The Translation and Publishing Center of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) held a meeting with the Arab Publishers’ Association on Thursday, 22 January 2026, in Cairo, to explore ways of strengthening cooperation in the fields of writing, publishing, and translation.

During the meeting, the two parties reached an agreement in principle to make a selection of publications from Arab publishing houses affiliated with the Arab Publishers’ Association available through ICESCO’s digital library for a period of 12 months. This initiative is part of joint efforts to disseminate science and knowledge and provide reliable content for Arab readers while safeguarding publishers’ rights. The discussions also covered mechanisms for developing joint cultural projects and activities to exchange expertise in digitizing writing and publishing.

The meeting was attended by Dr. Ahmed Albanyan, Head of the Translation and Publishing Center, and Dr. Mohamed Rashad, President of the Arab Publishers’ Association. Dr. Albanyan emphasized the importance of cultural cooperation between international organizations and regional institutions and centers, and reviewed the challenges facing the publishing sector in Arab and Islamic countries, notably the protection of intellectual property rights and the promotion of the distribution of Arabic books.