Abu Dhabi International Book Fair: 35 years of sharing knowledge
Exhibitors from 95 countries, 1,500 events, Balkan Culture as Guest of Honour
Thirty-five years have passed since the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair was first launched at the Cultural Foundation, evolving today into one of the leading cultural and knowledge platforms on the international book-fair map. Its journey has reflected the transformation of the UAE’s cultural landscape, kept pace with the development of the publishing and book industries, and cemented the country’s position as a global destination for cultural dialogue and the exchange of knowledge.
The 35th edition of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, organised by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre, affiliated with the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, will take place from September 13 to 18 at ADNEC Abu Dhabi under the theme “Turn the Page and Read the World.”
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The fair will feature exhibitors from 95 countries and host around 1,500 events. Balkan Culture will be the Guest of Honour, while the renowned scholar Al-Khalil ibn Ahmad Al-Farahidi will be celebrated as the fair’s central figure. Miguel de Cervantes’ celebrated novel Don Quixote has been selected as the “Book of the World.”
1981: The Beginning
The fair’s story dates back to 1981, when the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, may his soul rest in peace, inaugurated its first edition under the name “Islamic Book Fair” at Abu Dhabi’s Cultural Foundation. The inaugural edition brought together 50 publishers, marking the beginning of a cultural event that would embark on a long journey from a local gathering to an international platform.
In 1986, the event was renamed the “Abu Dhabi Book Fair”, with the number of participating publishers rising to 70. The 1988 edition featured 80 publishers from 10 Arab countries.
A major milestone came in 1993, when the fair became an annual event and opened its doors more widely to Arab and international publishing houses and cultural figures.
During the second half of the 1990s, the fair continued its rapid expansion. In 1996, it attracted around 200 publishers from 30 countries, while 200 publishing houses participated in the 1997 edition. By 1998, the number of titles on display had reached approximately 60,000.
With the beginning of the new millennium, the fair entered a new phase of expansion. In 2001, 514 publishing houses participated, rising to 600 in 2002 and 800 in 2004.
In 2007, the fair attracted around 399 publishers from 46 countries, alongside 1,000 cultural figures. Growth continued in subsequent years, with 482 publishers participating in 2008. The 2009 edition witnessed the launch of the “Electronic Library of the Arabs,” while the number of participants rose in 2010 to around 800 publishers from 68 countries, together with 1,200 cultural figures.
Consolidating its International Presence
The period from 2011 to 2014 saw the fair further consolidate its international presence. France was named Guest of Honour in 2011, followed by the United Kingdom in 2012 and Sweden in 2014.
During this period, the fair also launched the “Arab Literature Rights” initiative and introduced the “Central Figure” programme, which began with the selection of the renowned Arab poet Al-Mutanabbi. By 2014, the number of exhibitors had risen to around 1,050.
In 2015, the fair celebrated its Silver Jubilee and honoured the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, may his soul rest in peace, as its central figure. The edition brought together around 1,181 publishing houses from 63 countries, with Iceland serving as Guest of Honour.
The following year, 1,265 publishing houses participated, with Italy as Guest of Honour, followed by China in 2017.
The 2018 edition coincided with the UAE’s “Year of Zayed”, and the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan was selected as the fair’s central figure for the second time. The edition featured 1,350 exhibitors from 63 countries, while Poland was Guest of Honour.
In 2019, India was Guest of Honour, and the fair witnessed the launch of the “One Million Tolerant” document, coinciding with the UAE’s “Year of Tolerance”.
Following the exceptional circumstances brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, the fair resumed and continued its international journey. Germany was Guest of Honour in 2021, with 800 exhibitors from 46 countries taking part.
The 2022 edition brought together 1,130 publishers from 80 countries. Turkey was Guest of Honour at the 32nd edition in 2023, while the renowned historian Ibn Khaldun was selected as the central figure. The edition attracted around 1,300 exhibitors from 85 countries.
“Here, the Stories of the World Are Told”
The 33rd edition in 2024, held under the theme “Here, the Stories of the World Are Told,” featured around 1,350 exhibitors from 90 countries, including 145 exhibitors and publishing houses participating for the first time. Twelve countries also took part in the fair for the first time.
The 34th edition was held from April 26 to May 5, 2025, under the theme “The Knowledge Society… Knowledge of Society.”
Saeed Hamdan Al Tunaiji, Executive Director of the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre and Director of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, said in a media statement that throughout its journey, the fair had established itself as a pioneering model for building a global knowledge society.
He added that the theme of the 35th edition, “Turn the Page and Read the World,” embodies the UAE’s civilisational role in building bridges of human communication, promoting intellectual openness and knowledge exchange, and maintaining a constant readiness for renewal and continuous development.
The theme, he noted, also represents an invitation to transcend geographical boundaries through the gateway of ideas and to engage with the civilisations of the world.
