Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation Receives a Delegate from Emirates Publishers Association 

Dubai: February 15, 2010 - The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation announced the establishment has hosted a meeting with officials from the Emirates Publishers Association (EPA) to discuss possible ways of collaboration.  

Ibrahim Khadim, Head of Translation at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation met with delegates, Rashid Al Kous, Culture Programme Manager at the Executive Office of Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi and Marwa Al Aqroubi, Office Coordinator of the office. 

The two parties discussed possible ways of collaboration through the Foundation’s ’Oktub’ and ‘Tarjem’ programs. The Foundation would publish the works of Emirati authors nominated by EPA and support Emirati publishers to translate foreign books into Arabic.     

The delegation also discussed building a unified database for all publishers and cultural establishments in the UAE in order to facilitate collaboration among these entities. The Foundation has expressed a keen interest in working with EPA in future initiatives that would elevate the status of publishing in the United Arab Emirates. 

The Emirates Publishers Association is a non-profit organization headquartered in Sharjah with the goal of developing the UAE’s publishing industry. The Association is responsible for representing Emirati publishers at international exhibitions, conferences, forums and other events related to the publishing industry, and aims to publish local Arabic works at the region and international levels. 

Its other objectives include developing the UAE’s publishing industry through training courses, supporting those involved in the publishing industry, improving publishing-related regulations and legislation, establishing a limited distribution company for its members, and facilitating cooperation and collaboration with local publishing, printing and distribution institutions. The Association’s purview also includes translation to and from the Arabic Language, as well as protecting copyright and intellectual property.