Abu Dhabi is rapidly becoming the hub of the Arab book trade and the point of reference for booksellers, publishers and distributors in the Arabian Peninsula and Gulf region.

Taking a cue from the overwhelmingly positive reactions to the professional programme Abu Dhabi International Book Fair introduced a number of new initiatives aimed at encouraging the development of a robust publishing industry in the MENA region.

Over 300 letters of intent for subsidised licensing deals were signed under the ‘Spotlight on Rights’ scheme at the 2017 book fair. The subsidies fund the translation of texts to and from the Arabic language as well as financing rights agreements across national borders within the Arab world.

At the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair visitors will have in store an array of professionally oriented seminars and panel discussions. On offer will be sessions aimed at providing an in-depth look at the current state of publishing in the Arab world and the Middle East, covering topics such as the Arab Book Market and rights trading. Other programmes focusing on using social networking platforms to network, panels for agents and much more.

Professional programmes will continue to play a key role at the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair.

Development in Abu Dhabi is moving quickly. Major governmental initiatives include substantial investments in culture, and key issues among these are reading and literacy. With culture comes tolerance, and Abu Dhabi is known throughout the region for its commitment to rule of law, lack of censorship and open-minded multicultural intellectual exchange.
Abu Dhabi International Book Fair welcomes publishing professionals to the progressive and peaceful Emirate of Abu Dhabi, where culture meets commerce: at the crossroads of world publishing.

The Spotlight on Rights (SoR) initiative will continue in 2018 after an extremely successful spell in 2017 with 300+ letters of intent being received at the fair. The scheme is open to stand-holders and officially registered trade visitors attending the ADIBF. Subsidies from 2500 up to  US $ 4,000 per title will be awarded and contribute towards the publishers licencing rights to and from the Arabic language, or in some cases, from one Arab country to another.

Applications may be submitted for books for which initial discussions take place at the ADIBF, or for projects which were under review prior to the event but where detailed licensing discussions take place at the ADIBF. The judging panel reserves the right to group a series of short children’s books containing limited amounts of text into a single application, which would then be considered for a single subsidy.

To know more about the SoR please email rights@kitab.ae

Business Club is a dedicated venue to offer the publishers the forum to conduct business negotiations and sign contracts in an all business environment. Within the centre you will have the Spotlight on Rights Desk as well as e-services and facilities required to do business and ensure your deals run as impeccably as possible. In past years rights deals were successfully negotiated for various Illustrators and Cookbooks as well.
The Business Club will stage the Arab Rights Showcase – featuring the best in new publications in Arabic for which foreign rights are available.

The eZone is a dedicated area for new technology and digital content. It is the place for content developers and service providers to showcase their products and services to the Middle Eastern publishing community. The eZone will continue to be the hub for all digital media related activities and debates at the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair.

The launch of the Illustrators’ Corner at the 2011 ADIBF witnessed an overwhelming attendance and support from the Illustrator community. With 25 exhibitors coming from   Poland, UK, UAE, Syria and Indonesia; the Illustrators’ Corner was undoubtedly bustling with artistic and intellectual sessions during the 2017 fair.

The Illustrators’ Corner offers participants a venue for meetings, presentation area for show-reels allowing each exhibitor the opportunity to introduce their work to professionals from the book industry.

Abu Dhabi International Book Fair will continue to enhance this vibrant and thriving venue and offer workshops, diverse range of brainstorming sessions and a forum to share best practices in this most popular sector.

The Professional Programme team is trained to assist you in bringing together potential business partners seeking to boost their business networks beyond the Arab World. Dedicated sessions, meetings and panels are aimed to make your experience productive while making your visit to the ADIBF as dynamic and effective as possible. In 2017, over 2000 professionals attended the diverse range of panels with over sixty speakers from the industry. Planned and facilitated match making sessions between Arab and International publishers as well as between publishers from the region and international agents who are market leaders in their field will all add value to your experience at the ADIBF 2018.

Abu Dhabi International Book Fair (ADIBF) is a meeting point of an array of activities and events tailored to the taste of all our visitors and guests. The cultural programme at the ADIBF is therefore the fruit of our cooperation with the writing and reading community, the publishing world and the many seats of learning and of culture which make the region a hub of literary and intellectual activity.

Enjoy the literary exchange at the Discussion Sofa with our prestigious authors from the international and Arab world. Join in the literary debates at the and be a part of interactive sessions and panels addressing a wide range of topics.
The Show Kitchen with live cooking demonstrations by internationally renowned chefs continues to entertain our guests since its inception!

At the ADIBF we provide educators and educational publishers a forum in which to come together to share best practices.