Al Dhafra Book Festival concludes its 5th edition

The fifth edition of the Al Dhafra Book Festival 2024, organised by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC) at Madinat Zayed Park concluded with outstanding success.

The festival was held under the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler’s Representative in Al Dhafra Region.

Over seven consecutive days, the festival, which was held under the theme ‘Celebrating a Cultural Legacy’, showcased 50,000 titles published by 100 local and Arab publishing houses. It offered the audiences an engaging programme of 200 cultural, artistic, musical, and entertainment events for both adults and children.

The number of participating publishing houses saw a 100 per cent increase compared to last year reflecting Al Dhafra Book Festival’s growing reputation as one of the leading exhibitions in the country today.

Dr. Ali Bin Tamim, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC), said, “Over the past several years, the Al Dhafra Book Festival has successfully promoted the local publishing industry, fostered a supportive environment for reading, and strengthened the presence of the Arabic language across its diverse applications in the arts and sciences.”

He added, “We were delighted with the strong public turnout and engagement with the programmes and events. This kind of community response affirms the success of our efforts to highlight the rich heritage of Al Dhafra, attract artistic, cultural, and heritage talent, and focus on empowering youth by offering them the opportunity to showcase their projects in a supportive cultural and social environment.”

The fifth edition of the festival introduced four new events, each offering unique cultural and entertainment experience. The most notable was ‘Hadirat Baynounah’, which recreated an authentic heritage scene, where people gathered around storytellers to listen to captivating tales while enjoying Arabic coffee brewed over firewood. Another highlight, ‘Flavourful Nights’, featured live cooking sessions led by professional chefs and families from Al Dhafra. The ‘Musical Programme’ showcased performances by artists Qusai Almamari, Mohammed Al Munhali, and Khaled Mohamed, culminating in a grand concert by the ‘Arab Choir’.

For the third consecutive year, the ‘Poetry Nights: Voices Loved by People’ programme at the festival, was presented in a new format titled ‘The Poem Secret’. This event hosted renowned poets Sultan Al Refaisa, Ali Al Kindi Al Marar, and Abdulla Omar Al Mansoori. Additionally, a poetry session titled ‘Beyond the Poem’ was organised, with the participation of poets Rashed Al Futyma Al Mansoori, Hamdan AlSamahi, Sultan Bin Khleif Altunaiji, and media personality Mohamed Al Ameri.

WAM