The Sharjah Publishing City (SPC) Free Zone has revealed a new partnership with US-based Ingram Content Group, an international service provider to the book publishing industry.
Salem Omar Salem, Director of the SPC Free Zone, stated that Ingram will provide a database of more than 18 million titles worldwide, noting that the goal of this partnership is dedicated to helping get more books into the hands of readers everywhere. Attracting this leading international company to establish its business in Sharjah is the first step towards future agreements that promises to build a professional system of services in the publishing industry.
He said that the agreement signed by the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) and Ingram Lightning Source to bring the world’s best print-on-demand (POD) service to the SPC Free Zone signals a landmark achievement for the UAE publishing sector, allowing publishers to reach readers worldwide more efficiently. A subsidiary of SBA, SPC Free Zone has a carefully crafted eco-system for the publishing industry to thrive.
Lightning Source can support publishers by making their titles available regionally and globally, facilitate book production and swift supply, expand market reach, optimize profits, and eliminate challenges associated with consumer demand, affordable distribution, and print runs.
The SPC Free Zone provides ample opportunities for regional publishers to interact with their foreign counterparts, exchange valuable ideas and experiences in the field of publishing, and develop Arabic content through translations in other languages.
Omar Salem added that the SPC Free Zone is in the process of concluding another partnership to print books in large quantities, pointing out that such printing presses need great support and require the signing of many agreements, which is what the region is currently working on.
He also stressed on SPC Free Zone’s keenness to attend international exhibitions and forums related to the publishing sector, communicating with publishers around the world, building bridges of cooperation with leading publishing houses, while at the same time introducing the opportunities offered by Sharjah as a regional and global incubator for those engaged in the field of knowledge and creative industries in general.
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