For decades, Egypt’s National Centre for Translation (NCT) has been one of the leading gateways for world knowledge coming into Arabic. Its new director, Mohamed Nasr Al-Gebaly, believes the time has come for knowledge to flow out of Egypt as well. Since taking office in April, he has set out an ambitious agenda that places translating Arabic works into foreign languages at the heart of the NCT’s mission, alongside digital transformation, translator training, and stronger partnerships with universities and cultural institutions.
Al-Gebaly says that, though he has felt honoured throughout his academic journey, having served as cultural counsellor in Moscow and dean of the Faculty of Al-Alsun (Languages) at Luxor University, his appointment as NCT director feels like his most significant achievement. He takes great pride in the role and deeply appreciates the trust the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research have placed in him.
“Translation has been an integral part of my professional life, and I have always believed deeply in its importance,” Al-Gebaly says, shedding light on the NCT’s mission. “The centre’s role is not only to make the world’s knowledge accessible in Arabic, but also to share Egypt’s cultural heritage and intellectual vision with readers around the world, helping to correct misconceptions about the country’s identity.”
Though he deeply appreciates the NCT’s former directors – particularly the late critic Gaber Asfour, whose vision was instrumental in establishing the National Translation Project, which later evolved into the National Centre for Translation – Al-Gebaly emphasises that his foremost priority is expanding the NCT’s programme for translating from Arabic. The NCT has already published around 11 translations from Arabic, but he hopes to increase that number until they account for nearly half of its annual publications, in addition to undertaking a number of other ambitious initiatives: “By the next Cairo International Book Fair (CIBF), I aim for the centre to publish no fewer than 20 translated Egyptian titles in foreign languages as part of this broader strategy.”
Al-Gebaly is equally committed to investing in the next generation of translators. Through partnerships with Egyptian universities, the NCT is expanding practical training opportunities for students and young professionals while organising two to three monthly workshops led by experienced translators. The initiative has already attracted hundreds of participants, with plans to extend these activities beyond Cairo. He also envisions the NCT as more than a publishing house, strengthening its role as a cultural institution through an expanded programme of seminars, book discussions and other events that support translators, researchers, and the wider academic community.
For Al-Gebaly, however, training alone is not enough. He believes the NCT should also cultivate a sense of purpose among aspiring translators. “Translation is not simply a technical skill, but a cultural responsibility,” he says. “Translators play a vital role in presenting their country, its culture and its intellectual heritage to the world.” Among Al-Gebaly’s key priorities is the launch of an official website to serve as a digital home for the NCT’s translations from Arabic. Rather than functioning as a commercial platform, the website is intended to make those works readily accessible to readers around the world. “We are currently working on launching the website, and I hope it will be ready within the next two months. Once it is operational, all of the centre’s translations from Arabic will be made available there.”
Modernisation, however, goes beyond establishing an online presence. “One initiative involves creating a comprehensive database of translators, allowing us to identify qualified specialists across a wide range of disciplines and draw upon their expertise when needed,” Al-Gebaly explains. He envisions the NCT as a hub for translation research and documentation. Among his proposed initiatives is the creation of a national translation bibliography to record all works translated into Arabic, helping identify gaps across disciplines and guide future publishing decisions. He also plans to launch a journal dedicated to translation studies, aiming to strengthen collaboration with Egyptian and international research institutions while fostering academic research and supporting the continued development of the field.
Among the NCT’s newest initiatives is a publication dedicated to reviews and critical presentations of foreign books. Rather than translating every noteworthy title in full, the project will offer in-depth analytical reviews, allowing readers to engage with important international publications while reducing costs and eliminating the need to secure translation rights. “Not every important book necessarily requires a full translation,” Al-Gebaly explains. “Instead, we will publish a periodical featuring comprehensive reviews of selected foreign titles.” The inaugural issue is expected to be released this October. Looking ahead, Al-Gebaly also plans to launch the NCT’s first regular translation conference by the end of the year, and continue expanding partnerships with Egyptian universities and translation institutions to strengthen translator training and encourage collaboration on emerging developments in the field.
