Arab Network for Research and Publishing

What Arab Network for Research and Publishing does

Arab Network for Research and Publishing (الشبكة العربية للأبحاث والنشر) is a Beirut-headquartered private book publishing company founded in 2008 that publishes academic and intellectual works in Arabic across philosophy, sociology, anthropology, political theory, Islamic studies, and heritage studies. Within its first decade of operation, the company published more than 220 books and academic dissertations, approximately half of which were translations from English, French, and German. In parallel with its own publishing program, the company aggregates and distributes publications from more than 150 Arab publishing houses, carrying over 16,000 titles from publishers across Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Syria, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, and the Gulf states.

The company runs an integrated publishing-and-retail model combining book production, translation, and a six-branch physical library network located in Beirut (headquarters, 2008), Cairo (2011), Casablanca (2013), Alexandria (2016), Istanbul (2017), and Tunis (2018). These libraries function simultaneously as retail showrooms and cultural hubs, hosting lectures, book discussions, poetry evenings, and author presentations. Sales are generated through two primary channels: direct online transactions via its WordPress-based e-commerce platform (arabiyanetwork.com), and in-person purchases at the six library branches, supplemented by participation in Arab book fairs (including the first Arabic Book Fair in Istanbul in November 2015). Individual book prices range from approximately $3 to $90 USD per title, with most titles priced between $5 and $30; there is no subscription or membership pricing, and all revenue is generated through one-time book purchases.

The go-to-market motion is direct-to-consumer, targeting Arabic-speaking academics, researchers, graduate students, and culturally engaged general readers in the Arab world and its diaspora. Revenue, funding, and ownership details are not publicly disclosed; no parent company, external investors, or institutional backers are identified in the available material, and the organization appears to operate as an independent, founder-led cultural enterprise.

Name

Arab Network for Research and Publishing

Legal name

الشبكة العربية للأبحاث والنشر

Website

https://arabiyanetwork.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Arab Network for Research and Publishing is a Beirut-based private Arabic academic publisher founded in 2008 that publishes and translates scholarly works in philosophy, sociology, and political theory, distributing over 16,000 titles from 150+ Arab publishers through six physical library branches and an online store across the Arab world.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic Book Publishing

NAICS

Book Publishers (513130), Book Publishers (51313)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAGAFAF

Business, Economics & Management Scholarly Publishing

Education/Educational Publishing & Learning Content/Academic & Scholarly Publishing (Journals, Monographs)

SECONDARYMPAJAHAK

Interfaith & Comparative Religion Publishing

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Publishing (Books, News, Magazines)/Religious & Spiritual Publishing

Keywords

• Academic book publishing
• Arabic book translation
• Book distribution services
• Intellectual book retail
• Social sciences publishing

Headquarters

HQ city

Casablanca

HQ country

Morocco

HQ region

Africa

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Book Sales (Retail): The primary revenue stream is the sale of books directly to consumers through the company's e-commerce website and physical library locations. Individual book titles are sold at fixed prices ranging from $3 to $90 USD per unit. Customers can also purchase books from the physical libraries. The company sells both its own published titles and books from other Arab publishers through its retail locations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Arab Network for Research and Publishing is a Beirut-based Arabic publishing house that publishes academic books and theses in philosophy, sociology, anthropology, political theory, and Islamic studies, with roughly half of its titles being translations from English, French, and German. It sells its own publications and books from 150+ other Arab publishers through its own e-commerce site and a network of six physical library branches across Beirut, Cairo, Alexandria, Casablanca, Istanbul, and Tunis.

Product overview

The Arab Network for Research and Publishing is an Arabic publishing house founded in Beirut in 2008, publishing academic books and theses in the humanities and social sciences. The company publishes original works and Arabic translations from English, French, and German, with over 220 books published in its first decade. Its product portfolio consists of Arabic Academic Book Publishing (its core publishing program), a Library Network of six physical branches across the Arab world, and Book Distribution Services covering over 16,000 titles from 150+ Arabic publishers. The company also participates in book fairs and hosts cultural events at its library locations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Arabic Academic Book Publishing Publishing of academic books and theses in Arabic covering philosophy, sociology, anthropology, political science, Islamic studies, and related fields, including translations from English, French, and German. Over 220 titles published within the first decade of operation (2008-2018).
• Library Network Six physical library branches serving as retail bookshops and cultural centers in Beirut, Cairo, Alexandria, Casablanca, Istanbul, and Tunis. Libraries stock titles from the company and 150+ other Arab publishers and host cultural events including lectures, book discussions, and poetry evenings.
• Book Distribution Services Distribution of over 16,000 book titles from more than 150 Arab publishing houses through the company's library network and online store, covering publishers from Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Syria, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, and Gulf countries.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 220 books and academic theses published within ten years (2008–2018), with half being translations from English, French, and German
• +2 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• 150+ Arab PublisherscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe Arab Network aggregates and distributes publications from over 150 Arab publishing houses including publishers from Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Syria, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, and Gulf countries. The company's library network serves as a distribution channel for these publishers' books alongside its own titles.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Neelwafurat: Major pan-Arab online bookstore with distribution from regional publishers — comparable as a multi-publisher Arabic retail/distribution channel, though operating primarily as online retail rather than publisher.
• Diwan Bookstores: Egyptian bookstore chain with physical retail across Cairo and other cities — a regional retail peer overlapping in physical bookstore distribution of Arabic intellectual titles, though operating purely as retail.

Emerging players

• Jamalon: Leading Arabic e-book retail platform — an emerging digital peer competing for the same Arabic readers through a broader retail catalog and stronger digital discovery layer.
• Kitab Sawti: Arabic-language audiobook and digital reading platform — an emerging format-adjacent peer serving the same Arabic-reading audience with alternative consumption formats.
• Hindawi Foundation: Egyptian digital publishing foundation producing Arabic e-books and supporting independent Arabic authors — an emerging digital-native peer overlapping in Arabic-language scholarly and literary content distribution.

Direct peers

• Dar Al-Saqi: Beirut-based Arabic publisher with a long-standing focus on translating Western intellectual, philosophical, and literary works into Arabic — directly comparable in catalog scope, translation-led model, and Beirut origin.
• Al-Markaz al-Thaqafi al-Arabi: Casablanca-based Arabic academic and intellectual publisher with a similar catalog mix of translated humanities and social-science works — directly comparable in niche scholarly focus and Maghreb distribution footprint.
• Kalima Project (Tarjem): Abu Dhabi-based initiative translating foreign-language books into Arabic at scale — directly comparable in the translation-publishing business model, though backed by substantially larger state-level funding.
• Dar Al-Tanweer: Lebanese publisher specializing in Arabic translations of contemporary Western thought and critical theory — directly comparable in scholarly translation focus, Arab intellectual readership, and Lebanon-based operations.

Broad incumbents

• Hachette Antoine: Lebanon-based joint venture publishing Arabic and French books as part of the global Hachette network — a broad incumbent with significantly larger scale and broader catalog operating alongside in the same Arabic publishing market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/arabnetworktunisia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chabaka-al-arabiya

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Arab Network for Research and Publishing