The Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi has exempted all publishing houses, from pavilion fees for their participation at the 30th edition of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair. This waiver, for both publishing houses attending physically and digitally, will support the publishing sector at a key moment, as the impact of the coronavirus pandemic is still being felt across the industry.

HE Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), said: “The Abu Dhabi International Book Fair is one of our most important initiatives, in line with our strategy to position Abu Dhabi as a global centre for engaging, cross-cultural dialogue and knowledge exchange. This objective can only be achieved by working closely with publishing houses, which play an invaluable role in establishing Abu Dhabi as a hub for culture. By waiving the fair’s participation fees for publishers, we are proactively offering key resources needed for them to continue their crucial work, underscoring DCT Abu Dhabi’s commitment to supporting local enterprises and reflecting the value of generosity our wise leadership has instilled in us as a nation and society.”

HE Saood Al Hosani, Undersecretary of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, said: “Publishing houses are one of the driving forces behind building educated generations who are interested in reading, science and knowledge, and they are also critical to the success of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair. We are delighted that all fees for publishing houses have been waived for this year’s edition, and this decision is an affirmation of our continuous support of culture and knowledge.
“This gesture also showcases the Islamic character of generosity and carries with it a message of unity and solidarity to the world, reinforcing a belief that the development of societies in terms of knowledge and progress begins with the stability and health of its cultural sector and its workers. This support will enable us to continue consolidating Abu Dhabi’s position as a cultural destination of distinction for publishers and writers.”

His Excellency Dr. Ali bin Tamim, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre, said: “We at the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre also renew our commitment to supporting publishing houses, and are pleased to see all exhibitors are exempt from participation fees to reduce the burden on them attending the fair, as the event will provide them with an exciting platform for dialogue and exchange and enable them to seize a whole host of commercial and promotional opportunities.

The 30th edition of the fair is taking place at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre from 23-29 May, will welcome more than 800 exhibitors from 46 countries and will be a ‘hybrid’ programme comprised of a variety of virtual events, as well as events and activities held on the ground amid precautionary measures that will ensure a safe and enjoyable cultural experience for visitors.

The exhibition management at the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre has committed to the highest standards to ensure the safety of all visitors, exhibitors and staff at the event, which is restricted to vaccinated persons over the age of 17 years. All visitors, exhibitors and other participants in the exhibition are required to present a negative result from a PCR test conducted in the previous 48 hours. Temperatures will be checked at the entrances and a series of measures will be imposed to ensure safety and social distancing, while visitor numbers inside the exhibition halls and exhibitors pavilions will be limited to avoid overcrowding.

Visitors must register in advance to obtain an electronic access card, either through the website adbookfair.com/en or the smartphone application of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair.