Qirtas App, a dual-interface digital platform headquartered in Istanbul and Malmo, announced its mission to bridge the global gap in Arabic literature accessibility following its successful showcase in the Alpha Startup category at Web Summit Qatar. By integrating cutting-edge AI production tools with a seamless streaming interface, Qirtas is providing the technical infrastructure needed to digitize the fragmented $4 billion Arab publishing market.
Despite a global population of 430 million Arabic speakers, the publishing industry has long been hampered by prohibitive shipping costs, high piracy rates, and a lack of digital infrastructure. Physical distribution remains costly and inefficient, limiting cross-border access to Arabic titles and restricting publishers’ global reach. Qirtas App addresses these systemic barriers through a twofold solution: a freemium streaming platform for readers and a sophisticated digital management backend for publishers.
Designed as a scalable ecosystem rather than a standalone app, Qirtas connects content production, protection, distribution, and analytics within one unified environment—allowing publishers to transition into the digital economy without rebuilding their operations from scratch.
Empowering Publishers through the “AI Production Suite”
Qirtas is not merely a distributor; it is a catalyst for digital transformation. For traditional publishers, the platform offers a dedicated portal to convert physical catalogs into secure, monetizable digital assets while maintaining full brand ownership and pricing control.
AI-Automated Production: The platform utilizes proprietary AI to automatically generate high-quality audiobooks and smart summaries, drastically reducing the time and cost barriers that previously prevented publishers from entering the digital space. What once required months of studio production can now be completed in a fraction of the time, enabling faster market entry and broader format diversification.
Institutional Security: With advanced Digital Rights Management (DRM) and real-time reader analytics, publishers maintain full control over their intellectual property while gaining unprecedented insights into global consumption patterns. Detailed dashboards provide data on listening time, reader engagement, geographic demand, and performance trends—empowering data-driven publishing strategies.
The Future of the Arab Reading Experience
For the global Arab diaspora, Qirtas offers a comprehensive streaming library featuring Qirtas AI, an interactive reading assistant that provides instant translation, text-to-speech narration, and social integration. The app is designed to serve both native Arabic readers and bilingual users seeking flexible language tools.
By combining digital books, AI-generated audiobooks, and intelligent summaries within one interface, Qirtas delivers a modern reading experience tailored to mobile-first audiences. Built-in sharing features encourage community interaction, allowing readers to highlight passages, exchange recommendations, and engage with Arabic literature in new ways.
“The Arab publishing world is rich in content but starved of modern distribution,” said Tamer Odeh, CEO of Qirtas App. “With Qirtas, we are removing the friction. We aren’t just giving readers an app; we are giving publishers the tools to survive and thrive in a digital-first economy.”
Alaa Barghouth, COO of Qirtas App, added: “Our participation in Web Summit Qatar has confirmed the massive appetite for this technology. We have already secured commitments from major publishing houses ready to onboard their catalogs. We are now focused on scaling our infrastructure to meet this demand.”
Market Opportunity & Investment
The digital publishing segment in the MENA region is currently valued at $400 million and is experiencing rapid year-over-year growth. As smartphone penetration and digital consumption increase across the region, demand for accessible Arabic content continues to expand.
Having validated its model with early industry commitments, Qirtas App is currently open for pre-seed investment to accelerate its market launch, strengthen its AI-driven production capabilities, and expand partnerships across the Middle East and global diaspora markets.
For more information or to inquire about partnership opportunities, visit qirtasapp.com.
About Qirtas App
Qirtas is a Swedish-Turkish “Deep-Tech” publishing platform dedicated to revitalizing Arabic literature. By combining AI-powered content production with a secure global streaming model, Qirtas connects 430 million Arabic speakers with the books they love, while providing publishers with the tools to digitize, protect, and scale their literary heritage for the digital age.
