The 28th edition of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair (ADIBF) , held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, concluded on Tuesday, 1 May 2018, in Abu Dhabi.
The event covering an area of 35,000 sqmt hosted 1,350 exhibitors from 63 countries who brought 500,000 books in more than 35 languages to the fair. ADIBF also organised 830 seminars and dialogue sessions. Poland was the ‘Country of Honor’ this year, through which ADIBF shed light on Poland’s vibrant literary landscape, which benefits from being a melting pot of many European cultures.
The Fair celebrated the Late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the UAE’s founding father, as the ‘Personality of the Year’ and highlighted his exceptional vision, good deeds and contributions in all fields, as part of the celebration of 2018 as the “Year of Zayed”, recognising his belief in the key role of education and culture in personal growth and development.
For the first time ever, the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi offered visitors to ADIBF an electronic card to register their attendance on one of three platforms – the ADIBF website, the ADIBF mobile app, and events registration. The service aimed to meticulously record visitor numbers to the fair.