Assalamu alaikum - Digital Arabic Library set to go live on Amazon in 2026
Assalamu alaikum - quick update about a project that might matter to many of us.
The Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre is leading a three-year effort to put a Digital Arabic Library online via Amazon, with a planned launch in 2026, Insha'Allah. The plan was first mentioned at the International Congress of Arabic Publishing in Abu Dhabi, and more details were shared during the opening of the Frankfurt Book Fair.
A Sharjah firm called Arabookverse will be the partner doing the digital work: scanning titles, converting them into formats that work on Amazon’s platforms, and coordinating with publishers across the region. Amazon will provide hosting and global distribution.
Saeed Al Tunaiji, the centre’s executive director, said the aim isn’t just to scan paper books to make files - it’s to raise awareness about e-books and push the digital transformation so the publishing sector can build a knowledge-based economy.
The first phase of the library (running until 2028) will focus on fiction, non-fiction, poetry, philosophy, history and the arts. Children’s books will be left for now because they need extra work on illustrations, design and illustrator rights. After the project period the platform is intended to remain available to readers permanently.
Ali Abdelmoneim, founder of Arabookverse, said Arab publishers taking part will get real-time data on readers and sales - information that hasn’t been widely available in the region before. The partnership will use Amazon’s existing sales system to create a clear revenue model, helping rights holders earn steady, transparent income instead of relying only on grants.
They also say digitisation will strengthen copyright protection. Using AI tools, the system can flag suspicious text or images as soon as content is uploaded, which should cut down on piracy and help protect creators when used responsibly.
In the coming months Arabookverse will reach out to publishers in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Lebanon and Kuwait, working with the Arab Publishers Association and national bodies. There will be training sessions at major regional book fairs - Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Cairo - to explain submission formats and rights management.
The Abu Dhabi centre plans a public awareness campaign to show readers how to use the site and to highlight the range of material available, including for Arabic speakers in North Africa and diaspora communities who struggle with high shipping costs and limited access to printed books.
Overall the project is being pitched as a way to help Arab publishing catch up with global digital trends, building on the UAE’s wider digital infrastructure. It’s a big step toward making Arabic books easier to access worldwide, insha'Allah.
https://www.thenationalnews.co