Sharjah - UAE

The Sharjah Animation and Comic Book Conference 2026 launched the “From Book to Screen” challenge, in a step aimed at transforming Arabic books into productionable animation projects, and opening new horizons for Arab intellectual property in global visual content markets.

A bridge between publishing and animation

The challenge aims to build a practical path linking the publishing sector and the animation industry, by treating Arabic books as intellectual property that can be extended to other forms of content. It allows publishers to present works of novels, graphic novels, children's literature, and literary series, and to study the possibility of transforming their worlds, characters, and plots into films or animated series.

A golden opportunity for publishers

Each publisher has the right to submit only one title in Arabic or English through the conference’s electronic portal, provided that the participation includes information about the book, story, characters, and visual elements, and justifications for its suitability for conversion into an animated series or film, along with indicators of its performance in the market, and confirmation of ownership of audiovisual conversion rights. Entries remain open until October 1st.
Dream come true prizes

The first place winner gets 15 thousand dirhams, the second place gets 7 thousand dirhams, and the third place gets 4 thousand dirhams. The challenge is not limited to selecting the winning works, but rather gives them tools to help their owners present them visually and professionally to those working in the content industry. The first winner also gets the opportunity to produce a professional video advertisement for the book in cooperation with an Arab animation studio, using 2D or 3D techniques, to be a gateway to promotion in graphic content markets and international book fairs.

The richness of Arabic literature reaches global screens

In this context, Khawla Al Majini, Executive Director of the Sharjah Animation and Comic Book Conference, said: “We believe that the Arabic book contains stories capable of reaching global screens, and that the diversity and richness of Arabic literature gives content makers a wide space to build new works that address different audiences and markets.”

A promising opportunity for investors and content creators
This challenge represents a promising investment opportunity for Arab investors wishing to enter the growing animation market, as it opens the door to purchasing the rights to transform successful literary works into visual content that achieves rewarding returns. It also gives content makers and producers the opportunity to access a rich stock of Arabic stories ready for conversion, which saves them years of research and development, and enhances the presence of Arabic content in global markets.