UNESCO Chair’s Routledge Volume Redefines Translation Studies

The UNESCO Chair in Translating Cultures at the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies (KFCRIS), supported by the Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission, has announced that Routledge published its edited volume “Translating Cultures in the Arab World: New Histories and Geographies” on August 11, 2026. The announcement, released through official Saudi channels, marks a significant milestone in global translation scholarship and positions the Arab World, and the Arabic language, at the center of a rapidly evolving academic discipline. The volume was developed under the Chair’s 2024 research theme, “Rethinking Translating Cultures and Its Conceptual Framework.”

For an international audience, the publication matters because it challenges long-established assumptions about where translation history begins and whose languages and traditions define it. Rather than treating the Arab World as a peripheral case study, the book reframes it as a central locus in the history and practice of translation. Could a single scholarly volume genuinely reshape how a global discipline understands its own origins? According to leading academics in the field, the answer may well be yes. The book brings together Saudi and international researchers whose work spans philosophy, history, literature, and cultural theory, offering a more inclusive theoretical paradigm for the twenty-first century.

Context and Background

How did a UNESCO Chair based in Riyadh come to publish a landmark volume with one of the world’s most prestigious academic presses? The UNESCO Chair in Translating Cultures was established at the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies, a Riyadh-based institution dedicated to research and cultural exchange, with support from the Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission. The Chair adopted “Rethinking Translating Cultures and Its Conceptual Framework” as its 2024 theme, setting the intellectual agenda that ultimately produced this volume. Routledge, a global academic publisher with a long history in the humanities, released the edited collection on August 11, 2026.

The volume is edited by Dr. Moneera Al-Ghadeer, Director of the UNESCO Chair, alongside Drapers Professor of French at the University of Cambridge Charles Forsdick and Dr. Andreas Karatsolis, Associate Director of Writing, Rhetoric, and Professional Communication at MIT. This editorial team reflects the Chair’s commitment to combining Saudi leadership with international scholarly collaboration. The book’s contributors include some of the most respected voices in Translation Studies, among them Susan Bassnett of the University of Glasgow, Abdessalam Benabdelali of Mohammed V University, Emily Apter of New York University, Charles Forsdick of the University of Cambridge, and Ovidi Carbonell Cortés of the University of Salamanca.

Translation Studies has historically been shaped by Western-centric and Anglo-normative perspectives, with the Arab World often treated as a recipient rather than an originator of translation traditions. This volume directly addresses that imbalance. By foregrounding Arabic and Middle Eastern contexts, it participates in a broader global conversation about decolonizing knowledge and broadening the humanities. The publication also underscores Saudi Arabia’s growing role as a convenor of international intellectual exchange, consistent with the cultural and educational ambitions of Vision 2030.

Key Details

What exactly does the volume argue, and why have senior scholars described it in such emphatic terms? Marshall Professor of French and Comparative Literature and Director of the Centre for Comparative Literature and Translation at the University of Glasgow, Michael Syrotinski, called the book “a major re-mapping of the discipline of Translation Studies.” That assessment reflects the volume’s ambition to reconsider how “translating cultures” is defined, both broadly and in relation to the Arab World and the Arabic language.

Professor África Vidal Claramonte of the University of Salamanca, a Professor in Translation Studies, stated that the volume works to “reconceptualize the history and movements of translation, beginning with the Middle East and the Arabic language, thus moving beyond a Western-centric and Anglo-normative research perspective.” This framing is central to the book’s contribution. The chapters examine the philosophy of translation, the relationship between translation and culture, and the complexities of untranslatability, while also exploring translation as an indirect force operating within specific historical and cultural contexts.

The volume’s range is notably wide. Ovidi Carbonell Cortés investigates conceptions of the Arab world in sixteenth-century Islamic Spain. Haifa Saud Alfaisal examines epistemic translation during the Arab Renaissance, known as the Nahḍa. Dr. Moneera Al-Ghadeer discusses the staging of the first Saudi opera, Zarqa Al Yamama. Dima Abduljabbar analyzes medieval Islamic cookbooks. Mohammed Alsudairi and Andreas Karatsolis study the current expansion of translation studies and translation spaces within the Gulf region. Together, these contributions challenge prevailing approaches and foreground translation as a transdisciplinary and analytical site capable of reshaping the humanities and expanding the discursive reach of Middle Eastern Studies.

