Saudi Publishing Houses

Saudi Publishing Houses are one of the cultural sectors in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with their establishments dating back to the 1950s. 'Dar al-Madani' in Jeddah City was the first publishing house officially founded in the Kingdom. Over a period of three decades, from 1956 to 1988, Saudi publishing houses produced nearly 4,709 books.

'Dar al-Madani' was established in Jeddah City in 1956, followed by the establishment of Makkah Library for Publishing and Distribution in the capital, Riyadh, in 1963. The number of publishing houses reached about one hundred in 1983 and then grew to around 116 by 1988.

The Literature, Publishing, and Translation Commission, established in 2020, regulates the work of publishing houses in the Kingdom. It was preceded by the establishment of the Saudi Publishing Association in 2003 to elevate publishing standards in the Kingdom, represent the interests of publishers, and protect their rights.

In 2019, the Ministry of Culture established a world-class Saudi publishing house to elevate the quality of literary content and promote Saudi culture and literature both domestically and internationally. This includes participating in book fairs around the world and providing special sales outlets where Saudi books are offered at nominal prices.

Book fairs in the Kingdom support the production of Saudi publishing houses by connecting local and global publishing business owners, encouraging international companies to enter the Saudi market through partnerships and investments with local publishing houses, and introducing the best global practices adapted to the local culture.

The number of Saudi publishing houses depositing their published books in the King Fahd National Library has been increasing, rising from 374 publishing houses in 2014 to 522 by 2019. New publishing houses continue to deposit their new books at a relatively steady pace.