The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation today announced it has partnered with  'Dar Al Alam Al Arabi', an Emirati publishing and distribution house, to translate 20 new international bestselling titles under its Tarjem programme.

The initiative is part of the Foundation's strategy to support publishing houses to  enrich the Arab library with a selection of international bestsellers and enhance cultural understanding between the Arab region and the rest of the world.

Ali Al Shaali, Director of Publishing at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation, said: "We have directed our efforts towards offering Arab publishers the necessary resources to engage in the translation of relevant current titles. The Dar Al Alam Al Arabi publishing house in the UAE has been selected for its outstanding credibility and achievement and we are proud to work with them to carry out the translation of 20 international bestsellers to Arabic.

"Since the inception of the Tarjem programme, which aims to reinforce the publishing industry and bring knowledge from other cultures to the Arab world, more than 620 books in literature, science, management and education have been translated. We have already exceeded our target for 2009 and hope to get more acclaimed titles translated under the programme."

Dr. Latifa Al Najjar, Managing Director of Dar Al Alam Al Arabi, said: "As a leading publisher that complements the community's knowledge drive, we are proud to play a crucial role in supporting the Foundation's initiative. As one of the nine international finalists at this year's London Book Fair for the British Board Publisher International Award for Youth 2009, we have demonstrated our strong position as leaders in the industry.

"We are grateful for the Foundation's initiative to support and encourage  the local publishing industry and we believe this initiative will motivate us to remain competitive at the international level and guarantee best quality output."

The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation's Tarjem translation programme aims to enrich the Arab culture, inspire cultural dialogue with the outside world through translation, open fresh avenues of knowledge, provide translated works that comply with the highest standards, and create a new generation of proficient translators.