In the early fifties', as the publishing industry in Lebanon was thriving, the first-generation publishers called upon each other to found a union that could bring together all Lebanese publishers within a single judicial framework.

Soon after, on February 27, 1947, the Publishers' Union in Lebanon came into existence. Consequently, it turned into a syndicate under the name Syndicate of Publishers' Union in Lebanon. (Decree no. 1/719, dated January 6, 1972)

The Syndicate was headed successively by: Mohamad Jamal, Fu'ad Hobeich, Bahij 'Othman, Yahya al-Khalil, Samira Assi, Mohamad Assi, Ahmad Assi,  Mohammad Irani ,and Samira Assi the present President.
The Council of the Syndicate consists of 12 members elected, by secret balloting, by the General Assembly.

The present Council members are:

President: Samira Assi

Vice president: Nabil Abdel Haq
General Secretary: Pierre Sayegh
Treasurer: Samir Baalbaky
Board members: Ahmad Assi, Mustafa Wehbe, Nabil Sader, Atef Al Ansari, Nasser Rahouli, Joseph Sader, Salah Al Komati, Gilles Oueidat.

Aims of the Syndicate: Providing protection to and promoting the industry and defending the interests of publishers.

Major Activities: Organizing the book fair ”International Lebanon's Book Fair”, Possession of a permanent location for the Syndicate (1998), Launching ”Al-Nashiroun” (The Publishers) magazine (1998), Helping in the founding of Union of Arab Publishers, Playing hosts to the General Secretariat of Union of Arab Publishers, Preparing for launching a website for the Syndicate.


Lebanon's Publishing Industry Today

Lebanon's publishing industry is, to all intents and purposes, an Arab industry, as it relies, for its growth, on Arab markets in the first place and to a less degree on Arab authors. It also is extremely sensitive to the change of situations in the Arab world. Paradoxically, while the number of publishers in Lebanon was on the increase, Arab markets were increasingly tightening up.

There are around 700 publishing houses in Lebanon, however the active members do not exceed 200. This earmarks Lebanon as the country of the biggest number of publishers.

It surpasses Egypt which rates second before Syria and Jordan.

Lebanese publishers turn out around 3000 new titles per year including translated works. Lebanon's share of the total number of new titles published per year exceeds 30%. Titles published in Lebanon every year number approximately 7500.