Bloomsbury to launch joint venture in Qatar

UK-based Bloomsbury Publishing has announced a joint venture with the Qatar Foundation that will involve the creation of a new publishing house, Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Publishing. The venture house will be located in oil-rich Qatar’s capital Doha, and will make use of Bloomsbury’s global distribution channels.

The venture will publish books in both English and Arabic across a wide range of subject areas, including fiction and nonfiction for adults and children, educational and academic books, classics of Arabic literature and reference books.

‘Our aim is not simply to publish in the region, but also internationally, to identify and nurture literary talent and to help to bring new skills and knowledge to Qatar,’ said Nigel Newton, Bloomsbury’s founder and chief executive. ‘We also want to work in partnership with other publishers in the region.’

A managing director and publishing director for the venture will now be sought.

The Qatar Foundation is a non-profit organisation set up in 1995 by the Emir of Qatar to invest in education, technology, research and community welfare projects.

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