Under UAE President’s patronage, Abdullah bin Zayed opens 34th Abu Dhabi Book Fair

Abu Dhabi International Book Fair 2025 Opens Under UAE President’s Patronage, Celebrating Knowledge and Culture

Abu Dhabi [UAE], April 27:
Under the esteemed patronage of UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, officially inaugurated the 34th Abu Dhabi International Book Fair (ADIBF) at the ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi. The Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC) is organizing the event, which has as its inspirational theme “Knowledge Illuminates Our Community.” It will take place from April 26 to May 5, 2025.

This year’s edition honors the timeless classic One Thousand and One Nights as the Book of the World, recognizes Ibn Sina as the Focus Personality, and spotlights the unique culture of the Caribbean Basin as the Guest of Honor.

Sheikh Abdullah visited the various pavilions, spoke with regional and foreign publishers, and talked about the changing potential and difficulties in the publishing industry’s fast digitization.
The 2025 ADIBF showcases Abu Dhabi’s vision of hosting comprehensive cultural events, featuring over 2,000 activities — including the debut of the Poetry Majlis and the inaugural Digitising Creativity conference, emphasizing technology’s growing role in publishing and promoting sustainable industry practices. The exhibition, which will feature 1,400 publishing houses from 96 countries, will showcase Abu Dhabi’s leadership in international literary and cultural initiatives.

Mohammed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of DCT Abu Dhabi, highlighted the exhibition’s connection to the UAE’s Year of Community, and stressed the ability of literature to promote unity, bridge generations and unite cultures.

Ali bin Tamim, Chairman of ALC, said that this edition reaffirms the UAE’s commitment to strengthening the Arabic language, fostering the expansion of the publishing sector and developing creative industries in line with the country’s cultural identity and values.

Inspire, Create, Learn, Evolve and Explore are the thematic pillars that make up the broad exhibition programme. These pillars offer a range of experiences, including professional networking sessions, poetry evenings, interactive workshops, cultural discussions and educational activities for children. Notable highlights include the World Book Initiative, the Abu Dhabi Podcast Series and the Black Box Cinema, which screens short Arabic films.

In line with the UAE’s vision for future leadership in the cultural sector, special attention is being paid to empowering the younger generation through the Children and Youth Programme, enhancing their Arabic language skills and cultural roots.

By welcoming an expected record number of over 300,000 visitors, Abu Dhabi International Book Fair 2025 will cement Abu Dhabi’s position as a global hub for intellectual exchange, creativity and cultural diversity, playing a key role in advancing the international publishing scene and establishing the UAE’s leadership in knowledge-based development.