International Congress of Arabic Publishing and Creative Industries (PCI)
21 - 22 May 2023
Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre
Abu Dhabi, UAE
Organized By
Register Your Interest
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
30
Speakers
6
Conscious Conversations and Discussions
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
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
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?
PanelModerator
Abdel-Wahab Khalifa
Expert in Arabic Literature and Translation;
Senior Lecturer in Translation and Interpreting at Queen's University
Belfast, N. Ireland, UK
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
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?
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?
PanelModerator
Hanada Taha Thomure
Endowed professor of Arabic language and director of
the Arabic Language Center for Research & Development, Zayed University
Weekly
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?
PanelModerator
Saeed Saeed
Features writer for The National, specialized in arts
and culture.
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?
PanelModerator
Maha Abdullah
MENA Localization Consultant and Regional
Languages Expert – Ex-NETFLIX and Disney+ Streaming Services
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.
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