Past Editions

2023

Second Edition of Congress PCI

Discover

2022

2022 marked the inaugural edition of the Congress

Discover

Past Editions

2023

Second Edition of Congress PCI

Discover
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2022

2022 marked the inaugural edition of the Congress

Discover
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What can we create together

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International Congress of Arabic Publishing and Creative Industries (PCI)

28 April 2024

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Manarat Al Saadiyat, Abu Dhabi, UAE

Organized By

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About the Congress

The Congress aims to showcase the latest trends in publishing, highlighting the adaptation of books into other formats

The Congress is the first in the RectangleArabic publishing world to facilitate conversation between publishers,Ellipsecontent creators, thought leaders, andRectangleentrepreneurs from different platforms to learn how different media can thrive as the business ofEllipsestorytelling evolves.

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Panel

Speakers

Discover Our 2024 Program

Main Stage Panels

This headliner talk aims to reveal how the cultural and creative sector adds resilience and growth capacity to the economy, within the context of real-life examples of initiatives led by Abu Dhabi, driving its development as a cultural and creative hub, such as creating cultural districts, supporting local talent, and hosting global cultural events. The conversation explores the benefits of combining proven economic strategies with local cultural policies to drive sustainable development and economic diversification.

Moderator

Caroline Faraj

Vice-President and Editor-in-Chief, CNN Arabic

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Keynote Speaker

H.E. Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak

Chairman, Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi

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Mohamed El-Erian

Internationally acclaimed economist and financier; President of Queens’ College, the University of Cambridge

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When a novel undergoes film adaptation, it becomes a universal translation of the author's vision. This intricate process involves a myriad of talents, from the scriptwriters and directors to actors, cinematographers, sound teams, and music composers. Join us to unravel the secrets of navigating the multifaceted interplay of literature, cinematic collaborations, and avenues for showcasing and profiting from your film work. Speakers will shed light on a myriad of book to screen adaptations, among which is ‘The Blue Elephant’, director Marwan Hamed, actor Karim Abdel Aziz, and the author and screenwriter Ahmed Mourad.

Panel Moderator

Eisa Al Marzooqi

Presenter and Multimedia Journalist, Sky News Arabia

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Panel Speakers

Karim Abdel Aziz

Actor and Director

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Marwan Hamed

Film Director

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Ahmed Mourad

Author and Screenwriter

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This panel will explore the evolving landscape of content consumption as providers expand across multiple platforms often utilising recycled content from one major source into multiple formats. We will delve into consumer preferences and the multiple formats of content presented to them across platforms, within the scope of business strategies of content producers and providers, towards identifying the balance between fulfilling consumer needs in content variety and business profitability through paid access to content.

Panel Moderator

Zeina Soufan

Senior business news anchor with 'Asharq Business with Bloomberg'

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Panel Speakers

Mazen Hayek

Consultant; Media Advisor; former MBC Group’s Official Spokesman and Group Director

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Maaz Sheikh

Co-Founder and CEO, STARZ PLAY

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Ashley Rite

VP of Marketing and Growth, OSN

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This panel will explore the value of the creator economy to the local economy and how to boost the creator economy by leveraging new value-creation opportunities through cross-sector and geographic collaborations and partnerships.

Panel Moderator

Paula Naoufal

Senior Reporter, CNN Business Arabic

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Panel Speakers

Rehana Mughal

Director of Creative Economy at the British Council; member of Creative Industries Council, UK

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Muna Al Suwaidi

Programmes and Projects Advisor, Culture and Creative Industries Sector at UAE Ministry of Culture and Youth

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Park Young Il

Director of Korea Creative Content Agency

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Kareem Hassan

Executive Director of UN-ESCWA Technology Centre

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This panel explores how storytelling can be translated into interactive gaming experiences by examining the creative processes involved in adapting stories from diverse cultures into cross-border games. We will explore the dynamic intersection of storytelling and gaming, and the exportation and sharing of local cultures through compelling and stimulating games that reach global and universal audiences.

