Sharjah: The Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) has announced the approval of 167 new titles under its specialised publishing and translation support programmes in 2025. The approved titles were selected from a total of 2,478 submissions received within four months since registration was open. These include 99 titles under the Translation Grant, 20 through the Sharjah Publishing Sustainability Fund (Onshur), and 48 titles directly supported by the SBA. The step demonstrates Sharjah's continued commitment to fostering translation, publishing, and knowledge exchange between Arabic and other global languages.
According to Emirates News Agency, these selected titles further SBA's achievements, raising the total number of approved titles to 2,405 across various fields and languages since the initiative's launch in 2011. These initiatives represent a cornerstone of SBA's strategy to support publishers, translators, and authors worldwide, creating an enabling environment for intellectual creativity and accelerating bilateral translation between Arabic and other languages. This contributes to expanding the presence of Arabic literature in global markets, while offering readers access to diverse human and intellectual experiences in multiple languages.
Ahmed bin Rakkad Al Ameri, CEO of the SBA, stated that under the leadership of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, the authority believes translation is a vital communication tool for fostering understanding and cultural openness. This belief drives their support for cultural and intellectual content through specialised programmes. The Translation Grant is at the forefront, promoting Arabic creativity to the world and making international achievements accessible to Arab readers in their native language.
Al Ameri also mentioned that under the directives of Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, the authority is committed to expanding its support programmes to celebrate significant literary and intellectual works globally. Mansour Al Hassani, Director of Publishing Services at SBA, noted the high number of applications is a clear indicator of global publishers' trust in their programmes, reflecting the tangible value they bring to the translation and publishing sectors.
The SBA's Translation Grant, launched in 2011, supports publishers in translating distinguished books into multiple languages, offering up to US$4,000 for general books and $1,500 for children's books, with special grants up to $250,000 for translations involving Arabic. Eligible works include novels, biographies, cookbooks, poetry, and children's literature, provided they are under copyright protection.
The Sharjah Publishing Sustainability Fund (Onshur) aims to strengthen the UAE's publishing industry by offering tailored support to publishers. The fund supports sustainability and growth, enriching the cultural landscape in the UAE through three core tracks: Launch, Scale, and Disrupt.
