5th Al Dhafra Book Festival to be held in Abu Dhabi under Hamdan's patronage

Photo : Abu Dhabi Media Office

The fifth Al Dhafra Book Festival will take place in Abu Dhabi from 9 to 15 December 2024. It will be held at Madinat Zayed Public Park in Al Dhafra and is supported by Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who represents the ruler of the Al Dhafra area.

The theme of this year's festival is "Al Dhafra: Celebrating a Cultural Legacy." Over 100 local and Arab publishing companies will participate, bringing more than 50,000 books to the event. This year, the number of publishers joining the festival has doubled compared to last year.

The festival will feature over 200 events that aim to connect the UAE’s culture with families and children. The goal is to encourage reading and explore the history of the region. Dr. Ali bin Tamim, head of Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre, said that the festival has played a big role in inspiring children and promoting reading.

There will be new activities this year. One of these is called Hadirat Baynounah. It is inspired by the old tradition of gathering to hear stories from a storyteller. Visitors will also enjoy live music performances, including a special concert by the Arab Choir. They will perform famous poems by Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the first president of the UAE.

Other events at the festival include live cooking shows with professional chefs and Junior League sports competitions for children. These sports events will happen in partnership with Al Dhafra Sports and Cultural Club.

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Another exciting event will be Poetry Nights: Voices Loved by People. This will celebrate poets and artists from the Al Dhafra region. There will also be workshops for children and sessions specially designed for People of Determination to ensure everyone can join the fun.

The festival will also have the Golden Narrative (Sard Al Thahab) award ceremony at Al Dhafra Fort. This award honors the art of storytelling and celebrates talented writers and narrators from the Arab world.

The Al Dhafra Book Festival is much more than just a book fair. It combines culture, tradition, history, and fun activities for families and visitors. Many organizations are helping with the festival, including Al Dhafra Region Municipality, Lenador Systems (a technology company), Zayed Higher Organisation for People of Determination, and Al Dhafra Sports and Cultural Club.

This festival is a great way to experience learning, culture, and fun, making it a special event for all visitors. Families, children, and everyone else are invited to join this celebration and enjoy all the events planned for the week.