- The extensive and comprehensive license agreement between Raff Publishing and Disney will see the release of 92 captivating book titles.
- The collaboration emphasizes Raff Publishing’s dedication to making Arabic-language children’s literature more accessible and fostering a love of reading in the MENA region.
- The first published books will be available for purchase at the Riyadh International Book Fair and at major Saudi book retailers.
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 06 October 2023: In an exciting license agreement with Disney, Raff Publishing is set to release 92 Disney stories to the MENA region, including countries such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates. This marks a significant milestone as Raff Publishing ventures into the dynamic realm of children’s publishing.
Through this license agreement and titles that Raff Publishing will publish, Raff Publishing aims to inspire children’s creativity and curiosity, offering families a wonderful opportunity to come together through captivating narratives. By nurturing a lifelong passion for reading and learning in the MENA region, starting from early childhood, this license agreement represents an important step forward in expanding the literary landscape for young readers in the region.
These titles include 48 stories translated into Arabic and 44 in English. Among the featured franchises are widely popular stories from Disney, Marvel, and Star Wars.
This license agreement brings the magic of Disney to readers across the MENA region, creating connections with readers of all ages, promoting the joy of reading, and encouraging families to bond over stories that ignite the imagination.
Remarkably, this collaboration addresses a significant gap in the Arabic literature market, as a tiny proportion of the books published annually are translated into Arabic.
With a particular focus on offering Arabic-language books tailored for children and young readers, this collaboration is poised to enhance access to literature in their native language. Early literacy in a child’s native language lays the crucial foundation for academic success in later stages of education, making this collaboration all the more significant for the region.
Paula Scott, General Manager of Raff Publishing, said: “Raff Publishing is focused on enhancing the availability of Arabic-language children’s books catered to the changing needs of our youngest reading audience. In addition to delivering top-tier Arabic-language literary material, this collaboration with Disney serves as a significant component of SRMG’s forward-looking strategy for growth and expansion. We remain committed to fostering literature and instilling a passion for reading in the MENA region.”
As part of SRMG’s mission of making Arabic-language content more accessible in the MENA region, Raff Publishing is part of a global alliance that broadens SRMG’s reach and offers a wider range of media content to a dynamic audience. Disney is the latest addition to SRMG’s list of esteemed partners, which includes Warner Bros. Discovery, Bloomberg, The Independent, Billboard, and Shueisha.
Raff Publishing is privileged to announce its collaboration in this year’s esteemed Riyadh International Book Fair, held from September 28 to October 7 at King Saud University, and organized by the Saudi Literature, Publishing, and Translation Commission. The newly published titles resulting from the license agreement with Disney are currently available at both the Riyadh International Book Fair and major Saudi book retailers, with plans for wider regional distribution in the near future.
About Raff Publishing
Raff Publishing is igniting the Arab world’s passion for reading and amplifying authors’ voices on the world stage.
Our goal is to enhance the quality and quantity of books available to the 400 million Arabic-speakers and readers around the world. Raff believes in ensuring the culture, history and dynamism of the region is championed. We will highlight stories and voices from the region and work with emerging and existing authors to create this new and exciting content.
Additionally, through our translations, Raff will bring the best global literary works to Arabic readers.
Raff aims to lead the MENA publishing sector with high quality editorial, first rate translators and content that engages and appeals to a diverse and contemporary audience. A general-interest trade publisher, Raff – which means “shelf” in Arabic – publishes Arabic- and English-language books for adults and children across all genres and in a variety of print, digital and audio formats. We are a subsidiary of the Saudi Research and Media Group (SRMG), the largest integrated media group from the Middle East and North Africa
