The Abu Dhabi International Book Fair is the most professionally organised, most ambitious and fastest growing book fair in the Middle East and North Africa.

The Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, is a major business initiative of KITAB, a joint venture between the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage and the Frankfurt Book Fair. KITAB’s aim is to develop the book and publishing industry and promote reading in Abu Dhabi and the neighbouring Arab Emirates. KITAB will focus on making the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair truly international and developing a long-term networking opportunity between the Arabic and international publishing communities.

The Abu Dhabi International Book Fair (ADIBF), which celebrates its 21st anniversary this year, originally started life in a modest marquee with just 70 exhibitors. Today, it is held in the state-of-the-art Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre and attracts exhibitors from all over the world – including Brazil and Peru, who will join this year’s list of participating countries for the first time.

India’s cutely named Wink e-reader will be on display and available to buy in the Middle East for the first time, courtesy of E C Media (International). The nifty little gadget is supported by 15 different languages and electronically offers 200,000+ book titles, making it a very attractive commodity for the international book market.

In addition, a line-up of speakers from across the world will impress, entertain and educate visitors across all spectrums over the six-day event. Visitors can expect to see literary and intellectual debates, presentations by high-profile international business people and cooking demonstrations by world-class chefs. There will be activities for children, book signings by celebrated authors, a poetry forum, live performances from home grown Emirati rap artists, and the opportunity to buy books towards the end of the fair.

The Abu Dhabi International Book Fair has served as the platform for the publishing sector in the Arab World offering a meeting point for Arab publishers to showcase their talent and network with their international counterparts.

“The Abu Dhabi International Book Fair 2011 will be a unique event and a real place of meeting between East and West, North and South,” said Monika Krauss, General Manager of Kitab – organisers of the Fair. “The presence of such internationally recognised figures as the Saudi Arabian novelist Raja’a Alem and the South African poet and author Breyten Breytenbach gives the tone for this year’s event, where the wide and wonderful world of books will open to the public.”

Middle Eastern writers will be given the opportunity to meet their contemporaries from the Far East as the Korean Book Industry falls under the ADIBF’s Market Focus spotlight. Award-winning and best-selling Korean authors Munyol Yi (Hail to the Emperor and Until We’re Happy) and Juyeong Kim (The Skate Ray and A Fisherman Does Not Break the Reed) will be giving presentations alongside Minjeong Kim – an award-winning Korean poet and publisher.

The Cultural Focus of this year’s fair will be France. Presentations will be given by leading French figures including Pierre Arizzoli-Cleméntel (ex-Director General of the Château de Versailles), Patrick Chamoiseau (award-winning novelist, playwright and essayist), Nicole Lambert (artist and illustrator of Madame Figaro magazine fame), and Philippe Jodidio (ex-Editor-in-Chief of the most widely distributed French art journal Connaissance des Arts). Also appearing will be Kénizé Mourad (daughter of an Indian Raj, granddaughter of the Ottoman Sultan Mourad VI, journalist and author of the international best selling novel, De la part de la princesse morte / Regards from the Dead Princess) and Professor Breyten Breytenbach (the finest living poet of the Afrikaans language.)




Opening Hours
All days except Friday: 9am - 10pm and
Friday: 4pm - 10pm