
Ahmed Mourad
Author and screenwriter
Ali Ghamlouch
Head of Shahid Originals | MBC Group
Mohammad Alshaibani
Creative Director, Sandstorm
DEBATE
AI and the Future of Publishing: Risks or Rewards?
The launch of the artificial intelligence service “Chat GPT” has taken the world by storm, providing a fast and detailed content writing service for users in many fields, with users now amounting to millions worldwide. With the growing popularity of the service, many questions arise on the role of machine intelligence in creating creative content; will the machine play a key role in creative industries and accelerate their growth? What are the potential risks on human creativity and user experience and how do they weigh in versus the perceived rewards of AI?
Speakers
Mo Gawdat
AI Expert; Bestselling Author and Former Chief Business Officer, Google X
Read Bio
Rafed Fatani
Regional General Manager, Alexa, MENA, Amazon
Read Bio
Case Study
REAL-WORLD SOLUTIONS: A Case-Study in Action
Harnessing the Power of Numbers to shape the future of Arabic Content
Data has emerged as a significant driving force across industries, including the content sector. Today, media and content companies are armed with a vast array of user data, offering valuable insights into consumer behaviour. This wealth of information enables these companies to make informed decisions regarding content production, recommendation algorithms, and UI design. Ultimately, these decisions lead to improved user experiences. How can content creating companies leverage data to serve their users? What are the global best practices in utilizing consumption data to produce more relevant content? How is Majarra harnessing data and insights to compete in Arabic content creation?
Presented
By
Ammar Haykal
CEO, Majarra
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CONSCIOUS CONVERSATION 2
Edutainment: Can Entertainment Support Learning Quality?
Educational entertainment has been using media content to support learning since the mid-twentieth century. How successful is edutainment in promoting education among young people? Does it improve the quality of learning, or does it simply provide a superficial form of engagement? How can educators and content creators ensure that edutainment supports learning outcomes?
Panel Moderator
Hanada Taha Thomure
Endowed professor of Arabic language and director of the Arabic Language Center for Research & Development, Zayed University Weekly
Read Bio
Panel Speakers
Luma Al Adnani
CEO and co-founder of Adam wa Mishmish
Etienne Augé
Historian specialized in futures studies and science fiction; Principal lecturer at Erasmus University Rotterdam
Badr Ward
Founder and CEO, Lamsa
Anne Hauguel
Project manager and content curator of the Children’s Museum, Louvre Abu Dhabi
CONSCIOUS CONVERSATION 3
Audiobooks and Podcasts: Can the Spoken Word Play Along with Music?
Numerous digital platforms offer podcasts and audiobooks, catering to listeners’ growing interest in spoken word audio entertainment. Recently, a few music streaming platforms as well expanded their product lines to include audiobooks and podcasts. Can this one-stop-shop model for audio content give Arabic publishing the boost it needs to increase interest in reading? What kind of innovation is required to support authors and publishers tapping into this new demand?
Panel Moderator
Saeed Saeed
Features writer for The National, specialized in arts and culture.
Read Bio
Panel Speakers
Karim Beidoun
CEO and Head of Content, Hakawati
Helena Gustafsson
Chief Content Officer of Storytel, and CEO of StorySide, Storytel's audiobook and e-book publisher
Mohammed Al Ogaily
VP of Product at Anghami, the leading music streaming platform in MENA.
George Walkley
Independent consultant and digital publishing expert
CONSCIOUS CONVERSATION 4
Translation and Localization: Towards Greater Access of Arabic Content
The language barrier poses a fundamental challenge to the global expansion of Arabic content in both traditional and digital formats, making translation and localization of paramount importance when exporting media. What role translation and localization play to import international content to the Arab audience, and to make Arabic content more accessible to global audiences while ensuring that the content remains true to its cultural roots and linguistic specificities?
Panel Moderator
Maha Abdullah
MENA Localization Consultant and Regional Languages Expert – Ex-NETFLIX and Disney+ Streaming Services
Read Bio
Panel Speakers
Mohammed Esmat
Author and Translator
Younes Al Jada
Gaming Localization and translation manager, Tamatem Inc.
Adham Abdullah
Senior creative Arabic copywriter, Wunderman Thompson
Nadia Khayat
Managing Director, All-Prints Distributors and Publishers
3-WAY DISCUSSION
How to Adapt a Novel to Screen: “HWJN” Case Study
Films adapted from books usually generate more revenue than original screenplays, with 70% of the world’s top 20 grossing films based on books. But what does it take to adapt a novel into a screenplay? How is the screenplay narrative tailored based on the novel’s blueprint? What defines the principal journey of the movie versus the storyline on paper? The Saudi bestseller “HWJN” presents a unique example to explore in this domain with its complex narrative structure and thematic content.
Panel Speakers
Ibraheem Abbas
Author and scriptwriter
Yasser Bahjatt
Author and futurist; translator of the novel “HWJN” to English
Yasir Al-Yasiri
Director and screenwriter
Featured Speaker
Banana Yoshimoto, world-renowned Japanese contemporary author
Moderator
Michele Bambling
Visiting Associate Professor Art and Art History, New York University Abu Dhabi
Read Bio
Featured Speaker
Banana Yoshimoto
world-renowned Japanese contemporary author
Read Bio

Day 2

WORKSHOP
Introducing Arabic and Artificial Intelligence: Challenges & Opportunities
This workshop will consist of two parts:
  • • Part 1: Prof. Habash (New York University Abu Dhabi) will present a brief introduction to natural language processing (language artificial intelligence) and the challenges and opportunities of working with Arabic. He will introduce a number of state-of-the-art tools and resources, including links to the communities working on Arabic language artificial intelligence.
  • • Part 2: Prof. Habash will guide a group discussion on identifying the needs, possibilities, obstacles, and solutions regarding the development of a more open and collaborative culture around Arabic language artificial intelligence.
Speaker
Nizar Habash
Professor of Computer Science at New York University Abu Dhabi and the director of the Computational Approaches to Modeling Language (CAMeL) Lab
Read Bio
Download The Full 2023 Agenda
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