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The Abu Dhabi International Book Fair attracted 1,350 Publishers from 90 Countries

Discover the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair 2024 with 1,350 publishers, cultural events, and Naguib Mahfouz as Focus Personality. Join us now!
on Apr 19, 2024

The 33rd Abu Dhabi International Book Fair (ADIBF 2024) will take place from April 29 to May 5, with 2,000 events and 1,350 publishers from 90 countries, according to organizers.

The Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center (ADNEC) will host the event "Where the World's Tales Unfold" from April 29 to May 5. Notably, 140 publishers will make their debut, joining 375 local exhibitors.

The news was delivered at a press conference on Thursday (April 18, 2024) morning.

The Arabic Language Center (ALC) of the Department of Culture and Tourism-Abu Dhabi (DCT-AD) has revealed a broad selection of events for the fair, totaling more than 2,000 offerings across cultural and cognitive domains.

These activities are intended to engage participants from diverse segments of society, enriching the cultural experience for all attendees.

Local exhibitors.

Local exhibitors include publishers, distributors, and government bodies showcasing their most recent releases.

Speaking at the press conference, Dr. Ali bin Tamim said: "This year's edition of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair is the most beautiful to date; it underlines the great success the event has had in achieving Abu Dhabi's strategy, as the capital of the United Arab Emirates, to spearhead efforts to advance the presence of the Arabic language in creative and cultural industries, building on the momentum of its International Congress of Arabic Publishing and Creative Industries and its success in becoming the most influential Arab platform in this key sector.”

Support

"Since its establishment by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Founding Father of the UAE, and the unwavering and generous support of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, the fair has set the standards and traditions now followed by book fairs cross the Arab world," said Dr. Ali bin Tamim.

"This includes selecting countries to be a Guest of Honour, where this year, we are proud to spotlight the Arab Republic of Egypt, as well as our Focus Personality programme and our comprehensive cultural and intellectual agenda featuring debates, professional programmes, popular international podcasts, and more." Cultural event.

"This, in turn, expands the concept of a book fair, opening up new prospects for cultural and intellectual exchange," he added.

"The Abu Dhabi International Book Fair has successfully struck balance in its content, format, narrative, and objectives, presenting a premier cultural product that bridges the past and present, addresses the future, and contributes towards ensuring sustainability of knowledge, culture, and related industries."

Saeed Hamdan Al Tunaiji, for his part, highlighted the cultural events and knowledge activities scheduled for this year's expo. "The Abu Dhabi International Book Fair has become a cornerstone on the cultural and creative calendar, eagerly anticipated by all parts of the community, as well as a gathering place for creators from across the world wishing to promote their works and make their mark on the cultural scene,” he said.

Diversity

"This year's fair will present a diverse cultural programme that includes sessions, seminars, and cultural and knowledge dialogues featuring a selection of authors, thinkers, and creatives from various fields," he said.

"Moreover, Egypt will participate with a full schedule of events reflecting its cultural and intellectual role, alongside activities and programmes dedicated to the Focus Personality." Meanwhile, each participating country will have their own exhibit in their separate pavilions. The festival offers the audience cultural, professional, and creative arts programming, as well as activities for children and youth, exhibitors, and partners, among other well organized events."

This year's edition will feature 12 countries for the first time: Greece, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Pakistan, Cyprus, Mozambique, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Brazil.

The festival provides a varied range of activities and cultural events for attendees, and for the first time in the Fair's history, a comprehensive digital payment system will be adopted this year.

On another note, China will participate extensively this year, with nine pavilions, giving it the country's largest presence at any book show worldwide.

China & India

The official Chinese delegation will consist of 70 guests from 80 Chinese publishing houses. The Chinese pavilion will include fifteen cultural, professional, and creative events.

Meanwhile, India will be represented by 23 publishing houses, as well as a comprehensive cultural programme and activities centered on Indian cuisine and traditions.

Guest of Honour

This year's show features the Arab Republic of Egypt as Guest of Honour, engaging the audience with a rich and diversified cultural programme representing its intellectual, knowledge, and civilizational history.

Egypt's selection for the programme reaffirms the two countries' deep and historic relationship, underscoring the ALC's commitment to enhancing cultural and intellectual collaboration, and building on Egypt's role as a beacon of knowledge, culture, and art that has influenced the masses' cultures and knowledge through creative content in a variety of fields.

Focus personality.

The ADIBF has chosen Naguib Mahfouz, a well-known Arab and international author, as this year's Focus Personality in appreciation of his significant role and achievements in promoting Arab culture and Arabic books.

This year's fair honors the first Arab author to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, who made an undeniable impact with his literary works, most notably the 'Cairo Trilogy' and 'Children of Gebelawi', which were previously banned from publication in Egypt, as well as other influential works by the author.

ADIBF 2024's Focus Personality program delves into Naguib Mahfouz's creative universe, investigating his beginnings and analyzing his work.

This includes a thorough and critical reading of these works, emphasizing their impact on diverse sectors of culture and the arts.

The programme encompasses all of the exhibition's events and activities in order to highlight the significant contributions of the writer and novelist Naguib Mahfouz, whose works are regarded as a mirror of life, having had a profound impact on shaping the awareness of an entire generation through its achievements and projects, as well as its role in elevating the status of Arabic.

This offers a unique opportunity to identify with the author and study his personality features through sophisticated audio-visual tools, seminars, and critical sessions, assisting visitors in creating an inspirational and full image of Naguib Mahfouz's life and work.

The Focus Personality programme spans all of the fair's events and activities, examining all facets of Naguib Mahfouz's life and work.

A unique pavilion will be built to highlight Naguib Mahfouz's most prominent accomplishments, personal narrative, and impact on literature and mankind, in addition to presenting daily seminars as part of the Cultural Program.