JRE · Joshi Real Estate
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Sharjah Publishing City: International Congress win, India corridor, and SME support drive in mid-2026

SPC Free Zone secures the 2028 International Publishers Congress and expands India–UAE publishing ties, with fresh SME support on offer.

# Sharjah wins the 2028 International Publishers Congress

The most significant signal of SPC's growing institutional weight came in mid-July. Sharjah will host the International Publishers Congress in 2028, according to Publishing Perspectives. The congress is the publishing industry's most senior international gathering, organised by the International Publishers Association. Hosting rights are contested and awarded to cities with demonstrated infrastructure and sector credibility, not simply to the highest bidder.

For companies operating inside SPC, the practical read is straightforward: the zone will attract a concentrated wave of senior publishing executives, rights negotiators and foreign rights directors in 2028. That kind of footfall does not simply benefit the host emirate's profile. It creates a two-year window for licensed operators to position themselves ahead of formal delegations, partnership discussions and potential foreign investment.

# India corridor and Beijing presence point to deliberate international positioning

Two earlier developments reinforce the same direction. In June, SPC Free Zone moved to expand opportunities for India-UAE publishing collaboration, as reported by Zawya via TradingView. India is a major English-language book market and has a substantial Arabic-language readership base in diaspora communities. A structured bilateral push by the free zone suggests SPC is actively courting Indian publishers and distributors, not waiting for them to arrive.

Separately, Sharjah showcased its publishing expertise at the Beijing Book Fair in June, according to Sharjah24. The Chinese market has shown growing interest in Arabic and Islamic content in recent years. Participation at Beijing signals that SPC's international ambitions extend beyond the English-language trade and into Mandarin-language co-publishing opportunities.

# SME partnerships and broader free zone confidence

On the operational side, SPC Free Zone published detail in late June on its partnership-led approach to SME support, covering access to networks, services and growth resources for smaller operators in the zone, as reported by Gulf News. This sits within a wider Gulf theme: Gulf News also reported in late June that UAE free zones broadly are seeing sustained entrepreneur confidence, with founders choosing the country as a base for long-term business building rather than opportunistic incorporation.

The SME support framing matters for smaller publishing operators. Zone infrastructure that actively intermediates partnerships, rather than simply providing a licence number and office space, reduces the networking overhead that typically disadvantages independent publishers, literary agents and niche content businesses.

# What it means for companies in Publishing City

The 2028 congress hosting rights give every SPC-licensed operator a concrete, time-bounded reason to act now. Companies that want to receive foreign delegations, pitch translation rights or form distribution agreements would benefit from consolidating their corporate standing well before that event: current trade licences, compliant registered address, and any visa or residency arrangements resolved.

The India corridor initiative is worth monitoring closely. Publishers, content platforms and education-technology businesses with Indian supply chains or readership should enquire directly with SPC about what partnership structures are being formalised. Early participants in bilateral programmes typically carry more weight in joint-venture conversations than those who engage after the framework is set.

For those considering incorporation, the zone's stated SME partnership model is a differentiating factor relative to larger, more generalist free zones. The fit is sharpest for media, education and rights-management businesses rather than trading companies that happen to handle printed goods.

# Sources

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