International and Regional Impact

Why should readers outside academia pay attention to a scholarly volume on translation? Because translation underpins diplomacy, commerce, cultural exchange, and mutual understanding between nations. The publication of this volume by Routledge gives the UNESCO Chair in Translating Cultures a global platform, ensuring that research led from Riyadh reaches universities, libraries, and research centers worldwide. The involvement of scholars from Cambridge, MIT, Glasgow, New York University, Mohammed V University, and the University of Salamanca signals that this is a genuinely international project, not a purely regional one.

Regionally, the book strengthens the Gulf’s position as a growing hub for translation studies and cross-cultural research. The chapter by Mohammed Alsudairi and Andreas Karatsolis on the expansion of translation studies and translation spaces in the Gulf speaks directly to this trend. As Saudi Arabia hosts more international conferences, publishing initiatives, and academic partnerships, its institutions are increasingly shaping global conversations rather than simply participating in them. Does that shift carry implications beyond the university? It does, because the ability to translate accurately across languages and cultures is essential to tourism, investment, diplomacy, and media.

For the international reader, the volume offers a corrective lens. It invites scholars and students to reconsider assumptions about translation history, including the notion that translation flows primarily from West to East. By beginning with the Middle East and the Arabic language, the book proposes a different geography of knowledge, one in which the Arab World is a source of theory as well as a subject of study. This has implications for curricula, research funding, and publishing priorities across the humanities.

Economic and Strategic Significance

How does a scholarly publication connect to economic strategy? Knowledge industries, publishing, and cultural diplomacy are increasingly important components of modern economies, and Saudi Arabia is investing in all three. The Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission’s support for the UNESCO Chair reflects a deliberate strategy to build intellectual capacity, nurture a translation ecosystem, and raise the international profile of Saudi research. Books like this one create visibility for Saudi institutions among global academic audiences, which in turn supports partnerships, student exchanges, and research collaboration.

The volume also demonstrates the value of sustained institutional commitment. The Chair’s 2024 theme provided a multi-year framework that allowed researchers to develop, review, and refine their contributions before publication. That kind of patient investment is characteristic of Saudi Arabia’s broader approach to Vision 2030, where long-term programs in education, culture, and research are designed to deliver lasting returns. For international partners, the message is that Saudi cultural and academic institutions are reliable, ambitious, and open to collaboration.

Strategically, translation is a form of soft power. Nations that translate their heritage and ideas into other languages, and that translate global knowledge into their own, gain influence and understanding. By supporting a UNESCO Chair that engages directly with global debates, Saudi Arabia strengthens its role as a bridge between civilizations. The publication of this volume by Routledge, one of the world’s leading academic publishers, is tangible evidence that this strategy is producing results recognized by the international scholarly community.

Vision 2030 Alignment

How does this publication fit within Saudi Arabia’s long-term national vision? Vision 2030 emphasizes the development of a diversified knowledge economy, the empowerment of Saudi talent, and the strengthening of the Kingdom’s cultural and international standing. The UNESCO Chair in Translating Cultures, hosted at the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies and supported by the Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission, embodies these priorities. It connects Saudi researchers with global peers, produces internationally recognized scholarship, and showcases Saudi cultural heritage, from the first Saudi opera Zarqa Al Yamama to the intellectual history of the Nahḍa, on the world stage.

The volume’s success also supports the Vision 2030 goal of fostering cultural exchange and mutual understanding. By reframing the Arab World as a central locus of translation history, the book encourages a more balanced global conversation, one in which Saudi and Arab perspectives are heard and respected. As the Kingdom continues to host international events, expand its publishing sector, and invest in education and research, initiatives like this will remain essential. The UNESCO Chair’s work demonstrates that Saudi Arabia is not only participating in the global knowledge economy but helping to shape its future direction.

20 Questions

Q1. What did the UNESCO Chair in Translating Cultures announce?

