Abu Dhabi International Book Fair Announces 2021 Programme

Abu Dhabi, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 28th Apr, 2021) As part of its preparations for the 30th edition of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair (ABIDF), which will be held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre at the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi hosted a press conference to announce the number of exhibitors participating this year.

Also highlighted were the precautionary measures that will be applied to ensure the health and safety of organisers, exhibitors and visitors at the event, taking place at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre from 23rd - 29th May, 2021.

The press conference was held in the presence of Dr. Ali bin Tamim, President of the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre, Juergen Boos, President of the Frankfurt International Book Fair, Moza Al Shamsi, Acting Executive Director of the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre and Saeed Al Tunaiji, Director of the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre Media Office.

Dr. Ali bin Tamim, President of the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre, said: "We are striving to achieve the ambitious vision of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair in consolidating its position among the best of its kind, by establishing constructive international partnerships with leaders of the cultural sector around the world. In this context, I am pleased to announce that we are celebrating the Federal Republic of Germany this year as our Guest of Honour, and to announce our partnership with the Frankfurt International Book Fair."

He also added: "We at the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre are aware that the advancement of the publishing and literature sector requires tireless efforts that extend beyond providing platforms for intellectual networking and cooperation between individuals and institutions. Therefore, we are pleased to announce the launch of the first virtual platform for selling copyrights in the Arab region. We have also taken practical steps to support this sector by providing a comprehensive package of motivational benefits to publishers and authors alike, which is best represented in the ‘Spotlight on Rights’ programme, as we have increased the number of allocated grants to 300 and included the eBook and Audiobook categories along with Translated Print Book."

The 30th edition of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair will see the participation of 800 exhibitors from more than 46 countries in its physical and virtual exhibitions. It is noteworthy that the virtual exhibition will include all exhibitors from the physical exhibition, in order to ensure maximum exposure for participating exhibitors.

Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre announced extending Germany’s participation as the Guest of Honour at ADIBF for an extra year, covering both the 30th and the 31st editions, to highlight the rich cultural heritage of Germany and its contributions to knowledge and cultural exchange, celebrating the cultural ties between the Arab world and Germany.

During the press conference, Moza Al Shamsi, Acting Executive Director of the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre, was selected to be the Executive Director of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, making her the first woman to manage an international book fair in the Arab region.

Al Shamsi said: "This exhibition is the largest international book fair to be held since the beginning of this year, and today we are pleased to announce our full readiness to host an event of this size, only possible due to the success of Abu Dhabi in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.

For this we must give thanks firstly to the guidance of our wise leadership and the sincerity and dedication of the frontline heroes, who worked hard to achieve this success. The exhibition is one of the most important events concerned with the publishing sector in the middle East, as it hosts a wide range of Arab and international publishing houses and provides a platform for publishers, intellectuals, writers, libraries, agents, cultural and governmental bodies from around the world, to exchange ideas and explore the horizons of cooperation, and to learn about the most prominent trends and innovations in the sector and access the most important literary publications."

For the first time, parallel events will be held outside the exhibition grounds, including the exhibition ‘From Cinderella to Sindbad: German and Arab Timeless Tales’ at Cultural Foundation between April and September 2021, and a series of German film screenings at Manarat Al Saadiyat from 27th-29th May, 2021.

Organisers of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair announced a series of precautionary measures to ensure the safety of the public during the event, where visitors must register in advance before visiting the exhibition to obtain an electronic access card through the exhibition website: www.adbookfair.com or through the mobile application available on the App Store and Play Store. The maximum visit duration is three hours, and visitors will be provided with coloured paper bracelets upon entry, to enable organisers to determine when each session is over.

All visitors and exhibitors should activate Al Hosn app on their smartphones and present a negative nasal PCR result from a test that was conducted in the past 48 hours, or the (@) sign or the (E) sign on Al Hosn app, to enable entry to the exhibition after having their temperatures checked at the gates. Organisers will be allocating designated exits to avoid overcrowding the gates and entry will be suspended upon reaching maximum capacity.

A free testing centre will be available for participants from outside the country with a maximum of four tests during the exhibition for one delegate from the exhibiting company. The capacity of each pavilion must be calculated on the basis of one person per four square metres and exhibitors must place clear signs specifying the number of visitors allowed to be inside the pavilion at the same time, while the number of attendees at any meeting should not exceed four people.

Exhibitors are not permitted to use touchscreens in their pavilions, and gifts and brochures must not allowed to be distributed or placed in the exhibition unless they have been hygienically, safely and individually pre-packaged.

All visitors and exhibitors must wear face masks at all times and observe social distancing by maintaining a minimum distance of two metres between themselves and others. They are also encouraged to alert organisers of any symptoms or suspicion of infection.

The Abu Dhabi International Book Fair will be welcoming visitors at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre from 23rd - 29th May 2021, and will open its doors from 9 am to 10 pm from Sunday to Saturday, and from 4 pm to 10 pm on Friday.