Kuala lumpur: H.H. Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Education and Book Culture, and former President of the International Publishers Association (IPA), has urged publishers to focus on enhancing access to books and reinforcing reading cultures as they integrate innovation and emerging technologies.
According to Emirates News Agency, during her keynote address titled 'Reading for Literacy' at the IPA World Congress 2026 in Kuala Lumpur, themed "Publishing Intelligence: Sustaining Forward", H.H. Sheikha Bodour emphasized the dual responsibility of the publishing industry to embrace new technological advancements while ensuring the expansion of book accessibility and the cultivation of reading habits.
H.H. Sheikha Bodour, leveraging her extensive experience with the global publishing community, identified a critical challenge for publishers: not just the production of content, but the accessibility of that content to a broader audience. Following her keynote, she engaged in a fireside conversation with publishing consultant Emma House, focusing on practical strategies for bridging the global literacy gap.
The conversation addressed the role of publishers in enhancing reading ecosystems, the opportunities and obligations posed by AI, the importance of collaborations with governments and international bodies, and the necessity for more inclusive and representative leadership within the publishing sector.
Sheikha Bodour stated, "For me, publishing has always been about expanding opportunity, strengthening understanding and ensuring children discover the transformative power of reading. As an industry, we have to ensure new technologies help us reach more readers, in more languages and more communities. The future of publishing will be defined as much by who we enable to read, learn and thrive, as by the books we bring into being."
Having served as President of the IPA from 2021 to 2022, Sheikha Bodour is a longstanding advocate for literacy, publishing innovation, and international cooperation, while promoting greater diversity and inclusion within the global publishing industry. Her participation in the IPA World Congress underscored her ongoing commitment, bringing together publishers worldwide to discuss how the industry can create a more accessible, resilient, and sustainable future for reading.