Page 94 - MBRF PR REPORT - JUNE 2025

6/18/25, 10:15 AM Abu Dhabi International Book Fair 2025 celebrates knowledge and bridges cultures
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.

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