Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler's Representative in Al Dhafra Region, the sixth edition of Al Dhafra Book Festival, organised by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC), will be held under the theme Al Dhafra: Celebrating a Cultural Legacy. The festival is set to take place from January 19 to 25, 2026, at the Public Park in Madinat Zayed in Al Dhafra Region.
This year’s festival will feature 110 local publishing houses showcasing a remarkable 55,000 titles across diverse fields of knowledge. This represents a 10 per cent increase in the number of participating publishers compared to the previous edition.
The festival will offer a comprehensive programme of cultural and artistic events, including the fourth edition of Poetry Nights – Voices Loved by People. The event will also spotlight distinguished Al Dhafra poets reciting their poems, alongside traditional folk arts, engaging poetry and heritage enthusiasts. Driven by a deep understanding of Al Dhafra’s unique identity, the festival seeks to enrich the region’s cultural landscape and strengthen residents’ bond with their rich heritage.
The 2026 edition will feature a greater number of high-quality events for children, youth, and families, and introduce innovative initiatives that strengthen connections to the Emirati cultural, literary, and artistic heritage. By providing a comprehensive family experience, the festival aims to cultivate a generation deeply engaged with reading. This effort aligns with the UAE leadership's Year of the Family 2026 declaration and supports Abu Dhabi’s strategy to promote national identity.
For the first time, several important entities, such as Sandooq Al Watan, Fatima Bint Hazza Cultural Foundation, Mohamed Bin Zayed University for Humanities, and TRENDS Research and Advisory, will have dedicated pavilions at the festival.
On 20 January, under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler’s Representative in the Al Dhafra Region, a ceremony will be held at the historic Al Dhafra Fort to honour the winners of the third edition of the Sard Al Thahab (Golden Narrative) Award. The award is organised annually by the ALC to celebrate creativity and revive the art of popular storytelling, a cornerstone of Arab culture.
The Al Dhafra Book Festival draws inspiration from the region's rich cultural heritage and aims to instil values of belonging and creativity. It seeks to foster a generation of readers rooted in authentic Emirati traditions, empower youth, and strengthen Al Dhafra's distinguished position on the UAE's cultural landscape. Al Dhafra, with its remarkable natural diversity at the intersection of sea and desert, continues to gain recognition as a unique cultural destination.
