Emirati melodies open 35th Abu Dhabi International Book Fair
The Abu Dhabi International Book Fair launched its 35th edition at ADNEC with a ceremony that fused Emirati song, visual arts and a new theatrical tribute to linguist Al Khalil ibn Ahmad Al Farahidi.
Emirati music and theatre herald the 35th ADIBF
Abu Dhabi opened the 35th edition of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair with a ceremony that married memory and identity through music, visual art and stagecraft. Held on the Don Quixote stage at the ADNEC Centre, the event foregrounded Emirati melodies and patriotic songs as a throughline connecting the nation’s cultural past with its future aspirations.
Organisers traced the Fair’s origins to the early ambitions of the Union and its initial launch by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. The opening programme revisited the long list of Guest of Honour countries and commemorated the Arab intellectuals and cultural figures who have marked the event over three decades, presenting a concise panorama of the Fair’s evolving international and regional reach.
A video presentation brought together Emirati poets and artists to discuss the evolution and significance of national songs. Speakers considered how these compositions articulate feelings of love and loyalty, and their continuing role in preserving Emirati identity amid rapid social and cultural change.
The ceremony closed with a theatrical production staged at the Fair for the first time: Al Khalil’s Metaphor: The Legend of Love and Survival. The play drew on the life and work of Al Khalil ibn Ahmad Al Farahidi, chosen this year as the Fair’s Focus Personality, and sought to introduce contemporary audiences to the intellectual roots of the Arabic language.
The Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre selected Al Farahidi in recognition of his foundational contribution to Arabic prosody and lexicography. The Focus Personality presentation underlined the Fair’s commitment to reconnecting new generations with the seminal figures who shaped Arabic scholarship and to sustaining the language’s cultural heritage.
Throughout the opening, the interplay of music, film and drama served as a reminder that culture is both a repository of memory and a living form of expression. The ceremony reaffirmed Abu Dhabi’s role as a capital of culture and learning, and its ongoing investment in platforms that foster literary, linguistic and artistic exchange.
The 35th Abu Dhabi International Book Fair continues through 18 September 2026, offering a programme of talks, performances and exhibits that reflect its long-standing position as a global forum for cultural and intellectual dialogue.
Source: WAM