Al-Fayyad talks “Arab Book: Between Reality and Aspiration” at DIBF

Doha, Qatar: The Cultural Salon at the 34th Doha International Book Fair, held a seminar under the theme From Inscription to Writing, titled The Ar...

Doha, Qatar: The Cultural Salon at the 34th Doha International Book Fair, held a seminar under the theme “From Inscription to Writing,” titled “The Arab Book: Between Reality and Aspiration.” The event featured Dr. Hanan Al-Fayyad, Media Advisor to the Arab Book Award, and was attended by a distinguished audience of intellectuals, academics, and fair visitors.

Professor Al-Fayyad began her talk, tracing the journey of the Arab book from its early beginnings in ancient inscriptions to today’s interactive digital formats. She emphasized that this rich historical trajectory makes the Arab book more than just a cultural product—it is a vessel of identity and a carrier of the nation’s memory.

She noted that despite the positive indicators, such as active publishing movements in several Arab countries, the rise of publishing houses, diversity of publications, and growing public interest in book fairs like the Doha Book Fair, the Arab book still faces major challenges. Chief among these are declining reading rates in many Arab societies, due to a combination of factors including the education system, economic pressures, the dominance of digital media, difficulties in publishing and distribution, the lack of a unified Arab book market, and weak professional marketing.

During the session moderated by Dr. Mohammed Al-Rahawi, Professor of Arabic Language at Qatar University, Professor Al-Fayyad warned of the dangers of digital piracy, which threatens authors’ rights and the sustainability of the publishing industry. This phenomenon deprives creators of the fruits of their labor and negatively affects content quality. She pointed out that translation activity in the Arab world remains weak compared to aspirations—whether in translating global knowledge into Arabic or vice versa—depriving Arab readers of engagement with global intellectual thought and limiting the reach of Arab creativity abroad.