Dubai: 14 April, 2008 - The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation will leverage its presence at the annual London Book Fair (LBF) to create further awareness for its ‘Oktub’ (Write) and ‘Tarjem’ (Translate) programmes, which seek to increase intellectual output in the Arab World.

‘Oktub’, an author grants programme, aims to provide aspiring Arab writers with the funding and support needed to unleash their creativity. The programme will facilitate a wider reach of their books and bring to the forefront genuine intellectual contributions of the Arab world.

The ‘Tarjem’ programme seeks to drive translation activities in the Arab world through enhancing access to leading contemporary and classical titles in different languages. Endeavouring to highlight the role of translation as a key source of knowledge transfer and as an effective tool for positive interaction between the region and the rest of the world, Tarjem aims to accomplish the translation of 1,000 best sellers over the next three years, with a particular focus on management titles.

To be held from 14-16 April, the London Book Fair will draw nearly 23,000 publishers, booksellers, literary agents, librarians, media and industry suppliers from over 100 countries.

Yasser Hareb, Vice President for Culture, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation, said: “The London Book Fair provides an ideal platform for the Foundation to interact and forge relationships with key international stakeholders, including leading international publishers and distributors.

On the sidelines of the fair, a special event will be hosted by the Foundation to honour Arab finalists shortlisted for the International Young Publishing Entrepreneur (IYPE) Awards, organized by the British Council. 

Mansoor Abulhoul, Jerboa Books (UAE); Karim Elias, Elias Publishing House (Egypt); Nadine Touma, Dar Onboz (Lebanon); Thuraya Batterjee, Kadi & Ramadi Publishing House (Saudi Arabia); and Nashwan A. Al-Maghafi, Yemen Bookshop (Yemen) have been nominated for the prestigious awards.

Encouraging Arab intellectual output, facilitating knowledge transfer, nurturing young talent, and setting the right environment for cultural development are among key strategic objectives of the Foundation, which is already playing a pivotal role in fostering the Arab world’s knowledge capabilities.

The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation was launched in May 2007 with an endowment of US$10 billion to invest in a series of programmes that provide the necessary infrastructure and set the appropriate environment for knowledge creation in the Arab world.