Summit
About Summit
Our Libraries: Past, Present, Future
Welcome to the Dubai International Library and Publishing Summit 2025, a premier event designed for professionals in the library, publishing, and information sectors. This summit will gather thought leaders, industry experts, and innovators to explore emerging trends, technological advancements, and the future of libraries and publishing.
The event will feature keynotes from renowned figures in the industry, along with interactive workshops, panel discussions, and networking opportunities. Attendees will gain valuable insights into the evolving landscape of library services, digital publishing, and the integration of AI and technology in information management.
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Summit Agenda
Our Conference Agenda promises a comprehensive program focused on the most relevant topics facing the library and publishing industries. The agenda includes:
Day
01
Opening Ceremony & Keynote Speeches
Start the summit with a powerful lineup of keynote speakers, industry announcements, and inspiring talks from global leaders shaping the future of libraries and publishing.
- Welcome Address & Opening Remarks
- Keynote by [Name/Organization if known]
- Industry Trends & Future Outlook
- Fireside Chat: “The Evolving Reader Experience”
Day
02
Workshops & Expert Panels
Get hands-on and dive deep. Day 2 is packed with interactive workshops and expert panel discussions covering the most pressing challenges and opportunities in the industry.
- Curated Workshops on Innovation, Technology, and Community Engagement
- Panel: "AI & the Future of Publishing"
- Panel: "Libraries in a Post-Digital World"
- Roundtable Discussions
Day
03
Networking & Closing Session
Build lasting connections and wrap up with powerful takeaways.
- Speed Networking with Industry Leaders
- Closing Keynote: “Sustaining Impact Beyond the Summit”
- Audience Q&A and Open Forum
- Summit Closing Ceremony
Workshops
10:00 am - 10:15 am| MBRL Auditorium
DILPS Opening Speech
10:15 am - 10:30 am| MBRL Auditorium
UAE Minister of AI Keynote
10:30 am - 11:00 am| MBRL Auditorium
Literary Theory for Robots
11:00 am - 11:30 am| MBRL Auditorium
Opening Keynote
11:15 am - 12:45 pm| 4th Floor Conference Room 10
Translating from Arabic to English
11:30 am - 12:00 pm| MBRL Auditorium
The Impact of AI on Creativity and Publishing: How Publishing Can Embrace AI
11:45 am - 12:45 pm| 4th Floor Conference Room 3
Masterclass: The Importance of Editing in Arabic Literature
12:00 pm - 12:45 pm| MBRL Information Centre
The Power of the Spoken Word: Audiobooks - A Publishing Phenomenon
12:00 pm - 12:30 pm| MBRL Periodical Library
Exporting Literature: Successful Strategies from Independent Publishers
12:00 pm - 12:45 pm| MBRL General Library
Selling and Buying International Rights
12:00 pm - 12:45 pm| MBRL Foyer
Books as a Mirror of Identity: The Responsibility of the Arab Publisher
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm| MBRL Foyer
Shifting Landscapes: the Future of Arabic Publishing
2:00 pm - 2:30 pm| 4th Floor Conference Room 4
Managing Operations and Supply Chain Workshop
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm| 4th Floor Conference Room 3
Workshop: Introduction to the Publishing Process
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm| MBRL Periodical Library
The Art of the Illustrated Book
2:00 pm - 3:30 pm| 4th Floor Conference Room 9
From Manuscript to Marketplace: Making Books and Workplaces Accessible Masterclass
1:30 pm - 3:30 pm| MBRL Information Centre
The Power of Translation
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm| MBRL Auditorium
The Future of Cross-Border Publishing: Global Visions and Local Realities
12:20 pm - 12:45 pm| MBRL Children's Library
ELF x TEC: UAE Science Books Announcement
3:00 pm - 4:00 pm| MBRL General Library
Green Publishing
3:00 pm - 5:00 pm| 4th Floor Conference Room 9
Understanding Rights – Demystifying the World of International Rights Sales
3:00 pm - 3:50 pm| MBRL Periodical Library
Report on Translation of Arabic Literature in the German-Speaking Countries
3:00 pm - 4:00 pm| MBRL Information Centre
Storytelling with Visual Power Picture Books, Comic Books & Manga
3:00 pm - 4:00 pm| MBRL Foyer
Book Prizes and Power Plays
3:00 pm - 3:45 pm| MBRL Auditorium
Two Way Mirrors: Translation To and From
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm| MBRL General Library
Seeds of Imagination: Building a New Readership
4:00 pm - 4:45 pm| MBRL Information Centre
Global Market Performance in 2025
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm| MBRL Periodical Library
Information, Ethics and Integrity
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm| MBRL Foyer
Arabic into the World: A Translation Revolution from The Saif Ghobash Banipal Prize
2:00 pm - 2:45 pm| MBRL General Library
Government Entity Session Placeholder
12:00 pm - 12:15 pm| MBRL Auditorium
MBRL Books Publishing Programme Launch
11:30 am - 12:20 pm| MBRL Auditorium
Government Entity Session Placeholder
10:00 am - 11:00 am| 4th Floor Conference Room 10
Masterclass: Enhancing Translators' Skillset
10:00 am - 11:00 am| 4th Floor Conference Room 3
Writing Children's Books Workshop
10:00 am - 12:00 pm| 4th Floor Conference Room 9
