From the latest publications and international publishers to children’s activities and an interactive tribute to Al-Khalil ibn Ahmad al-Farahidi, the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair celebrates reading, culture and the power of knowledge.
The announcement of a book fair in the Emirati capital, Abu Dhabi, felt like a special invitation to someone who loves reading as much as I do. I spent my university years among the libraries of my city, Beirut, seeking them out whenever I had a spare moment between studying and working, and even today. That same excitement returned when I read the details of the fair, which would be the largest edition in the history of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair.
I arrived at the ADNEC Exhibition Centre in the morning as the fair opened. I began my tour with the first book in Hall One: political books, religious books and international novels, alongside the latest publications, with publishing houses from countries around the world taking part.
This edition further cemented the capital’s position as a key hub for publishing and thought, with the programme featuring more than 1,500 high-quality events, including intellectual seminars, creative workshops and children’s activities. Participation extended across 95 countries from every continent, underscoring the platform’s global reach. Notably, seven countries took part for the first time in this edition: Argentina, Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Kosovo and Cuba. The halls hosted more than 1,200 exhibitors and publishing houses, enriching Arab and international libraries with the latest publications and digital solutions. The cultural event attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors, while its reach extended to millions of interactions and views across digital social media platforms.
Perhaps the most striking sight was the gathering of friends from among writers, authors and researchers. As you move from one exhibitor to another, you hear words of welcome and greetings. Bassam Kurdi, owner of the Cultural Book Centre in Morocco and one of the exhibitors, told Annahar that he makes a point of taking part every year because the fair is one of the finest and most prominent in terms of organisation and attendance, in addition to the facilities provided by the organisers. He is also one of the first participants from outside the UAE to take part in the fair. He added that it was an opportunity to meet friends from across the Arab world and beyond.
“The first fair we took part in outside Lebanon was the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair in 2014,” explains Antoine Saad, owner of Saer al-Mashrek Publishing House, to Annahar. He says he has not missed it since then, having recognised its global cultural importance both for himself and for the publishing house. He considers it a golden opportunity to learn about what is happening in the world of publishing.
Children always have a large share of the activities held in the UAE, in line with the country’s vision of building the future. At the fair, a large area was dedicated to them to encourage them to read, featuring various activities and educational games. Parents who love reading come to explore the space, while children come to enjoy themselves during a day off or after school. They meet other children, play with them, and learn to love reading and appreciate the value of books and their pages.
Continuing my day at the fair, I entered a centre labelled “Interactive Games”, which were educational at the same time. One of these games celebrates Al-Khalil ibn Ahmad al-Farahidi, the central figure of this year’s edition. Although I asked several visitors about him as part of my journalistic work, few knew who this scholar was. Without him, the science of Arabic prosody would not have been established, nor would poetry have intersected with music. To introduce him to the public, the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture dedicated an interactive game to him called “Al-Farahidi’s World”, featuring questions and challenges designed to heighten the excitement, all centred on valuable Arab knowledge drawn from his scholarship.
The fair also selected His Excellency Mohammed Al Murr, Chairman of the Board of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Library Foundation, as the first figure honoured by its new annual initiative, “Icons of the UAE”, in recognition of his contributions to shaping the UAE’s cultural landscape.
“Let’s Turn the Page and Read the World” is the slogan of this edition. The first part refers to a conscious transition from one stage to another, based on continuous renewal. According to what was published on the fair’s official page, the second part is an invitation to take reading into its broader civilisational space.
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