By: Hazza Saif Al Hammadi*
TRENDS Group’s participation in the 35th edition of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair was more than another appearance at one of the region’s most established cultural events.
It marked the beginning of a new institutional phase, with the Group presenting itself for the first time as an integrated knowledge ecosystem comprising five specialised companies whose roles converge in producing and disseminating knowledge, measuring its impact and expanding its human and societal reach.
Alongside TRENDS Research & Advisory, a research centre that examines political and strategic transformations, TRENDS Global participated as an international platform connecting locally produced research with cross-border academic dialogue. TRENDS Barometer brought its intelligent tools for measuring public opinion and trends, while TRENDS Observatory focused on the study of social phenomena, opening broader spaces for understanding people and society.
TRENDS Training Institute, meanwhile, transforms knowledge from texts and findings into skills that can be learned, acquired, and applied. The concept, therefore, goes beyond bringing several entities together under a single name. It becomes an interconnected knowledge chain encompassing research, international outreach, measurement, social observation and capacity building, thereby offering a pioneering model in the knowledge sector.
The Group’s pavilion brought this concept vividly to life. It was not simply a display of books, although it featured more than 500 original and translated publications and specialised academic series. It was also a space for dialogue, book signings, training, partnerships and intelligent digital engagement.
Among the new publications was “The Publishing and Exhibition Industry in the AI Era,” which raises a question at the heart of the book industry: How can institutions benefit from data and predictive capabilities without losing the spirit of human creativity or compromising an author’s right to the fruits of their intellectual work?
Artificial intelligence was also explored in a book addressing its strategic imperatives in the United Arab Emirates, as well as in the workshop “Artificial Intelligence and Shaping the Future,” which introduced the exhibition’s audience to emerging technology concepts through an interactive and responsible approach.
More importantly, artificial intelligence was not presented as a technological embellishment or a vague promise but as a subject of social and political research and a means of improving research tools. TRENDS Barometer launched the Artificial Intelligence Index to measure the impact of technology on human behaviour, thinking, learning, productivity, trust and cognitive independence through international opinion surveys and clearly defined measurement dimensions.
This is a development worthy of reflection, because it shifts the debate from the simple question, “What can artificial intelligence do?” to a deeper one: “What is it doing to us, and how can we ensure that its impact on individuals and society is positive and equitable?”
In the same context, the OPINXT platform opened a new avenue for the public to become partners in producing knowledge rather than just recipients of its findings. It broadens the respondent base and turns people’s everyday experiences into structured material for understanding trends and anticipating the future.
Between platform launches, book signings, sessions on the digital economy and culture and training for university students, the Group’s message became clear: a book does not end at its cover, and research is not complete once it is published. Its true value begins when it becomes dialogue, measurement, application and a means of illuminating the path for society and decision-makers.
In this manner, TRENDS Group presented at the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair a model of a knowledge institution that does not separate people from technology, or depth of research from ease of access. It is an institution that believes the future is not something to be awaited, but something to be studied, discussed and shaped.
*The writer is a researcher at TRENDS Group.