Mohammed Bin Rashid Library engages youth at ADNEC during MEFCC 2026
At the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, the library sponsored the Readers’ Corner, promoted its Young Adults collection and unveiled an Arabic edition of the graphic novel Global.
Mohammed Bin Rashid Library concluded its first participation at Middle East Film & Comic Con (MEFCC) 2026, which took place at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC). The library acted as the official sponsor of the Readers’ Corner, presenting a programme of activities designed to bring reading and visual storytelling to new audiences.
Dr. Mohammed Salem AlMazrooei, Board Member at Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Library Foundation, said: “Our first participation in Middle East Film & Comic Con reflects our vision of bringing knowledge to audiences in spaces that reflect their interests, while building new bridges with youth as partners in shaping the cultural and creative landscape and the future of knowledge.”
Young Adults Library and Arabic graphic novels
The library used the ADNEC platform to highlight its Young Adults Library, a curated collection that the foundation describes as spanning novels, fiction, science fiction, arts, graphic novels, comics and manga. The collection contains more than 20,000 books and is supplemented by digital resources, services and cultural programmes aimed at younger readers.
An important strand of the library’s presence at MEFCC was its effort to broaden Arabic-language offerings in comics. AlMazrooei noted the institution’s translation of the graphic novel Global into Arabic as part of that commitment: the initiative seeks to bring the comics medium closer to Arab youth in their own language and to widen its availability across the region.
Workshops and visitor engagement
The library’s pavilion at ADNEC attracted steady engagement from visitors, who were informed about membership benefits and the services offered through the Young Adults Library. Programming included an interactive workshop led by Italian illustrator Giovanni Rigano, who worked through the stages and tools of comic creation with participants.
Rigano explained the practical process to attendees: “We went through the process of building an illustrated page step by step, starting with studying the characters and backgrounds, organising the visual and narrative elements, and integrating them to present a complete and coherent story to the reader.”
Mohammed Bin Rashid Library’s appearance at the Abu Dhabi-held convention underlines its strategy of meeting audiences in cultural spaces frequented by younger generations and of using festivals and exhibitions to promote literacy, creative practice and access to knowledge.