Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, the 33rd edition of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair (ADIBF 2024) is set to commence on April 29.

Themed “Where the World’s Tales Unfold”, ADIBF 2024 will run until May 5 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC). The fair will feature the participation of more than 90 countries, including 12 nations making their debut appearance, namely, Greece, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Pakistan, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Mozambique, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Indonesia.

The one-week global book event is expected to host 1,350 exhibitors, including 975 from abroad, offering over 1,400 diverse events. The professional programme of ADIBF will begin on April 28 with the third edition of the International Congress of Arab Publishing and Creative Industries.

ADIBF 2024 celebrates renowned Egyptian novelist Naguib Mahfouz as the “Focus Personality” of this year’s edition where Egypt is hosted as the Guest of Honour, in recognition of its prestigious cultural position and its effective influence in enriching Arab thought and knowledge.

The selection of Egypt also affirms the deep-rooted relations between the UAE and Egypt, showcasing their mutual commitment to enhancing cultural and intellectual collaboration. Furthermore, it recognizes Egypt’s influential role in civilizational and cultural development throughout history.

The late Egyptian novelist Naguib Mahfouz has been selected as the “Focus Personality” of this year’s edition, being the first Arab author to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1988. Mahfouz’s extensive body of work, translated into numerous languages worldwide, has significantly enriched the Arab literary landscape and underscored the importance of the Arabic novel in the realm of literary creativity.

The Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC) held a press conference on Thursday to unveil the fair’s agenda. The conference was attended by Dr. Ali bin Tamim, Chairman of ALC, Sherif Issa, Egypt’s Ambassador to the UAE, Dr. Ahmed Bahi El Din, Chairman of the Egyptian General Book Authority, and Saeed Hamdan Al Tunaiji, ALC Executive Director and Director of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, along with prominent cultural and intellectual figures.

Speaking at the conference, Dr. Ali bin Tamim emphasized the significant growth and development milestones achieved by the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair over more than three decades. He said: “If there is a single word that encapsulates the essence of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, it would undoubtedly be ‘beautiful’ as this year’s edition is the most beautiful to date. This fair embodies beauty because its first edition was inaugurated, and its foundations laid by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. Furthermore, ADIBF continues to enjoy the unwavering support and generous patronage of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.”

He noted that ADIBF stands out as the epitome of beauty it set the traditions that have been followed by book fairs across the Arab world. This includes rich cultural programmes like the Guest of Honour, Focus Personality, intellectual debates, professional and cultural events, international podcasts, and more. Through these initiatives, the concept of the book fair evolves, expanding its horizons to encompass culture, intellectual exchange and inter-civilizational dialogue.

Dr. Ali bin Tamim highlighted that this year’s edition also celebrates international writer Naguib Mahfouz as the Focus Personality, and introduces several new events, such as the inaugural “World Writers” programme, which celebrates the timeless masterpiece “Kalila and Dimna.” Additionally, it features the Arab Forum for Children’s and Young People’s Literature, offering a platform for creativity and imagination.

Dr. Ali bin Tamim highlighted that the ADIBF features some of the most prestigious awards globally, including the Sheikh Zayed Book Award, the Arab Booker Prize, the Gold Narrative Award, the Generation Treasure Award, the Asma Siddiq Award for the First Novel, and others. The 2024 edition is expected to draw approximately 340,000 visitors, offering a diverse programme of over 1,400 events on a global scale.

Saeed Hamdan Al Tunaiji said said: “This year’s fair will witness China’s largest-ever participation in any book fair in the world, with nine pavilions and an official delegation of 70 guests representing 80 Chinese publishing houses. Additionally, there will be 15 cultural, professional, and artistic events, including the launch of a cooperation platform in Chinese publishing and culture, sponsored by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre in collaboration with the China International Media Group.  The platform will involve the participation of 10 Arab publishing houses and 10 Chinese publishing houses.

Al Tunaiji further elaborated that the cultural and creative industries have significantly contributed to the local economy, generating $61 billion and providing 400,000 jobs. Moreover, the volume of the exports of cultural and creative products has reached Dh50 billion.

It is also noteworthy that these creative industries operate 38,000 establishments in the country’s industrial sector. Moreover, the cultural and creative industries contribute significantly to the global economy, engaging 30 million employees in cultural and creative activities.

The 2024 ADIBF has introduced the “World Writers” programme, making its debut in book fairs to highlight humanity’s most significant creations throughout history and introduce them to new generations.

For the second consecutive year, the fair features the podcast programme from Abu Dhabi, a new initiative innovated last year and garnered significant success. Additionally, for the third consecutive year, the fair presents a debate programme, while this year it introduces a new approach to organizing and managing debates, adopting the internationally renowned Oxford method. It marks the first time such debates will be conducted in this manner in the Arab world.

Dr. Ali bin Tamim emphasized that the 33rd edition of the fair represents a pinnacle of success in fulfilling Abu Dhabi’s strategy to lead the development and enhance the presence of Arabic in the creative and cultural industries sector. This achievement was underscored after its International Congress of Arab Publishing and Creative Industries had emerged as the foremost Arab platform in this crucial domain.

He further stated, “The ADIBF has successfuly struck a balance across all its facets, ensuring discipline in its content, form, discourse, and objectives. It succeeded in presenting a premier cultural product that bridges the past and present within a forward-looking narrative, thus embodying the notion of sustainable knowledge, culture, and related industries.”