RIYADH — The Saudi Specialized Publishing Co. (SSPC) signed here last Saturday two license agreements with Editoriale Domus, one of the leading European publishers, for publishing and distributing the Arabic edition of Domus and Quattroruote magazines.
The agreement was signed by Dr. Azzam M. Al-Dakhil, deputy CEO of SRMG, and on behalf of Editoriale Domus by Dr. Maria Giovanna Mazzocchi, its president. Senior executives from both sides were also present at the signing ceremony held at the SRMG headquarters here.
Welcoming the agreement, Prince Faisal bin Salman, chairman of SRMG, said it marks a strategic partnership with leading international publications from around the world.
The agreement, he pointed out, would also pave the way for more such alliances to strengthen SSPC as part of its objective to expand its portfolio of specialized publications in different fields.
Speaking further, Prince Faisal said specialized publishing was the wave of the future and holds immense potential for investors.
SSPC would continue to develop its business portfolio of specialized publications and make them available in this part of the world.
Dr. Azzam said the signing of the agreement with Editoriale Domus signifies SRMG’s support to the SSPC as it explores the international market for leading titles that could be published in Arabic for the benefit of the regional audience.
He pointed out that specialized publishing, as a promising business portfolio of SSPC, constitutes a strong base for diversifying it into B2B, conferences, exhibitions and other business-related events. “SSPC and its sister companies will continue to work with the group in tapping new business opportunities in those areas,” Dr. Azzam added.
Speaking on behalf of SSPC, Mohammad Alomar, executive director, underlined the significance of the agreement with Editoriale Domus and said plans were under way to bring out more Arabic editions of international magazines in future.
The ball had been set in motion with the launch of six Disney titles in Arabic, besides many other specialized publications. SSPC’s business portfolio would continue to expand in that direction, he said, adding that publication of English specialized magazines was also on the cards.
“Very soon SSPC will sign agreements with publishers of different interests and themes. It will be a valuable addition to specialized titles in the Arab region,” Alomar said. He observed that the long-term goal was to bring out a total of 50 leading international titles in Arabic and English for the benefit of readers from the Arab world.
“We are in the final phase of concluding agreements with some of the major international publishers in Italy, France, Germany and the US,” Alomar said. These ventures, he explained, come within the framework of the Group’s objective to expand its business portfolio of specialized publishing.
