Ibrahim El Moallem talks to the press about his years in publishing.

By Roger Tagholm

One of Egypt’s most important publishing figures was honored at the Arab Publishers Conference in Sharjah earlier this week. Ibrahim El Moallem, the founder and Chairman of the Shorouk Group, was given a special award by His Highness, Dr Sheik Sultan bin Mohammed al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah, in honor of his contribution to the world of publishing.

Moallem began his publishing career in the late 1960s and has received many awards over the decades, with Dar El-Shorouk becoming one of the most respected of Arab publishing houses. He was elected president of the Egyptian Publishers Association in 1996 and was president of the Arab Publishers Association from 1996 to 2007. In 2008 he was named vice president of the International Publishers Association.

Delegates watched a video presentation in which numerous writers paid tribute. Among them was fellow Egyptian Ahdaf Soueif who praised his “respect for intellectual property” and noted his “wise critical vision.”