Today's Edition
AL DHAFRA (WAM)
His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler's Representative in the Al Dhafra Region, has directed the allocation of a financial grant worth Dh1 million to purchase books and diverse knowledge resources directly from publishing houses participating in the sixth edition of Al Dhafra Book Festival 2026.The festival is organised by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC), affiliated with Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi).
The initiative aims to support the cultural movement and the publishing sector, contribute to embedding reading as a sustainable social practice, and enhance the role of libraries and educational and knowledge institutions in the Al Dhafra Region.
This directive aligns with the objectives of the “Year of the Family”, through supporting initiatives that strengthen the presence of knowledge in family life and expand access to books as a cornerstone of cultural upbringing and awareness-building.
It also reinforces the cultural standing of the festival as a bridge connecting books with the community, supporting publishers, deepening the impact of diverse knowledge content, and keeping pace with the Emirate of Abu Dhabi’s vision of building a reading society and a developed knowledge-based economy.
Dr Ali bin Tamim, Chairman of ALC, said that the centre highly values the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan and his continued keenness to support the Al Dhafra Book Festival.
He noted that this support has been, and continues to be, a key driver behind the festival’s qualitative growth and sustained development, through mobilising capabilities and responding to the cultural and knowledge needs of the community.
