The United Arab Emirates and the People’s Republic of China enjoy strong bilateral relations that have spanned decades. The historic visit of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Founding Father of the UAE, to Beijing in May 1990 marked the first visit by a leader from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries to China. This visit ushered in a new phase of cooperation between the two countries and laid the foundation for their robust cultural relations.

During this visit, it was decided to establish the Emirates Centre for the Arabic Language and Islamic Studies, which has served as a key channel for civilisational and cultural communication between the Chinese and Arab peoples since its opening in 1994. The Centre continues to receive ongoing support from the UAE, encouraged by the deep-seated bilateral relations between the two countries, which continue to grow with mutual visits from officials of both countries.

On that note, China was Guest of Honour at the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair (ADIBF) in 2017, an exceptional edition that marked a significant milestone in the history of cultural exchange between the two countries. The Fair featured 120 cultural and artistic events, welcoming a Chinese delegation of more than 300 participants, and showcasing more than a thousand books.

The UAE-China cultural cooperation, now spearheaded by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC), has made significant strides, growing stronger and setting ever deeper roots. Over the past five years, the ADIBF has topped the list of Arab exhibitions with the highest number of Chinese participants, becoming the only exhibition for which Chinese Government agencies issue circulars to encourage Chinese publishers and companies to participate.

For its part, Abu Dhabi has consistently participated in the Beijing International Book Fair (BIBF) over the past 10 years, becoming the most regular Arab participant.

Organised by the ALC, the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair has hosted some of China’s most renowned and influential authors, recipients of the prestigious Mao Dun Literature Prize, often referred to as the Chinese Nobel. Moreover, the Book Fair has seen the launch of more than 100 Chinese titles translated into Arabic in recent years, while in the last four editions alone, the exhibition welcomed over 190 Chinese publishing houses and more than 200 publishers, writers, and officials, who have participated in the Fair, either in-person or through representatives. This number represents one-third of all publishing houses in China, making ADIBF the most attractive international destination for Chinese publishers.

In an unprecedented move among Arab capitals, Abu Dhabi witnessed the launch of the Arabic editions of two books authored by Chinese President Xi Jinping: ‘The Governance of China’ in 2018, and ‘Belt and Road Initiative’ in 2024.

In the last three years, reports have indicated that the activities of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair were covered in Chinese media more than 170 times, making it the most prominently featured event in Chinese media. This coverage set the stage for a dedicated report about the UAE in the official Chinese news broadcast, aired by over 100 Chinese channels and watched by more than a billion viewers.

The report followed the ALC’s success in hosting a seminar to present the Arabic edition of President Xi Jinping’s book, as part of the ADIBF 2024 agenda, in collaboration with the China Media Group and the Chinese Embassy in the UAE. The segment covered the seminar, highlighting the UAE’s pivotal role in the Belt and Road Initiative, and broadcasting promotional tourism scenes about Abu Dhabi.

The Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre boasts the largest number of joint cooperation protocols with Chinese cultural and media entities, most notably the comprehensive cooperation protocols with the China Media Group and the Beijing International Book Fair.

The official BIBF website ranks His Excellency Dr. Ali bin Tamim, Chairman of the ALC, among the seven most important international guests in the field of publishing and culture at last year’s Fair, and in addition to that, more than 10 conferences on Arab-Chinese cooperation in culture, publishing, and advertising have been organised under the Centre’s patronage both in Beijing and Abu Dhabi.

On the same note, the Centre collaborated with the China Media Group to launch the Arab-Chinese Cooperation Centre for Publishing and Culture, the first Chinese-Arab platform serving the publishing sector in the two countries, while most recently, the China Publishing Association, Beijing International Book Fair, and China Publishers Group participated in the ADIBF Professional Programme.

And marking the first Arab recognition of efforts in the field of Arab-Chinese cultural exchange, the House of Wisdom Group for Cultural Industries was granted the world-renowned Sheikh Zayed Book Award (SZBA) in the Publishing and Technology category. In 2011, the SZBA chose late Chinese orientalist Chung Jikun as the Cultural Personality of the Year.

Meanwhile, in terms of exchanging publishing and translations rights, more than 300 agreements have been signed between Chinese and Arab publishers at the ADIBF over the past three years.

Adding to that, and as part of the Centre’s efforts to enhance Arab-Chinese cultural cooperation, the ALC Chairman made official visits to Renmin University of China, Peking University, Beijing Foreign Studies University, the Sheikh Zayed Centre in Beijing, the Chinese Ministry of Publicity, and the China Media Group, further strengthening Abu Dhabi’s cultural standing among Chinese intellectuals and officials.

The Abu Dhabi International Book Fair received high praise from various parties in China, with Chinese publishers describing it in media interviews as “the foremost Arab destination for Arab-Chinese cultural cooperation, a promising market for cultural industries, and a global platform for professional exchange in the field of publishing.”

Over the course of the past year, the Centre welcomed high-level visiting officials, including the Chinese Vice Minister of Publicity (ministerial level) and two Vice Presidents of the China Media Group, paving the way for unprecedented Chinese participation in the ADIBF and more robust Emirati-Chinese cultural collaboration.

China’s unprecedented participation in this year’s ADIBF reflected the notable and growing Arab-Chinese rapprochement, now centred in the UAE, which underlines the Emirates’ pioneering role in bringing cultures together, while highlighting China’s significant interest in Arab culture and audiences, to whom it aims to present its culture. This, in turn, creates a positive environment for more translations between Arabic and Chinese, and provides additional opportunities for communicating Arab knowledge to a major country the size of China.

The substantial Chinese participation also extended the impact of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair beyond the region to the global level, solidifying its position as a leading book fair on the world stage. It also paved the way for the launch of sustainable cultural and professional projects between Abu Dhabi and Beijing.

Continuing on this communication-centred approach, a delegation from the ALC, headed by H.E. Dr. Ali bin Tamim, will visit the Beijing International Book Fair, which launches on 19 June. The visit underscores China’s importance to the Centre, paving the way for new collaborations that serve all of its sectors and meet its strategic objectives, in line with the UAE’s foreign policy of openness to world cultures, which further enhances Abu Dhabi’s international cultural standing and promotes the Arabic language globally.

During this visit, the ALC will sign a strategic cooperation protocol with the China Media Group, a leading cultural and media entity and the primary official body in China, in charge of international cooperation in the fields of language, culture, publishing, media, and studies. The Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre will be the first Arab entity to sign such a protocol with the Group.

Moreover, the visit will include professional meetings with major Chinese publishing houses and officials responsible for the publishing and cultural sectors in China, in an effort to promote the Centre’s initiatives, such as the Kalima Project for Translation, as well as the awards it offers and the book fairs it organises.

Also on the agenda for the visit is a seminar – the first of its kind to be held in China – titled ‘The Arabic Language and Civilisational Communication’, which will be organised during the visit and is set to be attended by senior Chinese officials and dignitaries.

Furthermore, and in recognition of the ALC’s regional influence and status, H.E. bin Tamim will be participating as keynote speaker in an international conference held on the sidelines of the Beijing International Book Fair. The visiting delegation will explore the latest technologies in the fields of publishing, artificial intelligence, and content, inviting leading Chinese entities to its International Congress of Arabic Publishing and Creative Industries (PCI).

The visit aims to introduce influential Chinese players to the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre’s various departments and areas of work, explore opportunities for cooperation, and open new prospects for collaboration between the Centre’s various departments and their Chinese counterparts.