Welcome to Saray for Culture and Arts
We are an independent cultural and artistic institution dedicated to supporting creativity in the fields of literature, arts, writing, publishing, and translation
About Saray for
Culture and Arts
Saray is an independent cultural and artistic institution dedicated to supporting creativity in the fields of literature, arts, writing, publishing, and translation. We develop a diverse range of programs including artistic and literary residencies, workshops, training, cultural events, publishing projects, and literary agency services to represent Arab authors both locally and internationally.
Bring Ideas to Life with Saray
Connect
We start by connecting with creators to explore collaboration.
Develop
We shape a creative plan tailored to each project.
Create
We support the creation process with care and expertise.
Share
We publish, translate, and promote your work globally.
The Goal
Looking ahead
Creating inspiring working environments that connect artists, writers, translators, and communities—drawing on the unique geographical and cultural diversity of the Arab world. We believe that art knows no boundaries. Different forms of expression—writing, sound, image, performance, and design—intersect to create new spaces for experimentation and innovation.
The Outlook
Our Vission
Inspired by our motto “Where Ideas Meet”, at Saray we aspire to be an active cultural institution in the Arab world, working to build an environment that embraces diversity and offers genuine space for both individual and collective creativity. We believe that culture is not a luxury but a necessity, and that art, literature, and translation are tools for rethinking, improving life, raising questions, and shaping new forms of human connection. Our vision arises from a desire to create a free space where different experiences, disciplines, and backgrounds can come together, allowing expression to unfold in its fullest possibilities.
The Mission
Our Mission
To empower artists, writers, and communities by producing original, bold, and diverse cultural experiences that place creativity at the heart of everyday life. We organize workshops and residencies, launch publishing and translation initiatives, and build local and international partnerships that allow ideas to move, new voices to reach wider audiences, and culture to become a living and influential practice
The Team
Meet Our Team
Ahmed Anis
Co founder & CEO
Ahmed Anis (Egypt, 1980) is a poet, writer, and co-founder of Saray for Culture and Arts. His first poetry collection From the Balcony of the Ancestors was published in Cairo in 2016, and his second collection From the Substitutes’ Bench is forthcoming from the Egyptian General Book Organization. His writings have appeared in leading Arabic cultural journals and online platforms. He has participated in international cultural events including the 10th International Istanbul Publishing Fellowship. With extensive experience in publishing, rights, grants, and collaboration with literary agencies, he seeks to build cultural bridges through translation and publishing.
Sara M. Abdeen
Co founder & Executive Director
Sara Abdeen (Egypt, 1981) studied Painting at the Faculty of Fine Arts and moves between writing, visual art, and therapy as if they were one continuous path. She co-founded Saray for Culture and Arts after more than twenty years of work in cultural life across publishing, projects, and creative practices. Trained in art therapy inspired by Rudolf Steiner’s anthroposophy, she believes in the healing power of words and images, and in the deep integration of all forms of art. She has published poetry and children’s books, translated literary works, and written widely on art and culture for Arabic platforms—always seeking the point where creation becomes expression, healing, and transformation.
Aisha Sultan
Co founder & Cultural & Media Advisor
Aisha Sultan is an Emirati writer and journalist. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and a Master’s degree in Media and Communication. With over twenty years of professional experience, she has worked across diverse fields including education, administration, print journalism, daily opinion columns, and short story writing, in addition to hosting and presenting television programs. She is also deeply engaged in publishing and cultural work. Her published works include: Abjadiyat (1999), Winter Tales (2012), In Praise of Memory (2013), Margins on Travel, Cities, and Departure (Travel Literature), Cold Fear (Short Stories, 2025), The Courtyard of Strangers (Short Stories, forthcoming)
Medhat Shoukry
Co founder & Business Development Manager
Medhat Shoukry is a co-founder and Director of Business Development at Saray Foundation for Culture and Arts. His professional awareness was shaped at the intersection of engineering, business administration, and cultural management; he is an electrical engineer with a Master’s degree in Business Administration. He accumulated extensive experience in business development and managing large-scale projects before transferring this expertise to the cultural field. He believes that when culture is managed with an institutional mindset and a humanistic vision, it becomes an industry with both intellectual and economic impact