How to Edit Your Manuscript to Make It Publisher-Ready
11:00 am - 12:00 pm| 4th Floor Conference Room 3
Translating Fantasy
11:00 am - 12:00 pm| 4th Floor Conference Room 10
Content Editing Workshop
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm| MBRL Foyer
The Sociology of Translation
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm| 4th Floor Conference Room 10
Masterclass: Unlocking the Power of Publishing and Sales Data
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm| 4th Floor Conference Room 9
Influence: How to Get your Book Noticed Masterclass
2:30 pm - 2:45 pm| MBRL Auditorium
Jamal bin Huwaireb Keynote (time tentative)
2:30 pm - 3:30 pm| MBRL General Library
The Growing Global Appetite for Arabic Literature
2:30 pm - 3:30 pm| MBRL Periodical Library
Globalization, Operations & Supply Chain within the Publishing Space
2:30 pm - 3:30 pm| MBRL Information Centre
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Building a Reading Community for All
3:00 pm - 3:30 pm| MBRL Foyer
Government Entity Session Placeholder
3:00 pm - 4:00 pm| 4th Floor Conference Room 4
Building a Successful Publishing Strategy
3:00 pm - 3:45 pm| MBRL Auditorium
Keynote: Arabic Books into the Digital World
3:30 pm - 5:00 pm| 4th Floor Conference Room 9
The Business of Book Agents
3:30 pm - 4:30 pm| MBRL General Library
Memoir, Biography, Brand, and the Role of Ghostwriters
3:30 pm - 4:30 pm| MBRL Periodical Library
Lost in Translation: Recognising the Skills of Translators
3:30 pm - 4:30 pm| MBRL Information Centre
Academic Publishing: University Presses, the Spaces they Currently Hold and the Outlook For the Future
3:30 pm - 4:30 pm| MBRL Foyer
Disruption, Innovation & Adaptation: The Next Decade of Publishing
3:45 pm - 4:30 pm| MBRL Auditorium
Do Prizes Drive Publishing?
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm| 4th Floor Conference Room 3
Workshop: The Art of Book Designing
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm| 4th Floor Conference Room 10
Literary Agents in the Arab World
4:30 pm - 5:30 pm| MBRL Auditorium
In between Market and Culture
4:30 pm - 5:30 pm| MBRL General Library
From the Page to the Screen, and Screen to Page
4:30 pm - 5:30 pm| MBRL Periodical Library
Editors in the Age of AI
4:30 pm - 5:30 pm| MBRL Information Centre
Literature as a Cultural Bridge
4:30 pm - 5:30 pm| MBRL Foyer
From Rights to Revenue: International Trends and Commercial Distribution Strategies
10:00 am - 12:00 pm| 4th Floor Conference Room 4
Bookbinding Workshop
10:00 am - 12:00 pm| 4th Floor Conference Room 9
Pitch Perfect: Preparing to Pitch to Agents and Publishers Workshop
10:00 am - 12:00 pm| 4th Floor Conference Room 4
Illustration for Children’s Books Workshop
10:30 am - 11:30 am| MBRL Foyer
Copyright in the Age of AI
10:30 am - 11:30 am| MBRL Information Centre
What Sells in the UAE? Trends, Predictions, and Publishing Insights
10:30 am - 11:30 am| MBRL General Library
Cultivating The Next Generation of Readers
10:30 am - 11:30 am| MBRL Auditorium
Readers First: Investing in the Arab Mind
3:30 pm - 4:30 pm| MBRL Foyer
Place, Memory, and Media: BrownBook’s Success Story
11:30 am - 12:30 pm| 4th Floor Conference Room 3
Creative Writing Workshop
11:30 am - 1:30 pm| MBRL Auditorium
An Introduction to Writing with AI Workshop
11:30 am - 12:30 pm| MBRL General Library
Reaching Schools: Marketing Children’s Books to Teachers and Librarians
10:30 am - 12:30 pm| MBRL Periodical Library
Championing Literary Translation and the Advocacy of Underrepresented Voices
11:30 am - 12:30 pm| MBRL Foyer
The Audio Boom: Trends, Impact and Innovation
11:30 am - 2:30 pm| MBRL Auditorium
Alternative Ways to Expand Readership
1:30 pm - 2:30 pm| MBRL General Library
Content Standards: When Does a Text Become a Book?
1:30 pm - 2:20 pm| MBRL Foyer
Editing: The Crucial Link
1:30 pm - 4:00 pm| MBRL Auditorium
Keynote: Excellence in Arabic Book Publishing
2:00 pm - 3:30 pm| 4th Floor Conference Room 9
Writing For Children
2:30 pm - 3:30 pm| MBRL General Library
Safeguarding Creativity: Protecting Rights in Arab Publishing
2:30 pm - 4:30 pm| MBRL Foyer
What Makes a Bestseller?
3:30 pm - 4:30 pm| MBRL General Library
Building a Sustainable Publishing House
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm| MBRL Auditorium
Resilient Publishing: Adapting to Crisis, Conflict, and Climate Change Closing Keynote
List of Speakers
Ahmed Al Shoaibi
Summit Speaker
Abdulrahman Alasem
Summit Speaker
Ali AlShaali
Summit Speaker
Ahmed Al Shoaibi
Summit Speaker

HE Mohammed Ahmed Al Murr
Summit Speaker

HE Omar Al Olama

Dennis Ye Tenen
Summit Speaker

Perminder Mann
Summit Speaker

Katharine Halls
Summit Speaker

Nadim Sadek
Summit Speaker

Leila Aboulela
Summit Speaker

Jan Paterson
Summit Speaker

Brandy Scott
Moderator

Lynn Gaspard
Summit Speaker

Alexandra Maramenides
Summit Speaker

Govind Deecee
Summit Speaker

Mustafa Alrawi
Moderator
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Previous Summit
Dubai International Library Conference 2024
In its first edition, DILC 2024 gathered specialists, professionals, and experts in the library sector from around the globe. Participants shared insights, experiences, and the latest advancements in the field of library and information sciences.