Sherif Bakr (panel discusson 1) has worked in publishing, and at Al Arabi Publishing and Distributing, since 1997. Al Arabi Publishing and Distributing was founded in 1975, and its #Different_Books series, launched in the past 10 years, includes over 200 titles from 55 countries.
Bakr also served as general secretary of the Egyptian Publishing Association, where he was responsible for the development of epublishing for four years. He is an elected member of the International Publishing Association’s Freedom to Publish Committee, a member of the Book and Publication Committee of the Supreme Council of Culture (Cairo), and part of Egypt’s Export Council for Printing, Packaging, Paper, Literary and Artistic Works.