Panel Moderator

Edward Nawotka

Consultant in the global publishing and content industries; Bookselling and International Editor, Publishers Weekly

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Panel Speakers

Fawzi Mesmar

VP Global Creative, Ubisoft

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Essam Bukhary

CEO of Manga Productions

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Lisa Hanson

CEO, Niko Partners

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This panel goes beyond exploring the latest technological advancements in publishing, and delves into their profound societal impact as we explore the intersection of technology and society. Experts in the field will provide insights into how these advancements not only shape the creative processes and future of publishing but also influence our collective experience, addressing the broader implications of technology on human connection and well-being.

Panel Moderator

Aliah Yacoub

AI and Philosophy Researcher and Head of techQualia, Synapse Analytics

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Panel Speakers

Nadim Sadek

Founder and CEO, Shimmr AI

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Preslav Nakov

Professor at Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence

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Hoda Al Khzaimi

Director, Centre of Cyber Security at NYU Abu Dhabi

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Explore creative and immersive strategies for fostering love for reading in the next generation using a panel that focuses on engaging content in Arabic. Join experts and thought leaders as they discuss transformative approaches to ignite passion for literature among young readers and to enhance the cultural significance of Arabic storytelling.

Panel Moderator

Georgia Tolley

Presenter and Radio Host, Dubai Eye 103.8FM

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Panel Speakers

Luis Gonzales

General Director, Foundation Casa Lector, Spain

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Isobel Abulhoul

Co-founder, Magrudy’s Bookshop Chain; Founder, Advisor and Trustee, Emirates Literature Foundation

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Mohamad Al Baghdadi

President and Chief Executive Officer, Al Manhal Arabic Electronic Information Platform

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Tracks

This session highlights the art of drawing characters in inspiring stories through innovative interactive channels and transforming written content into captivating animation. Participants will learn from animation experts how to develop content that is consistent with marketing objectives, thus contributing to the promotion of Arabic content.

Presented byManga Productions

Jude Ganag

Illustrator

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This session will delve into the world of visual storytelling, exploring the impact of comics on Arabic language promotion. The discussion will navigate the intricate blend of art and narrative in comics, shedding light on how this dynamic medium becomes a catalyst for promoting and preserving the richness of the Arabic language. We will unravel the unique ability of comics to transcend linguistic barriers and engage diverse audiences.

Presented byManga Productions

Hatim Alamri

Narrative Manager, Manga Productions

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This immersive experience unveils strategies and insider insights to craft compelling content tailored to platforms, audiences, and brand identity. Participants will delve into content strategy mastery, visual storytelling, audience connection, platform-specific optimization, effective copywriting, and analytics interpretation. This game-changing masterclass is a must for social media managers, content creators, digital marketers, and publishers aiming to master the art of creating engaging and impactful content for the digital age.

Presented byRoya Academy for Media Training

Ramzi Al- Karmi

General Manager, Roya Academy for Media Training

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This session will explore the evolution of storytelling and how content is going to be consumed across games, music, film and immersive technologies, featuring current case studies/companies disrupting this space and that of content publishing. The session will also cover how successful IP moves across from books, films, games, through to immersive technologies such as VR, AR, MR, and XR.

Presented byShorooq Partners and YaLLa Esports

Sali Elagab

Senior Investment Professional, Shorooq Partners

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Klaus Kajetski

Founder and CEO of YaLLa Esports

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In this session, we will share key data on publishing and retail trends, with a focus on book markets around the world and trends we see in those markets, and how this correlates to local trends and predictions in key areas of growth. The insights provided aim to assist publishers and retailers in learning from industry trends, including market demands, consumer behaviour, and emerging technologies to effectively grow their sales.

