Al Arabi Publishing and Distribution
Half a Century of Connecting Cultures: From the Arab World to the World
Al Arabi Publishing and Distributing was founded in 1975, mainly publishing Political, Mass-Media, and Fiction.
Al Arabi Publishing and Distributed started in a project of translated fiction in 2010, a project of translating fiction and nonfictional books into Arabic, but this time with an edited translation, and a variety of books from all over the world in an unprecedented line of publications in our Arab world. We now have over 600 titles from 17 languages, from 70 countries, which are celebrated in 2025 when Al Arabi turned 50 years old.
In 2022, we won King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz International Award in Translation as the first independent publishing house as an appreciation for the gap we filled in our market with this variety of translations and languages.
Vision: A Culture Beyond Borders
During Cairo International Book Fair in January 2025, we celebrated the publication of 150 titles in the categories of Political and Media Studies as well as translated fiction and non-fiction books.
Our project added the value of reading from countries our readers never read from, they only had the chance to read the trending books which are usually from the USA, the UK, or from Russia, (only the classics though, Dostoyevsky, Gorky, etc.,) from South America, (Only Marquez, Llosa, etc.) The well-known writers.
Leading in Translation and Cultural Exploration
Our project paved the way to introduce new literary opportunities and voices to our market. We started with Turkey, Czech Republic, then headed off to the Netherlands, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia, France, the UK, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Greece, North
Macedonia, Armenia, Serbia, Croatia, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Portugal, Sweden, Ukraine, Wales, and from Asia, China, Taiwan, Iran, Pakistan, India, South Korea, Nepal, Russia, Turkey, and from South America, Colombia, Guatemala, Mexico, Venezuela, Argentine, Brazil, Peru, Cuba and from Africa, Kenya, Kongo, Angola, Eritrea, South Africa, Nigeria, Zimbabwe. We also have books from Australia and the USA.
The most important sign which proved we were walking the right path was when one of our readers during the Cairo International Book Fair in 2018 said that she had never imagined herself reading a book from Iceland.
Generally speaking, before we started this project and even after we did for a couple of years, our readers did not trust translated fiction/ non-fiction, unless they were translated by certain well-known professional translators, and they were unfortunately few. What we did and are still doing is introducing new talents along with these new diverse books from other new and diverse countries (in relation to our readers’ reading scope.)
International Presence: Bringing Arab Culture to the Global Stage
The first thing we did was to work with new and young translators, it was challenging of course, and it still is, but that is the whole point, the reading market needed new blood. Then, we hired in-house editors to work on the translation, because one main reason the readers did not like to read translated fiction had been their lack of trust in the translation and that it would not really be honest and most importantly, would not be easy to understand and make sense.
This was a challenge to us, because it took us many years until we harnessed and grew our readers’ trust in our work, and now, we’re
one of the few leading publishing houses in the Arab world in which the reader’s trust is unwavering.
As a pioneer in sustainable publishing, Dar Al Arabi was among the first to integrate eco-conscious printing, embrace digital and audio formats, and partner with leading global platforms like Google Play Books, Apple Books, Storytel, and Abjjad.
Human and Professional Partnerships
At Dar Al Arabi, people come first. The publishing house nurtures meaningful relationships with its authors, translators, and team — a diverse group of passionate individuals dedicated to enriching and advancing Arabic content on both intellectual and artistic levels.
Dar Al Arabi — An Arab Lighthouse with a Global Vision
Dar Al Arabi for Publishing and Distribution is more than just a publishing house — it is a comprehensive cultural project that brings together ambitious vision, a deep commitment to quality, and a spirit of creative openness. Rooted in a rich cultural legacy and fueled by an enduring passion for the written word, the house continues its journey as a shining window into Arab culture and a platform for dialogue with the world.
Al Arabi — Fifty Years of Distinction and Diversity
We conclude with goodness, and always begin with value