A1. The UNESCO Chair in Translating Cultures at the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies announced that Routledge published its edited volume, “Translating Cultures in the Arab World: New Histories and Geographies,” on August 11, 2026.

Q2. Who supported the UNESCO Chair’s work on this volume?

A2. The Chair is supported by the Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission, a Saudi body that promotes publishing and translation, reflecting the Kingdom’s commitment to cultural and academic development.

Q3. Who edited the volume?

A3. The volume was edited by Dr. Moneera Al-Ghadeer, Director of the UNESCO Chair, Charles Forsdick, Drapers Professor of French at the University of Cambridge, and Dr. Andreas Karatsolis, Associate Director at MIT.

Q4. What is the main argument of the book?

A4. The book reframes the Arab World as a central locus in the history and practice of translation, challenging Western-centric and Anglo-normative perspectives and proposing a more inclusive theoretical paradigm.

Q5. Why is the volume considered groundbreaking?

A5. Scholars describe it as a major re-mapping of Translation Studies because it begins with the Middle East and the Arabic language, offering new histories and geographies for the discipline.

Q6. Which publisher released the book?

A6. Routledge, a leading international academic publisher, released the volume on August 11, 2026, giving the research global reach across universities and libraries.

Q7. What theme guided the Chair’s research?

A7. The volume advances the UNESCO Chair’s 2024 theme, “Rethinking Translating Cultures and Its Conceptual Framework,” which set the intellectual agenda for the project.

Q8. Which notable scholars contributed to the volume?

A8. Contributors include Susan Bassnett, Abdessalam Benabdelali, Emily Apter, Charles Forsdick, and Ovidi Carbonell Cortés, among other leading figures in Translation Studies.

Q9. What did Michael Syrotinski say about the book?

A9. Michael Syrotinski, Marshall Professor of French and Comparative Literature at the University of Glasgow, called the volume “a major re-mapping of the discipline of Translation Studies.”

Q10. What did África Vidal Claramonte state about the volume?

A10. Professor África Vidal Claramonte of the University of Salamanca said the volume helps reconceptualize translation history beginning with the Middle East and Arabic, moving beyond Western-centric perspectives.

Q11. What topics do the chapters examine?

A11. Chapters examine the philosophy of translation, translation and culture, untranslatability, and translation as an indirect force within specific historical and cultural contexts.

Q12. Which subjects are covered by individual chapters?

A12. Topics include sixteenth-century Islamic Spain, epistemic translation during the Nahḍa, the first Saudi opera Zarqa Al Yamama, medieval Islamic cookbooks, and Gulf translation spaces.

Q13. Who wrote about the first Saudi opera?

A13. Dr. Moneera Al-Ghadeer, Director of the UNESCO Chair, discusses the staging of the first Saudi opera, Zarqa Al Yamama, in her chapter.

Q14. Who examined translation during the Arab Renaissance?

A14. Haifa Saud Alfaisal examines epistemic translation during the Arab Renaissance, known as the Nahḍa, highlighting its intellectual and cultural significance.

Q15. What does the Gulf-focused chapter address?

A15. Mohammed Alsudairi and Andreas Karatsolis study the current expansion of translation studies and translation spaces within the Gulf region, reflecting regional academic growth.

Q16. Why is the book relevant to international readers?

A16. It offers a more inclusive understanding of translation history, showing how Arab and Middle Eastern traditions shape global knowledge and cultural exchange.

Q17. How does the volume support Saudi Vision 2030?

A17. It advances Vision 2030 goals by promoting a knowledge economy, empowering Saudi researchers, and strengthening the Kingdom’s cultural and academic standing internationally.

Q18. What role did the Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission play?

A18. The Commission supported the UNESCO Chair, enabling research, international collaboration, and publication that raise the profile of Saudi scholarship worldwide.

Q19. What does “translating cultures” mean in this context?

A19. It refers to the study of how cultures are interpreted, transferred, and understood across languages, and how translation shapes cultural and intellectual history.

Q20. What is the broader significance of this publication?

A20. It positions Saudi Arabia and the Arab World at the center of global translation scholarship, demonstrating the Kingdom’s growing role in international research and cultural diplomacy.

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