Arabic Language, Digital Future: Abu Dhabi Summit Charts Creative Economy Path

Abu Dhabi’s Manarat Al Saadiyat will host the fifth Congress of Arabic and Creative Industries on September 20, offering free entry to anyone who registers. The event, organized by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre, runs under the theme Arabic as Infrastructure Identity, Knowledge and Economic Power in the Digital Age. For citizens across the Middle East and North Africa, the stakes are immediate: how Arabic-language content, culture and intellectual property find their footing in global markets without losing what makes them distinct.

The congress arrives at a moment when rapid technological change is reshaping how people consume, create and access culture. Artificial intelligence is rewriting workflows across dubbing, journalism and storytelling, and the question of whether those tools serve Arabic-speaking communities well sits at the heart of several sessions. A masterclass titled Dubbing in the Age of AI will examine how machine learning is altering dubbing workflows and the technical difficulty of preserving emotional authenticity and cultural nuance in translated content. Another session, Human Stories, Smart Tools: A Mobile Journalism Masterclass, will explore how AI can assist journalists in research, source-finding, transcription, translation, editing and distribution, skills with direct relevance to the quality of information available to the public.

Meanwhile, the economic conditions shaping who gets to create, and who gets to be heard, will receive direct attention. One panel will examine the commercial value of Arabic intellectual property, covering book rights, transmedia franchises, game localization and licensing agreements. A separate discussion will address the financing gaps that have constrained the creative economy across the region. Participants include Eddy Maroun, co-founder of the music streaming platform Anghami; Noor Sweid, founder and managing partner of Global Ventures; and Egyptian screenwriter and producer Mohamed Hefzy.

The opening session, Arabic Language and Identity in a Changing World, will feature Anne-Claire Legendre, president of Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris, in what organizers describe as one of her first official speaking engagements in the region since her appointment. The discussion will consider how Arabic language and culture can adapt to new digital technologies without surrendering their distinctive character, a question that touches the daily lives of hundreds of millions of Arabic speakers.

Access to culture and language learning also features on the program. A masterclass called How Gamification Can Bring Language, Learning and Culture to Life will examine the role of games and interactive platforms in language acquisition and community engagement, tools that can reach learners of all ages and backgrounds. Historian and author Roy Casagranda will deliver a keynote, Arabic and Europe: A Story of Encounter, tracing centuries of cultural and intellectual exchange between the Arabic and Latin worlds, including Arabic influences on Spanish and Italian.

Practical skills for creators seeking international reach round out the day. American novelist and scriptwriter Todd Gallicano, who wrote the 2023 Netflix comedy Best. Christmas. Ever!, will lead a masterclass on Creating Story Worlds, focusing on how to develop expansive narratives with recurring characters across multiple platforms. Egyptian actor, writer and producer Ahmed Amin will lead Writing Arabic Comedy for Digital. A session on How to Create a Global IP will cover developing ideas into intellectual property for international markets, including storytelling, audience development and distribution strategy.

The congress has grown considerably since its 2022 launch, when it focused primarily on publishing. It has since expanded to cover the full breadth of creative industries. Last year’s edition featured Jordanian director Tima Shomali, Lebanese filmmaker Nadine Labaki, Palestinian-American comedian Mo Amer and Tunisian-Egyptian actress Hend Sabry, with discussions spanning Arabic storytelling across screen, stage and literature.

The event will close with a performance by Egyptian singer-songwriter Hamza Namira, preceded by a session on his creative work. Whether the congress’s fifth year marks a turning point for Arabic content in global markets, or simply another step in a longer journey, may depend on how many of the ideas discussed on September 20 find their way into the hands of creators and communities beyond the conference hall.