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ABU DHABI/GULF TIME
On April 26, 2025, the 34th Abu Dhabi International Book Fair was grandly opened at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre. This book fair is like a bridge across time and space, since the Chinese publishing industry carried out the civilizational exchanges between China and Arab countries with abundant books for the Silk Road and, in the spirit of “Cultural Caravan”, bolstering the spread of Chinese books and wisdom among different cultures.
At this fair, around 11 publishing houses, including China Education Publishing & Media Group and People’s Publishing House, displayed nearly a thousand high-quality publications, to mainly promote General Secretary Xi Jinping’s works and their related study materials in Chinese and Arabic, to the mainstream Arab society, and display high-quality China-themed books, including General Secretary Xi Jinping’s works and their related study materials in Chinese and foreign languages, Chinese original science fiction books, books commemorating the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Anti-Fascist War, translations of Chinese and Arabic classics, Chinese Painting Series Throughout History, Chinese Yearly Books of 2024, as well as other exquisite books and series in China. Particularly, it introduced contemporary Chinese literature (including children’s literature) that aligns with the reading preferences of Arab readers. A lot of Arab readers stopped at the Chinese exhibition booths to browse the exhibited books, and even bought books on the spot.
The “Cultural Caravan” of Chinese publishers not only brought a wealth of book resources but also facilitated the cultural exchange between Chinese and Arab civilizations through a series of carefully planned cultural activities. For example, the China-Arab Educational Publishing Exchange Conference injected new vitality into the cooperation in the education sector between the two countries. The Chinese Language Talent Competition in UAE schools provided a platform for local students to showcase their achievements in learning Chinese, and allow the charm of the Chinese language to shine in a foreign country. The China-Arab Copyright Trade Negotiation facilitated the friendly exchanges and win-win development between copyright managers from both sides, promoting the output of the copyrights for several high-quality Chinese works, and enabling the essence of the Chinese culture to transcend borders and embrace the world. The launch of the Arabic version of the Tang Sulan’s Picture Book Series allowed the Chinese culture to spread among the new generation of Arab readers. The well-organized China-Arab Calligraphy Workshop provided an opportunity for Arab readers to experience the profound charm of Chinese calligraphy art and learn to use brush, ink, paper, and ink-stone, as if they were engaged in a spiritual dialogue with ancient Chinese literati crossing time and space.
It is reported that the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair was founded at first in 1991, and hosted by the Department of Culture and Tourism of Abu Dhabi and specifically organized by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre. It is one of the largest and most influential international book fairs in the West Asia and North Africa region.