The 18^th annual Abu Dhabi International Book Fair (ADIBF) opens today (Tuesday, March 11, 2008) at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), with around 600,000 titles from 400 global publishers on display until March 16, 2008. Held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, ADIBF has been an important networking and trade venue for the rapidly growing publishing and media industries in the Middle East.

Organised by Kitab, a joint venture between the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage and the Frankfurt Book Fair, the event aims to further consolidate the local publishing industry, currently estimated to be between AED 8 to 10 billion and growing at 15 to 20 per cent annually. ADIBF likewise seeks to sustain the momentum generated by the 2007 edition, which secured over AED 30 million in book sales.

Books in Arabic, English, Indian, French, German, Chinese, and several other languages will be exhibited during the Fair, which will occupy 25 per cent more floor space compared to the 2007 event. The second annual Sheikh Zayed Book Award will also be presented during the six-day exhibition, conferring AED 7 million in prizes to writers, intellectuals, publishers and aspiring authors whose works celebrate the cultural, literary and social life of the Arab World. The winner and selected authors who joined the first International Prize for Arab Fiction will be recognized on the second and third day.

His Excellency Ahmad Humaid Al Mazrouie, Managing Director of ADNEC, said: "Thousands of publishers, prominent literary figures and international guests attended the event in 2007. We expect the same high-level reception this year as we affirm ADIBF's key role in attaining the full potential of the Arab publishing industry and promoting cultural and intellectual exchange to and from the Arab World. This event enables Abu Dhabi to enhance its role as a destination for converging culture and business and promoting social growth and harmony."

ADIBF will showcase English translations of several classic and modern Arabic literature, as well as translations of English literary works into Arabic. Abu Dhabi serves as an ideal venue for the event as it presently hosts the region's most comprehensive bilingual catalogue of publishing industry professionals and contacts and has accumulated numerous translated Arabic literary works.

ADIBF likewise complements Abu Dhabi's philosophy of building trust with its business partners as it fully supports and promotes copyright standards. The fair will include a pre-event conference for international publishers titled 'Literature Travels the World: The Challenges of Publishing Translations' a day prior to the fair's opening, while an exclusive 'Day for the Trade' will be launched on the first day, dedicated to business contacts and professional programs related to the publishing industry.

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For further information please contact:

Ben Collins
Marketing & PR Manager
Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company
Tel: + 971 2 4446900
Fax: + 971 2 4446135
P.O.Box: 5546
Email: ben.collins@adnec.ae 
Website: http://www.adnec.ae/

Or

Orient Planet, PR & Marketing Communications
P.O. Box 23345, Dubai UAE
Tel: 00 971 4 3988901
Fax: 00 971 4 3988941