The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation has launched the ‘Tarjem’ programme designed to stimulate high quality translation of the world’s bestsellers from various languages into Arabic.

Inspired by the vision of vice-president and prime minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, ‘Tarjem’, which means ‘translate’, will facilitate the translation of 365 bestselling books into Arabic this year alone.

The programme seeks to double translation work throughout the Arab world, targeting a total of more than 1,000 books in three years, said an official spokesman.

The scope of the programme will include various genres. With effective management considered an essential prerequisite to development in the Arab world, nearly 50 per cent of the translated books will deal with management related topics.

While 25 per cent of the programme will be allocated to literary books, the remaining will cover miscellaneous titles such as human sciences, history, and philosophy. 
 
“Tarjem is an ambitious programme aimed at enhancing knowledge transfer to the region. It re-establishes the role of translation as an important tool in facilitating inter-cultural dialogue, while seeking to educate and inform the rest of the world about the Arab region’s modern and classical thought processes,” said vice-president for culture, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation, Yasser Hareb.

A panel of distinguished Arab intellectuals, prominent writers and thinkers will review applications posted online and will come up with recommendations on the best titles to be included in the programme.

Guided by key criteria set by the foundation, initial nominations will be made by its partner publishing houses.

Launched with an endowment of Dh37 billion ($10 billion), the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation aims to develop future leaders and create a knowledge-based society in the region through four key components of knowledge and education, culture, entrepreneurship and philanthropy.

The foundation has launched several programmes to encourage Arab intellectual output including ‘Oktob’, an author grants programme aimed at motivating aspiring young Arab writers. – TradeArabia News Service