Abu Dhabi is becoming the hub of the Arab book trade and the point of reference for booksellers as well as special trade events for publishers and distributors in the Arabian Peninsula and gulf region. Development in Abu Dhabi is moving quickly. Major government initiatives include substantial investments in culture and key among these are in reading and literacy.

The 18th Abu Dhabi International Book Fair is organized by Kitab, a joint venture between the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage and the Frankfurt Book Fair. The international presence is going to be stronger this year than before with publishers from India, China, Cyprus, Estonia, Singapore the United Kingdom and the United States. Large collective stands will also be on display from France, Switzerland and Germany, forming a joint showcase of publishers and titles from each respective country.

The exhibition space for the fair has been increased by 25 per cent in response to publisher demand. This year there will be a day exclusively reserved for trade visitors and registered exhibitors (Tuesday, 11thMarch), with a varied professional program on offer, designed to provide advice on key issues for the sector. Topics include the Arab book market, the establishment of a reliable title database for the Arab world, selling and buying publishing rights, rights protection and the promotion of reading and librarian-related topics. A key growth area in the Arab world is in educational publishing in the English language, and this will also be a focus of the fair, including a presentation from Scholastic about their success in the Arab market.

To create an exchange between publishers and support programs such as Kalima, the Goethe Institute, the Dutch Fund for Production and Translation, Next PageFoundation and others there will be a one-day conference devoted to the publishing of translations, ‘Literature Travels the World – The Challenges of Publishing Translations’, where leading international publishers will discuss funding policies and programs
worldwide. Matchmaking between Western, Middle Eastern and Far Eastern publishers will also be a major focus this year.

For non-trade visitor’s activities include the Discussion Forum, which underlines the Fairs commitment to open, multicultural exchange, tackling topics such as tolerance, free speech, women’s issues and ecology.
The cultural program will introduce the Kitab Sofa, where several international authors will be interviewed and Textbox, a booth used for literary recital. Leading international names confirmed for the series of literary talks include Egyptian author Alaa Al Aswani and acclaimed German writer Ilja Trojanow.

An event focusing on Saudi female writers is also planned, with Leila al-Jahani and Samar al-Mouqrim taking part. All these events will be free of charge. The Fair will also for the second year host the major literary award, The Sheikh Zayed Book Award for authors and translators and even writers of children’s books.