Beyond its domestic initiatives, Al-Gebaly views the NCT as a central hub in the Arab world’s translation ecosystem. While emphasising the NCT’s longstanding partnerships with regional and international translation organisations, he believes its greatest strength lies in its history, output and reputation. “Egypt continues to play a leading role in the Arab world’s translation movement,” he says. “The National Centre for Translation remains the largest, most established, and most influential translation institution in the region.” Looking ahead, he hopes to further activate the NCT’s existing cooperation agreements, placing greater emphasis on exchanging expertise, organising joint initiatives, and strengthening collaboration with counterparts abroad.
Despite his optimism, Al-Gebaly believes the greatest challenge facing translation in Egypt today is not quantity but quality. While noting that the number of translated works has grown significantly over the past decade, he argues that improving translation standards remains essential. “In terms of quantity, I would say the current volume of translation is satisfactory. However, when it comes to quality, there are still significant challenges,” he says. Addressing those challenges requires stronger academic preparation, closer coordination between translation institutions and universities and a more strategic approach to selecting the books to be translated, ensuring they fill genuine gaps in knowledge rather than duplicating existing works.
Al-Gebaly’s translation strategy also extends to introducing Egypt’s literary and intellectual heritage to international audiences. Alongside works on philosophy, history, the arts and journalism, the NCT has begun selecting landmark titles that reflect Egypt’s cultural identity. “This is, in fact, the project closest to my heart and one that I strongly believe in,” he stresses. Among the works under consideration are classics of Egyptian literature, including Mohamed Hussein Heikal’s Zaynab (1913), as well as major studies on Egyptian history and culture. Contracts with translators are already being finalised, with the first batch of publications expected to coincide with the next Cairo International Book Fair.
For Al-Gebaly, the value of international cooperation lies not in the number of agreements signed, but in their practical impact. While the NCT continues to strengthen its ties with counterparts abroad, he believes these partnerships should foster genuine collaboration through the exchange of expertise, joint academic and cultural events, translation projects, and greater access to intellectual property rights. “It is relatively easy to conclude memoranda of understanding,” he explains. “The real challenge lies in translating them into meaningful collaboration.”
The selection process, Al-Gebaly stresses, remains at the heart of the NCT’s publishing strategy. Rather than prioritising contemporary works over classics, or vice versa, the NCT evaluates each title on its intellectual and cultural significance. “What matters is the significance of the book,” he clarifies. Guided by an advisory committee, the NCT seeks works that fill important gaps in knowledge across fields such as history, philosophy, sociology, and cultural studies. Among the major titles currently being prepared for translation are works by Amin Al-Khouli, Mohamed Shafiq Ghorbal, Abdel-Latif Hamza, Fekri Hassan and Abbas Mahmoud Al-Akkad, all of whom made lasting contributions to Egyptian intellectual and cultural life.
Despite welcoming the growing number of translated works in Egypt, Al-Gebaly believes improving quality remains the profession’s greatest challenge. While acknowledging the growing role of AI, he rejects the idea that it undermines the future of translation. “Artificial Intelligence is an extremely powerful tool, and I believe it should be available to every translator,” he agrees. “However, it can never replace the human translator.” Instead, he argues that AI should complement human expertise, particularly in knowledge-based texts, while creative translation continues to rely on human judgement and aesthetic sensitivity. To prepare translators for this evolving landscape, he advocates stronger academic training, post-editing skills, and greater familiarity with emerging technologies.
Reflecting on his own journey, Al-Gebaly attributes his success to passion, perseverance and a commitment to choosing meaningful projects. He began translating while still a university student, where he also started compiling a personal glossary of specialist terminology. A major turning point took place in 2003 with the publication of his first translated book, American Strategy in the 21st Century, published by the National Centre for Translation. His early glossary later evolved into a dictionary of political and economic terminology, which the NCT published in 2009. “I have always believed that a translator creates a new text,” he says. “In that sense, the translator is also an author.” Looking back, he believes the defining principle of his career has been selecting books for their intellectual value and their contribution to Egyptian culture rather than for commercial gain.
Looking ahead, Al-Gebaly remains optimistic about the future of translation in Egypt. He believes the country’s extensive network of universities, cultural institutions, and publishing houses will continue to reinforce its position as a leading force in translation across the Arab world and Africa. At the same time, he maintains that the profession’s long-term success will ultimately depend on one factor above all: quality. “If we manage to raise quality standards,” he says, “I believe Egypt will see a major leap forward in its translation movement whose impact will extend beyond Egypt and benefit the entire Arab world.”
* A version of this article appears in print in the 16 July, 2026 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 16 July, 2026 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.
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