Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi appoints Ahmed Al Ali as the new General Manager of Kalimat Group

Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi has appointed Ahmed Al Ali as the new General Manager of Kalimat Group, the pioneering Arabic language publishing house she founded and leads as CEO.

Sheikha Bodour outlined the future of Arabic publishing during a meeting with the Kalimat Group team. Sheikha Bodour, founder and CEO, praised the team’s dedication to the company mission: enriching the region with a profound literary tradition, and spoke positively about nurturing talent and creativity within the organization. It was evident that Sheikha Bodour indeed believed they could achieve greater accomplishments together.

Thus declared Sheikha Bodour in a meeting, when she formally announced that Ahmed Al Ali, the well-known poet, translator, and editor, had been hired to manage the position of General Manager. The position previously held by Al Ali was that of Managing Editor at Kalimat Books' fiction imprint, and Al Ali presided over the introduction of a pantheon of the world's grandest authors to a much wider Arab readership. Through these lenses, the majority of new contemporary works by James Baldwin, Raymond Carver, and Margaret Atwood have reached new readers, thus enriching the region's literature.

Commenting on the appointment, Sheikha Bodour said: “Ahmed Al Ali’s deep literary knowledge, creative leadership, and commitment to excellence have been invaluable to Kalimat Group. As General Manager, he will play a vital role in expanding our impact in the Arabic publishing world and beyond. His vision aligns perfectly with our mission to bridge cultures and bring the beauty of Arabic literature to a global stage.”

For his part, Ahmed Al Ali expressed gratitude for the trust placed in him: “It is a privilege to work alongside Sheikha Bodour, a visionary leader whose passion for publishing continues to inspire us all. I look forward to building on the strong foundation she has laid and collaborating with our exceptional team to further Kalimat Group’s mission and influence in the literary world.”

Ahmed Al Ali brings a wealth of experience to his new role, holding a master’s degree in Publishing from Pace University, New York, and having trained under Sonny Mehta at Penguin Random House’s Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. An accomplished author himself, Al Ali’s works have achieved bestseller status at renowned literary events.