The Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC) has concluded its participation in the Rabat International Publishing and Book Fair, held in the Moroccan capital from 30 April to 10 May 2026, reporting remarkable turnout that reflected the growing interest in its publications and cultural projects.

The Centre’s pavilion welcomed a distinguished group of writers, intellectuals, and publishing professionals, alongside a large audience of visitorsm and saw strong demand for its publications — with all available copies selling out. This underlined the standing the ALC has established in the Arab cultural landscape and the growing confidence in its programmes and knowledge-focused publications.

The participation formed part of the Centre’s ongoing commitment to strengthening its presence at international book fairs, showcasing its publishing and translation initiatives and projects , and promoting the upcoming edition of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair (ADIBF) and the ALC’s publications. The fair also offered the Centre an opportunity to engage with broader Arab audiences and keep abreast of the latest developments in the publishing industry and technology.

The International Publishing and Book Fair is regarded as one of the most prominent cultural fairs in the Arab world, and the Centre’s participation reaffirms the close historical ties between the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Morocco, while underscoring the important role of culture in sustaining dialogue and bringing peoples closer together, especially as this year’s edition coincided with Rabat’s designation by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) as the World Book Capital 2026.

This participation aligns with the ALC’s commitment to maintaining an active presence across regional and international cultural events, in line with its strategic objectives and ongoing efforts to strengthen the standing of the Arabic language, promote a culture of reading, and reinforce Abu Dhabi’s pivotal role in building bridges of intellectual exchange with cultures and nations around the world.

This year’s edition of the fair carried particular significance, having been held as part of Morocco’s celebrations of Rabat's designation as UNESCO World Book Capital. The Centre’s agenda at the fair included seminars and dialogues to address key issues in the publishing sector, further advancing the UAE’s leading cultural standing in the region and the world, and reaffirming the country’s unique place among the world’s cultures and advancing the values of dialogue and inter-civilisational exchange.

The ALC delegation, led by the Centre’s Chairman His Excellency Dr Ali bin Tamim, took part in several prominent cultural lectures and intellectual seminars at the fair. These included a lecture on the cultural and creative industries titled ‘Cultural Development and the Culture of Development’, featuring Dr Mohamed Zine El Abidine, former Minister of Culture of Tunisia and Head of the Culture Sector at the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (ICESCO).

The delegation also participated in a seminar organised by the Abu Dhabi Forum for Peace, in collaboration with the UAE Embassy in Rabat, titled ‘When Citizenship Embraces Diversity and Becomes a Source of Strength in Times of Crisis – The UAE Model’, in addition to the International Seminar on Cultural Development and the Creative Industries hosted by the Moroccan city of Laayoune, which featured Dr Arif Al-Saadi, Advisor to the Iraqi Prime Minister on Cultural Affairs, and prominent media figure Dr Parween Habib.

As part of the Centre’s efforts to strengthen the presence of its projects on the international stage, H.E. Dr Ali bin Tamim held a series of meetings, most notably a working meeting with Dr Ghizlane Drous, Director of Books, Libraries, and Archives at the Moroccan Ministry of Youth, Culture, and Communication, and President of the Rabat International Book and Publishing Fair, aimed at broadening cooperation between the two institutions and promoting the ALC’s projects in Morocco.

H.E. bin Tamim also met with Gvantsa Jobava, the President of the International Publishers Association (IPA) and its Secretary General José Borghino, to discuss avenues for collaboration between the Centre and the IPA, as well as to position the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair as a key platform for strengthening the global publishing industry.

A further meeting was held with Mohamed Rashad, President of the Arab Publishers’ Association, to explore opportunities for enhancing Arab publishers’ participation in the ADIBF and benefiting from the support the ALC offers to the Arab publishing industry. The delegation also met with prominent Moroccan publishers and authors to strengthen their relations with the Centre and introduce them to its initiatives.

Led by H.E. bin Tamim, the delegation also met with Abdeslam Bekrate, Wali of the Laayoune Region in a gathering attended by a distinguished group of Emirati, Moroccan, and Arab intellectuals. Discussions explored opportunities for strengthening the presence of the Arabic language and supporting its use across education, media, and creative fields, while emphasising the importance of developing Arabic content and keeping pace with digital transformations.

The Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre’s participation in the 2026 International Publishing and Book Fair represents another success added to its growing record of achievements, further cementing its role in supporting the Arabic language and the publishing industry. This, in turn, reinforces the Centre’s cultural presence at the Arab and international levels, while reflecting Abu Dhabi’s position as a global hub of cultural influence.