Sharjah:International and regional publishing experts convened at the 15th edition of the Sharjah NYU SPS Executive Publishing Programme to discuss the expansion of Arabic content and the growth of the audiobook industry. Held at Expo Centre Sharjah, the event brought together 200 publishers and was organized by the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) in partnership with the NYU School of Professional Studies.

According to Wam, the programme, themed 'Seeking New Audiences Connecting and Communicating on an International Scale,' included sessions on audio publishing, social media marketing, international translation, and cultural content exchange. Mansour Al-Hassani, Director of Publishing Services at SBA, highlighted the need for publishers to adapt to industry changes through skills in content development and rights management.

Andrea Chambers, Associate Dean of the NYU SPS Center for Publishing, emphasized the programme's relevance to the global publishing industry. Iria Alvarez, Vice President of Global Audio Strategy at Penguin Random House, discussed the potential for the Arab world to develop its audiobook market by learning from other regions like Brazil and Spanish-speaking countries.

Ali Abdel-Moneim, CEO of Arabookverse, pointed out the untapped potential in the Arabic audiobook market, which saw significant growth in 2025. Tamer Said, Director of the Sharjah Literary Agency, stressed the importance of maintaining the cultural identity of Arabic literature while reaching international markets. The programme concluded with discussions on AI's impact on manuscript evaluation and strategies for using social media to boost book sales.