Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, inaugurated the 35th edition of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair under the patronage of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Abu Dhabi Media Office reported. The event, organised by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre as part of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, opened on September 14, 2026, at the ADNEC Centre and runs through September 18. During the tour, Sheikh Abdullah visited multiple pavilions, including those of Louvre Abu Dhabi, the Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Foundation, the Guest of Honour pavilion dedicated to Balkan Culture in collaboration with the Republic of North Macedonia, and the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre pavilion. At the centre’s stand, he reviewed the book The UAE in Pictures: Reflections, authored by Saeed Hamdan Al Tunaiji, the centre’s executive director.
The fair operates under the theme Turn The Page, Read The World, which the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre described as marking a milestone in its development over 35 editions into a global platform for culture, knowledge and dialogue. The 2026 edition spotlights Balkan Culture as Guest of Honour while honouring linguist Al-Khalil ibn Ahmad Al-Farahidi as the Focus Personality and selecting Miguel de Cervantes’ Don Quixote as the Book of the World. A dedicated Emirati Pioneers showcase highlights Mohammed Al Murr, chairman of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Library Foundation, as its first featured figure, according to the Media Office of Abu Dhabi.
Around 1,500 cultural, intellectual, artistic and educational events feature leading writers, thinkers, academics, publishers and creatives from across the world, the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi stated. The programme aligns with the UAE’s designation of 2026 as the Year of Family by placing family-oriented reading activities, youth literacy initiatives and creative industry sessions at its core. The fair will also include the presentation ceremony for the 2026 Sheikh Zayed Book Award, commemorating two decades since the prize was established.
The Abu Dhabi International Book Fair began in 1981 as the Islamic Book Fair, launched at the Cultural Foundation in a tent under the vision of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, a history detailed by The National newspaper. A 2006 agreement with the Frankfurt Book Fair led to a joint partnership from 2007 to 2013 that expanded rights trading and connected Arab publishers to international markets. The event has since grown to occupy multiple stages and more than 1,500 publisher stands offering titles in over a dozen languages.
The previous 34th edition in 2025 attracted approximately 400,000 visitors who explored more than half a million titles, according to figures released by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre. That edition featured 1,400 exhibitors from 96 countries speaking more than 60 languages and included more than 450 speakers, with student participation rising notably to over 64,000. The 35th edition builds on this foundation while introducing a special opening ceremony that celebrates the fair’s 35-year journey through music, patriotic songs and a theatrical performance inspired by Al-Farahidi.
Professional sessions at the current fair address translation challenges, copyright issues and digital monetisation in the publishing sector, the organising centre reported. Interactive workshops target early childhood reading and Arabic language retention, complementing the main cultural programme. The Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre has positioned the event as a bridge for civilisational dialogue, innovation and live cultural experiences across its three main thematic tracks.
