Sharjah Animation Conference Connects Global Publishers With Animation Industry Opportunities

The Sharjah Animation Conference (SAC) recently made a strategic appearance at the 15th International Publishers Conference. This event attracted 1,300 publishing professionals from 116 countries. SAC's booth aimed to promote its annual animation conference and explore new animation opportunities for publishers' titles. The initiative sought to demonstrate how stories can be adapted into animation projects, encouraging the sale of book rights to animation studios.

SAC's participation was designed to foster collaboration between publishers and animators. It aimed to build a database of interested publishers for future projects. A key aspect of this initiative was facilitating international exchanges, including hosting a Japanese delegation of publishers and animation studios. This allowed them to meet with their Arab and international counterparts, strengthening global ties.

The booth served as an innovation hub, showcasing tools that bring stories to life in new mediums like tablets and virtual reality. In partnership with Wacom, a hardware manufacturer for illustrators and animators, SAC highlighted practical tools for storytelling. VRwareEdu’s "Story Builder" offered an interactive glimpse into the future of storytelling through a metaverse-based solution.

This innovative tool allows users to create digital storybooks by combining images, adding stickers and speech bubbles, and recording their own voice. It vividly demonstrates how classic tales can be reimagined for digital-native audiences, offering a fresh perspective on traditional storytelling methods.

Khoula Al Mujaini, Executive Director of SAC, commented on the positive engagement at the conference. She noted that many publishers expressed interest in participating in the next SAC event in 2026. Al Mujaini stated, "The engagement has been exceptionally positive and we have had many publishers enquire for more information and sign up for participation at the next SAC taking place in 2026."

Al Mujaini further explained that engaging directly with publishers expands dialogue around adaptation, innovation, and intellectual property. "By engaging directly with publishers and industry leaders, we are expanding the dialogue around adaptation, innovation, and intellectual property; and this presence reflects SAC’s broader mission to position Sharjah as a global hub for cross-sector partnerships that support emerging talent and sustainable growth within the global creative economy," she concluded.

Building on Past Successes

This outreach builds upon the success of the Sharjah Animation Conference 2025. That event welcomed over 5,000 attendees and featured a rich agenda led by 74 international experts. It spotlighted global storytelling, AI's role in animation, and its cultural impact while emphasising sustainable creative ecosystems in MENA and Africa.

The conference highlighted the importance of nurturing creativity within these regions. By focusing on cross-media adaptation and innovation, SAC aims to position itself as a leader in fostering emerging talent globally.

With inputs from WAM