United in knowledge: Zendy launches in the UAE
Mar 1, 2020 |
6 Mins Read
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, 1st March, 2020: A new age of exploration dedicated to those seeking knowledge! Academic content is more accessible than ever with the birth of Zendy, now launched in the United Arab Emirates.
From gravitational waves to Middle Eastern archaeology, users in the UAE can now explore an incredible array of scholarly publications.
Zendy celebrates the Month of Reading with a UAE launch of over 120,000 publications across all disciplines and joins UAE with the vision of building a more sustainable model for reading in our societies.
Whether you are a leader, manager or entrepreneur, health and fitness enthusiast, number crunching banker or just buzzing to learn, there is something for everyone on Zendy!
A new way to research and discover
Zendy is not merely a digital library, it is equipped with a myriad of filters and tools that allow users to save searches, export citations and navigate easily according to publisher, date, subject, language, source and more. It breaks down the barriers of extortionate paywalls by providing affordable access to full-text publications with no download limitations.
“We are extremely excited to launch Zendy in the UAE, where it all began for us. The seeds of many great ideas are now at your fingertips. Zendy aims to facilitate the sharing of knowledge that nourishes innovation.” - Founder and CEO of Knowledge E, Kamran R. Kardan.
To celebrate Zendy’s launch, all UAE users will receive a 30% discount on the monthly plan and a 50% discount on the annual plan as part of the introductory offer (valid for a limited period)!
United in knowledge. United in the UAE.
About Zendy
Zendy is an online platform that aims to innovatively facilitate access to academic literature. It addresses the key challenges that we face with conventional ways of finding high-quality and relevant, academic content. Current online scholarly libraries exist behind expensive paywalls or require university facilitated access. For developing countries, it can be difficult to access academic publications if they cannot afford the subscriptions. Zendy serves to provide knowledge to everyone, everywhere.
Zendy is developed by Knowledge E in a growing collaboration with researchers, students, institutions and publishers. Join us on the journey of scholarly discovery, and reach out to us if you share the same vision and would like to contribute in any way.
Zendy is now available in Algeria, Jordan, Morocco and the UAE with the rest of Africa and Middle East to follow in 2020.
About Knowledge E
Established in 2012, Knowledge E’s name was fast to become synonymous with collaboration, professionalism and innovation. Head-quartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and supported by a team of 30 highly engaged professionals, Knowledge E works closely with over 100 clients world-wide from various types of organisations and government entities within the research and education sector to support their continued innovation and development. This is achieved by providing leading expertise, information resources and software solutions.
Since its inception, Knowledge E has prudently expanded its expertise, services and technology in line with its vision of developing ‘a more knowledgeable world’. Knowledge E’s three core offerings are the 3D’s; ‘Discover’, ‘Develop’ and ‘Disseminate’. ‘Discover’ through the KnE Digital Library Solutions powered by Zendy for research literature discovery, as well as tailored content packages; ‘Develop’ through the KnE Learning Programmes, supporting capacity building and skills development within academia as well as the KnE Consulting Projects, serving universities on their mission to become ‘world-class universities’; and ‘Disseminate’ through the KnE Publishing Services and the platform for Open Access publishing of regional journals and conference proceedings.
Zendy at Charleston Conference Asia 2026: Supporting Research Access in Emerging Communities
In January 2026, Zendy will be heading to Charleston Conference Asia, taking place in Bangkok, Thailand. This marks the first-ever Asia edition of the Charleston Conference, an event long known for bringing librarians, publishers, and information professionals together for practical, honest conversations about scholarly communication. The Asia edition builds on that same spirit, while focusing on the realities, challenges, and opportunities shaping research access across the region. A space for real conversations about access and equity Charleston Conference Asia brings together voices from across libraries, publishing, and research support to explore how knowledge is discovered, accessed, and shared, particularly in emerging and underrepresented research communities. For Zendy, this aligns closely with our mission: supporting more equitable access to trusted scholarly content, while giving institutions practical tools that reflect how research is actually done today. Zendy session spotlight We’re proud to have Sara Crowley Vigneau, our Partnership Relations Manager, speaking at the conference on January 28 at 11:45 AM. Her session, “Empowering Early-Career Researchers in Emerging Research Communities,” explores inclusive models for improving access to research, looking beyond theory to what works in practice for institutions, libraries, and early-career scholars. Sara will be joined by a strong panel of speakers bringing perspectives from publishing and academic libraries: Alexandra Campbell, Senior Editor, Springer Nature Christopher Chan, University Librarian, Hong Kong Baptist University Mayasari Abdul Majid, Library Director, LSL Education Group Sdn. Bhd. Together, the session will examine how libraries, publishers, and platforms can better support researchers working within diverse institutional and regional contexts. Why this matters for libraries and institutions Early-career researchers often face barriers that go beyond funding or publishing, from limited access to content, to fragmented discovery tools, to language and regional constraints. Events like Charleston Conference Asia create space to address these challenges openly and collaboratively. Zendy’s participation reflects our ongoing focus on: Expanding access to trusted academic content Supporting libraries with flexible, cost-aware models Providing AI-assisted research tools built with transparency and integrity in mind Let’s connect in Bangkok If you’re attending Charleston Conference Asia 2026, we’d love to connect. Whether you’re a librarian, publisher, or research leader, this is a great opportunity to exchange ideas and explore how access, discovery, and responsible AI can better support research communities across Asia and beyond. To schedule a meeting with our team, please email us at info@zendy.io For full event details, visit Charleston Conference Asia. .wp-block-image img { max-width: 65% !important; margin-left: auto !important; margin-right: auto !important; }
