Emerging from the pandemic, which has all but crushed the book publication and distribution sector in the Sultanate of Oman, local Omani publishers say they are hopeful of a gradual recovery in their economic fortunes, but would welcome greater support from the Omani government in helping them get back on their feet again.
The Observer spoke to a number of publishers taking part in the 26th Muscat International Book Fair, which concludes at the Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre on Saturday, to assess their perspectives on the outlook for their industry.
Suleiman Talib al Dhamri, proprietor of local publishing house Al Dhamri Bookshop for Publishing and Distribution, welcomed the resumption of book fairs after a two-year gap owning to the pandemic.
Book fairs open up business and economic opportunities for Omani publishers and libraries and also have a positive knock-on effect on the wider economy, says the publisher, whose titles include books on Islam, culture, literature and self-help, besides fiction.
“The near-term future for our sector looks promising, but we still need constant encouragement in the form of financial support to Omani publishing houses and local libraries, and to new writers as well,” said Al Dhamri. “We need to encourage them to continue blogging, writing, and publishing, in addition to supporting youth institutions concerned with culture, also motivating businessmen to invest in libraries and publishing houses by providing financial support for cultural and literary initiatives and competitions. Furthermore, through investments in translation services, we can benefit from developments and advancements in all sectors. After all, the main driver of the success of any country is the knowledge economy.”
Commenting on the impact of the pandemic on the publishing industry, Al Dhamri lamented that publishing-related businesses across the region, and internationally as well, were severely affected. Adding to their difficulties were the lockdowns, closure of printing and marketing new books at the start of the crisis, and increase in shipping and transportation costs – which caused significant distress to authors, publishers and others involved in the business.
According to Dr Yousuf Khalifa al Harrasi, owner of Arabic Studies Library, the suspension of the annual book fair for the past two years owing to the pandemic, caused much hardship to publishing houses, libraries and the wider literary sector. Authors contracted to submit manuscripts for publication ahead of the planned book fairs found themselves staring at cancellations, he noted.
“With the resumption of the Muscat book fair, we are once again optimistic for the future,” said Dr Al Harrasi, who nevertheless called for concrete government support to help sustain the sector. He appealed for: (i) Reductions in the fees to participate in the book fair, (ii) Direct arrangements with publishers (as opposed to authors) to curb unhealthy competition, (iii) support Omani publishing houses through procurements of their titles, (iv) designate ‘Cultural Streets’ in major cities where publishing houses have can roadshows at subsidized fees, (v) support cooperation between regional and international institutions in the cultural field, (vi) provide professional training for Omanis seeking to enter this field, (vii) encourage funding, investment, production and content development, (viii) providing licensing facilities for activities related to the role of libraries, (ix) encourage young writers in schools and universities through competitive national cultural competitions, (x) conduct knowledge-based economic initiatives and projects such as digitizing books, (xi) establish a database for the library sector, (xii) establish an independent translation agency to translate, for example, the publications of Omani writers, and finally (xiii) Develop accelerator programmes in publishing houses and libraries sector.
Also taking part in the book fair is Dar Fikr for Printing, Distribution and Publishing, a Damascus-based publishing house, which has since set up branches in Dubai, Beirut, Yemen and other locations.
Dar Fikr, which has been participating in most Arab and international book fairs, says these events are important to “building bridges of cultural communication between peoples”, while also contributing to economic activities in the host countries. Book fairs enable publishing houses to meet with local authors, printing and production companies, and cultural institutions.
Asked about pandemic impacts to the sector, a representative said a steep increase in shipping and transportation costs led to a sharp jump in paper prices, forcing publishers to reduce print orders.
Tarek al Traboulsi, Sales Manager at Dar Almaaref Bookshop, describes the Sultanate of Oman as a promising market for selling books. To circumvent the challenges posed by the pandemic, the publisher had direct shipping arrangements with local bookstores that helped sales of its titles despite the disruption.
According to Hala Omar, who owns Egypt-based Hala Publishing and Distribution Company – a regular exhibition at the Muscat Book Fair and other Arab shows – the outlook for the publishing sector is now starting to improve. The Omani book market, she says, is expanding and developing and diversifying, which in turn is making it attractive for new players to enter this sector. Hala Publishing has cooperative ties with a number of Omani publishing houses and libraries.
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