Organised by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC), the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair (ADIBF) concluded its 34th edition successfully. Running for 10 consecutive days for the first time in its history from 26 April to 5 May 2025, the fair welcomed around 400,000 visitors who explored more than half a million titles across all areas of knowledge.

The fair established a new tradition by announcing Indonesia as the Guest of Honour for the 2026 edition, demonstrating its commitment to best practices adopted by major international cultural events.

Held at ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi under the theme, Knowledge Illuminates Our Community, the event reflected the ambitious vision to position Abu Dhabi as a global hub for culture, publishing, and knowledge. The fair also reinforced its own standing as one of the most prominent local and regional cultural events, recording a 65 per cent increase in sales compared to the previous year indicating its success in promoting reading and supporting the publishing industry.

With 1,400 exhibitors from 96 countries speaking more than 60 languages, the fair attracted a wide audience of all ages and community groups. This aligns with the UAE Year of Community, asserting Abu Dhabi’s status as a thriving centre for civilisational, cultural, and intellectual exchange.

His Excellency Dr Ali bin Tamim, Chairman of the ALC, said: “The Abu Dhabi International Book Fair is a significant platform for knowledge sharing and creativity. This year’s edition charted a roadmap for the future with a scientific approach, and presented a comprehensive cultural vision. The 34th edition offered a programme focused on dialogue and critical thinking, addressing contemporary global issues such as artificial intelligence, digital transformation, sustainability, environmental protection, and heritage preservation.”

The 34th Abu Dhabi International Book Fair stood out for its organisation, international participation, public engagement, and the calibre of its speakers, including renowned intellectuals, academics, writers, and artists. The Fair attracted more than 450 speakers and participants, including notable figures such as Iraqi-born former British politician His Excellency Nadhim Zahawi; integrative medicine pioneer Dr Deepak Chopra; novelist Conn Iggulden; actors Hussein Fahmy and Mena Massoud; jewellery designer Azza Fahmy; and author Khaled Ghattas, drawing large and passionate audiences.

The fair’s comprehensive programme and high-quality initiatives also achieved great success. For example, the On the Path of Knowledge initiative brought speakers to schools and universities, increasing student engagement and participation in the fair while raising a new generation of avid readers and knowledge enthusiasts. Student participation notably increased from the 2024 edition, with more than 64,000 students visiting the event.

The first-of-its-kind Author-Publisher initiative formed part of the fair’s vision to support the social role of culture by targeting creative authors. Meanwhile, the 100 Stories from Our Community initiative showcases creative talent among UAE residents as part of the broader Community Campaign to Promote Sustainable Reading, launched by the ALC earlier this year.

Another highlight of the fair was the Al-Mutanabbi Street, one of Baghdad's most famous cultural thoroughfares and a symbol of Iraq's literary and intellectual life. It featured 2,000 books and a collection of vintage newspapers.

The fair also hosted the inaugural edition of the Arab Publishing Pioneers initiative, which honoured six Arab publishing houses with illustrious legacies, the oldest being nearly 160 years old.

While the Guest of Honour programme spotlighting Caribbean culture was met with significant interest from the multinational audience, the Focus Personality (Ibn Sina) and Book of the World One Thousand and One Nights programmes delivered immersive experiences and fresh insights into the legacy of the famed philosopher and the iconic work.

The agenda also included the Poetry Nights Majlis, which hosted over 60 stars of Nabati and classical poetry, reflecting the prestige of Arabic poetry and the success of the programme. Meanwhile, the Creative Arts programme featured music and photography, among other things, as well as culinary arts as part of the World’s Cuisine programme, which featured 48 sessions with 24 celebrity chefs, including 12 Emiratis.

The fair’s Professional programme introduced a new strategy, unprecedented in the region, to empower publishers and creatives to navigate the challenges of the evolving global publishing landscape and embrace the technological and digital breakthroughs that are reshaping the entire industry. The programme’s workshops attracted significant attendance from all age groups. 

The Digitising Creativity conference explored the impact of digitisation on publishing and the creative industries. This event was held in collaboration with the UAE Ministry of Economy’s Intellectual Property Sector, the International Publishers Association (IPA), the Arab Publishers Association, the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), the China Media Group, the Emirates Publishers Association, and Egypt’s Bibliotheca Alexandrina, alongside notable figures from leading academic and cultural institutions.

The third edition of the Podcast from Abu Dhabi programme hosted 71 content creators with a global following of 16 million people, presenting 51 original episodes. The programme also offered a platform to new voices by hosting 24 content creators participating for the first time. 

The Digital Square also played a key part in the fair’s success, showcasing five cutting-edge digital cultural projects in collaboration with influential stakeholders. 

Government entities also played a pivotal role in the fair’s success, with 87 departments organising widely attended activities and hosting over 200 speakers. Key contributors included the Ministry of Culture, the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation, the UAE Media Council, and the TRENDS Research and Advisory centre. This high-level participation demonstrates confidence in the fair as a prominent platform for organising activities, promoting culture, exchanging knowledge, and bringing together intellectuals and experts from various fields.

The ALC seized the fair’s dynamic momentum to launch 35 new titles, including Wonders Eyes in Abu Al-Tayyib’s Mention of Inventions and Marvels’ by ALC Chairman His Excellency Dr Ali bin Tamim; An Eye that Captures the Moment, a critical reading of photographer Kareem Sahib’s work; A Certain Idea of France: The Life of Charles de Gaulle by British historian Julian Jackson; and Between Shadow and Light by Emirati photographer Jassim Rabee. 

Another new addition this year was the Under the Ghaf’s Shade experience, which featured special encounters and book signings with over 40 authors. The dedicated Book Signing Corner hosted nearly 180 signing sessions, offering authors valuable opportunities to engage with the public.

The ADIBF 2025 generated wide coverage from local, regional, and international media outlets, exceeding 2024 figures. A total of 5,790 articles were published across 51 countries, including the US, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and China. Meanwhile, content published through the fair’s digital channels amounted to 1,475 posts across five platforms, marking a 52 per cent increase over last year. This was largely driven by a 78 per cent increase in follower numbers during the event, bringing total views to 117 million, a 47 per cent increase over the 80 million recorded last year. Total engagement grew by 37 per cent from 3.9 million to 5.4 million, while total impressions increased by 48 per cent, rising from 214 million to 315 million.