What’s New in ZAIA: Our Biggest Update Yet
We’ve rolled out one of the biggest updates to Zendy AI Assistant, ZAIA. These improvements focus on making research faster, more intuitive, and far more reliable. Here’s what’s new. Inline References You Can Trust You no longer have to scroll, copy, or cross-check to figure out where an insight came from.ZAIA now adds references directly inside its responses. If ZAIA summarises a study, explains a concept, or pulls a fact from a paper, the source appears right there in the answer, clear, traceable, and easy to verify. It feels more like reading a well-cited academic explanation than an AI output. Ask in Any Language, Get Answers in the Same Language Whether you’re researching in Arabic, Spanish, French, or Swahili, ZAIA now responds in the language you use, automatically. There’s no need to switch tools, tweak settings, or use separate translators. Just ask your question in your preferred language, and ZAIA replies in the same one.It’s a smoother experience for multilingual classrooms, international research teams, and anyone working beyond English. Search Smarter with the SOLR Agent Sometimes you know the exact paper you need, you just don’t have the title, DOI, or permalink memorised.Now you don’t have to. ZAIA’s new SOLR Agent can search using: DOI Paper title A Zendy permalink Just drop in any of these, and ZAIA fetches the correct paper instantly. It’s especially useful when you’re deep in a literature review and need to track down sources without losing your rhythm. How does it work? SOLR is the search engine behind ZAIA’s paper search.It helps ZAIA find the exact research paper you’re looking for using clear identifiers like a DOI, paper title, or Zendy link. Instead of guessing keywords or scanning long result lists, SOLR matches your input directly to the right paper, fast and accurately. ZAIA Can Now Help With Your Zendy Account You can now ask ZAIA about your subscription, billing questions, or common FAQs directly inside the platform. No switching tabs.No waiting for replies.No digging through help pages. ZAIA now serves as a support companion as well as a research assistant, especially helpful when you want quick answers in the middle of studying or writing. A Clearer, More Transparent UI One of the most noticeable upgrades is the updated interface.You’ll now see clearer “thinking” steps that show how ZAIA processes your request. It’s more transparent, easier to follow, and gives you a better sense of how ZAIA arrives at each answer, something many researchers have been asking for. Why These Updates Matter Every improvement in this update has one goal: to make research smoother and more trustworthy.Whether you're analysing papers, fact-checking a claim, working across languages, or sorting out your subscription, ZAIA is now better at supporting the full research journey. And we’re not done.This update is part of a larger shift toward a more personal and adaptive ZAIA, one that learns from how each researcher works. For now, we hope these updates make your experience on Zendy faster, clearer, and more enjoyable. If you’d like to see these features in action, just open ZAIA, Zendy AI Assistant, and try them out. .wp-block-image img { max-width: 85% !important; margin-left: auto !important; margin-right: auto !important; }
Zendy and Casalini Libri Partner to Expand Access to European Humanities and AI Research Tools
Oxford, UK – Dec, 2025 – Zendy, the AI-powered research library, and Casalini Libri, one of the leading providers of European scholarly content and library services, have signed a partnership agreement to expand access to high-quality academic research in the humanities and social sciences. This strategic collaboration will make Casalini Libri’s extensive collection of European scholarly publications, including academic journals, monographs, and specialist research outputs, available on Zendy’s platform. The content will be discoverable through ZAIA, Zendy’s AI research assistant, helping librarians, researchers, students, and academic institutions worldwide find and engage with relevant European scholarship more efficiently. With over 800,000 users across 191 countries and territories, Zendy continues to grow as a trusted destination for discovering academic knowledge. By integrating Casalini Libri’s content, Zendy strengthens its mission to improve access to regionally significant scholarship and ensure that important European research is more visible, searchable, and widely used. Casalini Libri is internationally recognised for its deep expertise in European humanities and social sciences, with a particular focus on Southern Europe and broader continental scholarship. Through this partnership, these resources will reach a wider global audience, helping address long-standing discoverability challenges faced by non-English academic content. The collaboration also reflects Zendy’s commitment to linguistic and regional diversity in research. In a scholarly ecosystem where English-language publications dominate, increasing access to European research traditions is essential for a more balanced and representative academic landscape. Zendy users will now be able to explore Casalini Libri’s content seamlessly on the platform, supporting teaching, research, and interdisciplinary work rooted in European intellectual traditions. Together, Zendy and Casalini Libri aim to increase the global reach and impact of European scholarship. For more information, please contact:Lisette van KesselHead of MarketingEmail: l.vankessel@knowledgee.com About Zendy Zendy is an AI-powered, mission-driven, trustworthy research library dedicated to increasing the accessibility and discoverability of scholarly literature, particularly in the global south and underserved regions. The platform currently serves over 800,000 users across 200+ countries and territories, offering a comprehensive collection of academic journals, books, and reports to empower researchers, educators, and students. Zendy also provides AI tools, including its research assistant ZAIA, to help users read, analyse, and summarise academic content more efficiently. Website: https://zendy.io About Casalini Libri Casalini Libri is a leading supplier of European scholarly publications and library services, specialising in humanities and social sciences research. For decades, Casalini Libri has worked closely with publishers, libraries, and research institutions to curate, distribute, and preserve high-quality academic content, supporting the global exchange of European scholarship. .wp-block-image img { max-width: 85% !important; margin-left: auto !important; margin-right: auto !important; }
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