In response to the significant turnout for the ‘100 Stories from Our Community’ initiative, the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC) has pushed the deadline for submissions to 31 August 2025, in an effort to expand the scope of the initiative in the community and enable more members of the public to take part.
The initiative allows participants to contribute towards enriching the short story genre and write motivating, community-inspired stories that will be compiled in a collective publication that reflects the UAE’s cultural diversity and strong social cohesion.
The Centre first launched ‘100 Stories from Our Community’ at the 34th Abu Dhabi International Book Fair (ADIBF 2025), in line with the UAE’s declaration of 2025 as the ‘Year of Community’. The initiative reflects the ALC’s strategic vision to enhance innovative content creation and encourage community members to express their emotions and thoughts in writing – in both Arabic and English. With this project, the Centre seeks to honour UAE society through literature, enrich the cultural landscape with stories spotlighting local identity, and allow creative talent from all nationalities to showcase their creations, develop their skills, and contribute towards establishing a knowledge-driven society.
An independent committee of experts will review all submissions and select 100 stories that meet the criteria in terms of quality, originality, and creativity. Selected stories will be published in coordination with their authors in a manner that ensures full protection of intellectual property rights.
The initiative is open to creative writers aged 18 and above. Submitted stories must be between 1,000 and 1,500 words; they can be fiction or based on facts, provided that they relate to the UAE community and highlight the values of family solidarity, social cohesion, and cultural diversity.
