The Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC) held a Cultural Retreat in collaboration with the Bibliotheca Alexandrina at the latter’s headquarters in Alexandria titled ‘Towards an Arab List of Best-Selling Books’, with an aim to enhance strategic cooperation between the two institutions and contribute to the advancement of Arab culture.

The event opened with welcome remarks by His Excellency Dr. Ali bin Tamim, Chairman of the ALC, and Prof. Ahmed Zayed, Director of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina.

Activities were divided into two sessions. The first session featured a presentation where Abdulrahman Al-Naqbi, Director of the Literary Awards Department at ALC, defined the concept of a bestseller list, explained its mechanisms, and highlighted its benefits. For his part, Mohammed Ghanima, Head of the Rare Documents and Archiving Unit at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, reviewed notable Arab efforts to establish a bestseller list, while Fahed Al Monjed, Head of the Marketing Research Unit at ALC, examined international experiences in the field.

In the second session, participants were divided into four working groups comprising academics, writers, publishers, authors, and media professionals from the UAE and Egypt, as well as other Arab nations. They explored various aspects related to the development of the bestseller list, including its role in understanding reading trends in the Arab world, the potential use of opinion polls in this field, and the feasibility of leveraging digital content analytics. Additionally, they examined audiobook applications as indicators of public interest in specific books.

The Retreat also addressed key questions, such as the role of Arab literary awards and their long and shortlists as potential inputs for the bestseller list, as well as strategies for advancing the publishing sector and the book industry. Discussions focused on establishing clear and rigorous criteria for compiling a well-structured Arabic list of best-selling and most widely read books.

H.E. Dr. bin Tamim expressed his appreciation for the Bibliotheca Alexandrina as a great scientific and cultural institution that has successfully preserved the rich traditions of various civilisations while spearheading cultural enlightenment, connecting past and present, and supporting efforts to shape a future built on knowledge and science. “This particular approach resonates with the UAE’s vision,” he said. “The United Arab Emirates was established on a solid foundation of Arab values, and today, the country is leading the way in reviving our culture and preserving longstanding traditions, under the wise leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE.”

“This Cultural Retreat is an important initiative taking place at a significant moment, as the UAE celebrates the designation of 2025 as the Year of Community – a national initiative launched under the slogan ‘Hand in Hand’ that embodies the wise leadership’s vision to build a cohesive and thriving community, strengthen family and community bonds, foster intergenerational relations, and create inclusive spaces that reinforce values of cooperation, belonging, and shared experiences while preserving cultural heritage,” H.E. bin Tamim added. “We are confident that a well-structured Arab list of best-selling and widely read books will play  key role in preserving cultural heritage and supporting the Emirati, Egyptian, and broader Arab communities.”

The first group participating in the Cultural Retreat featured H.E. Dr. Ali bin Tamim, Chairman of the ALC; Dr. Mohamed Soliman, Deputy Director of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina; Dr. Haitham Al-Haj Ali, Professor of Literary Criticism and former Head of the Egyptian General Book Authority; Ashraf El-Ashmawy, Egyptian judge and novelist; and Mohamed Abouzeid, poet and novelist, who served as the group's rapporteur.

Meanwhile, the second group consisted of Dr. Ahmed Zayed, Director of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina; Ali Abdel-moneim, Co-Founder of Arabookverse; Zain Elabedin Khairy, journalist, art critic, and screenwriter; Ahmad Al Qarmalawi, novelist and publisher; and Hind Jaafar, novelist, with Dr. Berlant Qabeel, Programmes Section Head at the ALC’s Book Fairs & Events Department, serving as the group's rapporteur.

The third group included Dr. Bilal Al-Orfali, Sheikh Zayed Chair for Arabic and Islamic Studies at the American University of Beirut; Dr. Ahmed Al Saeed, publisher, academic, and founder of Bayt Elhekma for Creative Industries; novelist Mansoura Ezzeldin; Dr. Mohamed Shehata Ali, heritage researcher; novelist Mohamed Mustagab; and Muhammad Ghanima, researcher and writer, who served as the group's rapporteur.

Finally, the fourth group included Dr. Yasir Suleiman, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the International Prize for Arabic Fiction; Abdulrahman Al-Naqbi, Director of the Literary Awards Department at ALC; novelist Saeed Salem; novelist Mounir Otaiba, Founder and Director of the Narrative Laboratory at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina; Ahmed Al-Morsi, novelist and journalist; and Fahed Al Monjed, Head of the Marketing Research Unit at ALC, who served as the group's rapporteur.

Participants in the Cultural Retreat emphasised the importance of working together to establish objective criteria that would help compile an Arabic list of best-selling and most-read books, contributing to the sustainability of the publishing sector and creative industries in general. They commended the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre and the Bibliotheca Alexandrina for their initiative to work together to set the criteria for such a list.

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