Presented byNielsen Book

Andre Breedt

Managing Director, Nielsen Book

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Dive into the dynamic realm of audio publishing and podcasting as this panel unravels the transformative impact of sound in storytelling. Explore the evolving landscape of digital audio content, the growing influence of podcasts, and how creators leverage this medium to captivate audiences, ushering in a new era of narrative consumption.

Presented bySOWT

Rana Daoud

Lead Producer, SOWT

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This is a unique opportunity to learn more about the funding opportunities provided by the Abu Dhabi Language Centre. As academics and publishers, you can discover how these grants can support your creative and academic endeavours and elevate your writing and publishing to the next level.

Presented byAbu Dhabi Language Centre

Nour Diar Bakerli

Acting Publishing Programmes Section Head, Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre

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This workshop will guide you through the essentials of creating your own home studio tailored for podcasters, social media content creators, video makers, animators, and more. Discover the key elements necessary to set up a functional and professional space, including equipment recommendations, soundproofing techniques, and lighting setups. Our experts will share insights on optimizing your home studio and empowering you to produce high-quality content from the comfort of your own space.

Presented byRoya Academy for Media Training

Ramzi Al- Karmi

General Manager, Roya Academy for Media Training

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This training session will provide you with unmatched guidance on how to develop your digital reporting skills using Google tools and resources , such as “Pinpoint”, the search tool that facilitates exploring and analysing thousands of documents, and in addition to learning advanced techniques on familiar tools like Google Maps and Google Trends. Stay ahead of the curve with valuable knowledge on how to identify, verify and tell engaging stories, faster.

Presented byGoogle News Initiative

Pamela Kesrouani

Teaching fellow, Google News Initiative, MENA region

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A dynamic and informative session designed to explore the intersection of artificial intelligence and the crucial task of fact-checking in contemporary media landscape.

Presented byMajarra / Fortune Arabia

Hamoud Almahmoud

Chief Content Officer and Editor in Chief, Majarra/Fortune Arabia

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This youth circle, hosted by Unipreneur, will feature guest speakers from the Federal Youth Authority who will facilitate an interactive discussion with Arab youth to help them harvest key learnings from the Congress. The Federal Youth Authority will share their methodology in investing in youth to serve the UAE and build the future, while also listening to youth ideas on promoting the Arabic language and their aspirations to be active citizens in shaping this promising future.

Presented byUnipreneur

Reem Al Mosabbeh

Co-founder, Unipreneur

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Mohammed Mukhtar

Co-founder, Unipreneur

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Experiment with new ways to visualize stories using new content formats, data, and more. This training session will guide you on how to utilize Google tools to tell stories digitally, such as maximizing the benefits from using YouTube and YouTube shorts; using YouTube Podcast facilities; and visualizing data comparisons using Google Data GIF Maker; in addition to creating fascinating videos using Google Earth Studio.

Presented byGoogle News Initiative

Pamela Kesrouani

Teaching fellow, Google News Initiative, MENA region

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Ahmed Murad, the brilliant storyteller behind the script of the iconic film "Blue Elephant 1&2," invites you into the inner workings of his creative process, sharing invaluable insights on the art of screenwriting for cinema. Delve into the intricacies of crafting compelling characters, building immersive worlds, and developing captivating narratives that resonate with audiences. Learn the secrets of translating ideas from the mind to the screen, explore the nuances of storytelling techniques, and understand the unique challenges and triumphs of the film industry. Whether you're an aspiring screenwriter, filmmaker, or simply passionate about the magic of storytelling, this masterclass is your opportunity to gain first-hand knowledge from a maestro in cinematic scriptwriting.

Presented by

Ahmed Mourad

Author and Screenwriter

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The Congress PCI tracks will conclude with the Youth Awards, where youth have been invited to create innovative solutions on how we can leverage creativity and technology to inspire Arabic students to learn more. The most innovative solutions will be shortlisted, with the top 10 invited to pitch on stage for awards and prizes, along with the opportunity to develop their solution and present at next year's Congress.

In partnership with Unipreneur

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