Publishing was firmly in the spotlight at the 18th Abu Dhabi International Book Fair (ADIBF) held at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) from March 11th to 16th 2008. The event brought together 600,000 titles from 400 international publishers.

The event was held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, and was organised by Kitab - a literal translation of ‘book’ in Arabic. Kitab is a joint venture between the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage and the Frankfurt Book Fair.

The event’s key aim was to consolidate the local publishing industry, currently estimated at a financial worth between AED 8 to 10 billion, and growing at 15 to 20 per cent annually. The 2007 Book Fair saw over AED 30 million (approx which secured over AED 30 million in book sales).

Books in Arabic, English, Hindi, French,German, Chinese and several other languages were exhibited during the event that also hosted the second annual Sheikh Zayed Book Award. The Award offers a total of AED 7 million in prizes to writers, intellectuals, publishers and aspiring authors whose works celebrate the cultural, literary and social life of the Arab World.

His Excellency Ahmad Humaid Al Mazrouie, managing director of ADNEC, said: “Thousands of publishers, prominent literary figures and international guests attended the event in 2007.We expect the same high-level reception in 2008 as we affirm ADIBF’s key role in attaining the full potential of the Arab publishing industry and promoting cultural and intellectual exchange to and from the Arab world. This event enables Abu Dhabi to enhance its role as a destination for converging culture and business and promoting social growth and harmony.”

ADIBF also showcased English translations of classic and modern Arabic literature as well as translations of English literary works into Arabic.

The event offered a pre-event conference for international publishers titled 'Literature Travels the World: The Challenges of Publishing Translations' a day prior to the fair's opening.