Al AIN (ALETIHAD)
His Excellency Khalifa bin Tahnoon bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Court, has visited Al Ain Book Festival 2024.
Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, the event is being organised by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC) until November 23 with the theme All Eyes on Al Ain.
His Excellency Sheikh Khalifa bin Tahnoon bin Mohammed toured the festival’s pavilions, visited a number of publishing houses participating in the event, and was briefed about the festival’s extensive programme of activities, workshops, and interactive sessions, designed to foster a generation of avid readers with deep connections to UAE heritage and pride in their national identity.
His Excellency explored publications and books produced by prominent Emirati writers and Arab authors across various literary, scientific, cultural, and critical fields.
His Excellency Sheikh Khalifa bin Tahnoon bin Mohammed praised the centre’s diligent efforts to promote the Arabic language, encourage a culture of reading in the community, and support the local cultural landscape, commending the advanced level of organisation in the festival’s activities, which contributes to its success every year, further cementing its status as a leading annual literary event on the UAE’s cultural calendar.
During the visit, His Excellency Sheikh Khalifa bin Tahnoon bin Mohammed was accompanied by His Excellency Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi; His Excellency Saood Abdulaziz Al Hosani, Undersecretary of the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi; His Excellency Dr Ali bin Tamim, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre; and His Excellency Saeed Hamdan Al Tunaiji, Executive Director of the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre.
His Excellency Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, said, “Our Arabic language and written traditions are intrinsic to our proud cultural identity, and the Al Ain Book Festival is a key pillar of our efforts to showcase Emirati and regional literary talent, celebrate the Arabic language, and instil a love of reading in new generations. The event brings the community together to experience different forms of creativity and reinforces Abu Dhabi’s status as a dynamic cultural centre.”
Set to welcome an estimated 140,000 visitors, this year’s Al Ain Book Festival features 200 exhibitors showcasing 100,000 titles, in line with the festival’s goal to empower a generation of readers.
The event serves as a showcase for Emirati talent, with authors and artists participating in a wide range of talks, sessions and workshops.
Highlights include programming such as Poetry Nights: The Sung Poems, a series which hosts poets and scholars for a celebration of traditional poetry.
This year’s programme focuses on the legacies of prominent Emirati poets who passed away in 2024, dedicating an evening to each poet to highlight their biographies and poetic contributions.
The programme also explores the origins of popular poetry documentation movement, from the oral stage of poetry gatherings right up to the era of television and radio broadcasts and today’s digital age, where the new generation of poets has turned to online platforms to share their work.
The book The Humdrums of Culture will be launched at the festival, with Emirati author Sheikha Alyazia bint Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan appearing for a session moderated by Dr. Fatima Al Mazrouei.
Meanwhile, Absent Yet Present: Farewell to Companions of the Word will honour the passing of great folk poets in the Gulf who left a lasting literary legacy and contributed to the establishment of a pioneering Gulf poetry project.
The festival’s events are held across a selection of heritage and historical locations in the city of Al Ain, namely Al Ain Square - Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium, Al Jahili Fort, and the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU), in addition to three malls across Al Ain.
Meanwhile, Zayed Central Library will host a ceremony to honour the winners of the third edition of the Kanz Al Jeel Award.