Held under the patronage of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the fair is being organised by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre, part of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi. The September schedule replaces the event’s previously planned April slot after consultations with international partners, participating publishing houses and relevant authorities.
Organisers assessed travel conditions, the ability of international guests to participate and logistical requirements affecting publishers before fixing the new dates. The move is intended to maintain the quality and breadth of international participation at an event that has developed into a major meeting point for the Arab and global publishing industries.
The fair will run for six days, from Sunday, September 13, through Friday, September 18. ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi has listed the event across Halls 1 to 7, reflecting the scale of the publishing and public programmes expected to operate alongside the exhibition. The event combines a trade marketplace for publishers and rights professionals with a consumer book fair attracting readers, families and students.
A significant feature of the 2026 edition will be the ceremony honouring winners of the 20th Sheikh Zayed Book Award. The anniversary edition of the award covers fields including literature, literary and art criticism, translation, Arabic culture in other languages and publishing, strengthening the connection between the prize and Abu Dhabi’s broader strategy of supporting Arabic writing, scholarship and international cultural exchange.
The award was established in 2006 and has developed into one of the Arab world’s prominent literary and cultural prizes. Winners of its 20th edition were announced in April, with the formal recognition ceremony moved into the programme of the September book fair.
The rescheduling comes after the 34th fair recorded a substantial expansion in scale. The 2025 edition ran for 10 days for the first time and drew around 400,000 visitors. It brought together 1,400 exhibitors from 96 countries, with participants representing more than 60 languages and visitors able to browse more than half a million titles.
That edition offered about 2,000 activities spanning cultural discussions, professional publishing sessions, creative programmes and events designed for younger readers. The figures underscored Abu Dhabi’s efforts to position the fair not merely as a retail marketplace for books but as a platform connecting publishers, literary agents, translators, writers, technology companies and cultural institutions.
Publishing technology has also taken a larger role in the event as artificial intelligence, audiobooks, digital distribution and new content formats reshape the industry. The fair has increasingly provided space for discussion of digital publishing alongside traditional rights trading, translation and book distribution, reflecting changes confronting publishers across Arabic and international markets.
The event traces its origins to 1981, when it began as the Islamic Book Fair. Its development over more than four decades has paralleled Abu Dhabi’s investment in cultural institutions, translation initiatives and programmes aimed at expanding the international reach of Arabic literature.
For publishers, the fair provides access to readers and commercial partners across the Middle East and North Africa while offering opportunities to negotiate translation, licensing and distribution arrangements. The professional dimension has become increasingly important as publishing houses seek wider markets and new revenue streams while adapting to changes in reading habits and digital consumption.
The September edition will also provide a concentrated public programme around literature, education and creative industries. The fair traditionally combines author appearances, book signings, seminars, workshops and activities for children with professional discussions for publishers and content creators, allowing the event to operate simultaneously as a cultural festival and an international publishing marketplace.
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