Dubai Summit 2025 Charts Future of Global Publishing

The Mohammed Bin Rashid Library has concluded the second edition of the Dubai International Library and Publishing Summit 2025, setting a new benchmark for the global publishing industry under the theme “The Future of the Publishing Industry.”

The three-day event brought together more than 80 speakers from 20 countries, including five keynote experts, across 48 sessions and over 20 interactive workshops. Compared to its debut year, the summit recorded a 27.3% rise in registrations, a 31.5% increase in attendance, and a 50% jump in international speakers — reflecting Dubai’s growing role as a hub for knowledge and creativity.

Held at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Library, the summit offered a packed agenda exploring innovation, technology, digital transformation, translation, and sustainable publishing. The discussions centered on how human creativity and technology are reshaping the global publishing ecosystem.

From exploring AI’s impact on creativity in “Theory for Robots” to hands-on workshops in translation, editing, and bookbinding, the event connected authors, publishers, and industry leaders on one platform. Sessions such as “Selling and Buying International Rights” and “Safeguarding Creativity: Protecting Rights in Arab Publishing” delved into real-world industry challenges, while panels on diversity, inclusion, and children’s literature highlighted the evolving dimensions of storytelling.

On the sidelines, the Library announced the launch of its new publishing and translation arm, a major step toward enriching Arabic content by translating global works into Arabic. The announcement also coincided with the reveal of the tenth edition of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Arabic Language Award, further solidifying the UAE’s commitment to advancing Arabic literature and knowledge.

As the curtains closed, the summit stood out not just as a cultural gathering but as a global dialogue on how innovation, ethics, and sustainability can shape the next era of publishing. Its success reaffirmed Dubai’s vision to be a world leader in knowledge exchange and a bridge between cultures through the written word.