The National has an article on this topic. Here are a few excerpts:
While experts say no one tracks overall e-book sales specifically within the UAE, the Printing & Publishing Group (PPG) in the Emirates forecasts sales of paper books to rise 5 per cent this year. It also notes more titles in Arabic are starting to come online for digital devices. “There is growth of Arabic e-books,” says Ahmad bin Hassan Al Shaikh, the chairman of the PPG. …
Among some gadget lovers here, lesser-known models may prove popular for their stronger support of Arabic e-books. “Quite a few Kindle competitors, such as jetBook and Onyx Boox60, now support Arabic,” says David Ashford, the former general manager of AppsArabia, which is based in Abu Dhabi and invests in the best app ideas within the Middle East and North Africa (Mena).
eAlim EL1000, which calls itself an “Islamic iPad”, retails for $299 and has a colour screen that can display the complete Islamic Encyclopedia, passages from the Quran, plus older books that cover Islamic history and other topics.
In response to the growing demand for Arabic e-books, more software developers based in the UAE and the wider Mena region have been stepping in with helpful apps, Mr Ashford says.
More in the article. Thanks to The Literary Saloon for the link.
