Sheikha Bodour shares her vision for future of Arabic publishing

Sheikha Bodour Bint Sultan Al Qasimi, has appointed Ahmed Al Ali to be the new General Manager of Kalimat Group, the innovative Arabic language publishing house she founded and leads as CEO.

At a meeting with the Kalimat Group team, Sheikha Bodour the Founder and CEO, shared her vision for the future of Arabic publishing and praised their dedication to the company mission of enriching the region’s literary culture. She underscored the importance of nurturing talent and creativity within the organisation and expressed faith in the team’s ability to reach even greater milestones.
Building on this, Sheikha Bodour announced the appointment of Ahmed Al Ali, a respected editor, poet, and translator, to the role of General Manager.

Having previously served as Managing Editor of Kalimat’s fiction imprint, Al Ali has been instrumental in bringing some of the world’s leading authors to a wider Arab audience. Through his leadership, contemporary works by James Baldwin, Raymond Carver, Margaret Atwood, and others have reached new readers and enriched the region’s literary landscape.

Ahmed Al Ali, General Manager of Kalimat Group

Commenting on the appointment, Sheikha Bodour said: “Ahmed Al Ali’s deep literary knowledge, creative leadership, and commitment to excellence have been invaluable to Kalimat Group. As General Manager, he will play a vital role in expanding our impact in the Arabic publishing world and beyond. His vision aligns perfectly with our mission to bridge cultures and bring the beauty of Arabic literature to a global stage.”

On his part, Ahmed Al Ali expressed gratitude for the trust placed in him: “It is a privilege to work alongside Sheikha Bodour, a visionary leader whose passion for publishing continues to inspire us all. I look forward to building on the strong foundation she has laid and collaborating with our exceptional team to further Kalimat Group’s mission and influence in the literary world.”

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Ahmed Al Ali brings extensive experience to his role, having completed his master’s degree in Publishing at Pace University, New York, and trained under Sonny Mehta at Penguin Random House’s Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. He is also an acclaimed author, with his works achieving bestseller status at prestigious literary events.