If you are looking for Arabic-language reach, prize money is nice; exposure to Gulf librarians, ed-tech firms and literary scouts is better.

Trade insight for publishers

Qatar’s Ministry of Culture has opened nominations for the 2026 Doha International Book Fair Awards, offering publishers and authors a share of 230,000 QAR (≈ £51,000) and, more importantly, a shop-window in the fastest-growing book market in the MENA region.

Eight Ways To Win

The scheme is split into eight categories, four for publishers, two for authors, one for translation houses and one for the best-designed fair stand. All entries must be Arabic-language, non-pirated and submitted as PDFs via a new digital portal between 17 January and 1 March 2026.

Qatar & International Publishing Excellence – 30,000 QAR each. Minimum front-list: 20 titles (Qatar) or 30 titles (international) published 1 Jan–31 Dec 2025.

Children’s & YA specialists – 30,000 QAR each. Five new Arabic titles (Qatar) or ten (international) qualify a house.

Translation Award – 30,000 QAR for a Qatari imprint with the strongest three-year Arabic-into-foreign-language list.

Creative Writer & Young Qatari Writer – 20,000 QAR apiece. Single-author works ≥ 20,000 words; publisher consent required.

Best Pavilion – 40,000 QAR for the stand that delivers the most “immersive cultural experience” at the 35th fair, 14–23 May 2026.

The View From The Beach

The 2025 fair drew 522 publishers from 43 countries and 166,000+ ISBNs, making Doha one of the largest rights marketplace in the Arab world.

With Palestine as 2025 Guest of Honour and a new Professional Literary Exchange Programme launched last year, the event is now a rights-trading hub where co-editions, translation deals and digital licences are struck at speed.

Arabic remains the compulsory language of entry, but publishers report English co-editions and simultaneous bilingual ebooks as the fastest route to Gulf school and library supply contracts.

Practicalities

All submissions are digital; no hard copies required. Entry is free, but applicants must supply a membership letter from their national publishers’ association (or the Arab Publishers Association) and a signed IP-compliance form. Full guidelines and the upload portal are at the fair’s official site.

Deadline

Portal closes 1 March 2026, 23:59 AST. Shortlist announced mid-April; winners revealed on the fair’s opening day, 14 May.

If you are looking for Arabic-language reach, prize money is nice; exposure to Gulf librarians, ed-tech firms and literary scouts is better.

So what are you waiting for?

This post first appeared in the TNPS LinkedIn newsfeed.