The study, which tracks publishing activity across the region over the two-year period, shows Egypt increased its output from 23,756 titles in 2022 to 25,199 in 2023, reinforcing its position as the largest publishing market in the Arab world.
Saudi Arabia ranked second, with titles rising from 12,348 in 2022 to 13,964 in 2023, followed by Jordan, which recorded an increase from 9,391 to 10,869 titles over the same period.
Across the region, the study recorded a sharp rise in first-time publications, with approximately 93,000 new titles released between 2022 and 2023.
Mohamed Rashed, president of the Arab Publishers Association, described the increase as evidence of a sustained upward trend in Arab publishing, which he attributed in part to growing interest in reading among younger generations.
Despite the growth, the report warns of mounting structural challenges facing the industry. Rising paper prices have reduced demand for printed books and accelerated the shift toward digital publishing, it said.
The study also points to the expanding presence of major international publishing groups in Arab markets, particularly through their growing share of university procurement budgets. This trend, it notes, has weakened the traditional role of academic publishing as a central driver of Arab book production, a role it played prominently from the 1970s onward.
Geographically, the report notes new developments, with Djibouti and the Comoros appearing for the first time in regional publishing data. It also highlights growth in Algeria, Iraq, and Oman, trends the authors link to state policies supporting publishing and cultural industries in some countries, notably Morocco and Saudi Arabia.
The study was prepared by Mohamed Rashed and researcher Khaled Azab and published by the Arab Publishers Association’s Center for Studies and Research. It aims to address longstanding gaps in data on Arab publishing.
The authors stress that the lack of regularly issued national bibliographies in many Arab countries continues to hinder accurate monitoring of the sector, underscoring the need for institutionalized data collection to support evidence-based cultural policy across the region.
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