Participants confirm that the Al Dhafra Book Festival is a pioneering platform for promoting cultural dialogue

Abu Dhabi, January 25 / WAM / Participants in the Al Dhafra Book Festival, organized by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Center, praised its role in supporting the national publishing industry, providing an interactive space that brings together publishers to exchange experiences, providing more opportunities to build partnerships, embracing Emirati talent in various literary sectors, and helping them promote their publications and communicate directly with the public.

They stressed the importance of the festival and its effective role in achieving a number of goals aimed at supporting the publishing sector and improving the national and Arab cultural reality.

Omar Abdul Rahman Al Hurghada, spokesman for the Al Watan Fund, explained that the Fund was keen to participate in the Al Dhafra Book Festival this season because of the high cultural and heritage value it holds, noting that the Fund, which is participating in the festival for the first time, is an Emirati community initiative that works to qualify and empower Emirati youth. Its pavilion displays a group of his most important books and publications, which revolve entirely around national identity and Emirati heritage, the most prominent of which are: “A Vibrant National Identity,” “Al-Sanaa among Emirati Poets,” and the story “Let’s Read with Hamdoun.”

He praised the festival, which supports creative people and promotes books in an innovative way through various activities and distinguished organization, pointing to the great interaction of the people of Al Dhafra, and their attendance at the activities and programs held at Sandooq Al Watan under the slogan “A Cohesive Family in a Changing World,” which provides them with free publications that include pamphlets, books, and stories that reflect Emirati identity and heritage.

Abdul Aziz Al Maamari – Director of the Libraries Department at Mohammed bin Zayed University for the Humanities, expressed his pride in participating in the Al Dhafra Book Festival, noting that the university’s participation in this distinguished event comes as an extension of its cognitive and societal role, and its keenness to interact within an ideal space for cultural dialogue and to introduce its scientific and literary production, its research initiatives, its scientific and literary journals, and its international conferences, in addition to displaying its publications, in a way that enhances its presence in the national cultural scene and deepens its impact in the knowledge industry.

He said that the festival supports the national publishing industry, provides spaces to meet and exchange experiences, and represents an effective national platform to support the publishing industry, especially as it allows participants to display the latest releases in various fields, and enhances direct communication with the public, in addition to creating a fertile environment for the exchange of experiences between writers, writers and publishers, noting that the festival consolidates the position of the Al Dhafra region as a vibrant cultural center, supports the development of the publishing sector, and enhances the presence of culture in society.

Mira Al Mansouri, a publisher at Zad Publishing and Training and a children’s story writer, expressed her happiness at participating in the festival for the first time, as this year she displayed more than 10 books written by her dedicated to children, in addition to providing specialized training programs.

Al Mansouri stressed that the festival, in which 110 local publishing houses participate, is a valuable opportunity that must be taken advantage of, as it allows publishers and writers to introduce themselves, their publications and services, and build direct relationships with the public. She added that her participation in the event contributed to introducing the public to the publications and training programs it offers.

Poet, writer and content maker Abdulaziz bin Musa expressed his happiness at participating in the Al Dhafra Book Festival, describing it as a diverse cultural, social and heritage forum that combines culture, reading, arts, crafts and workshops, in addition to music, heritage programmes, poetry, cooking and popular food.

He stressed that the Al Dhafra Book Festival provided him with a fertile environment to meet with the creative talents of writers and publishers, and also enabled him to produce several media materials in one location, stressing that the festival supports writers, creators and media professionals, and at the same time preserves the authentic Emirati character, with broad participation from government, private and charitable agencies.

Ahmed Rajab, publisher of Nabd Al Qalam Publishing, said that this edition of the Al Dhafra Book Festival was marked by a remarkable development in terms of organization and a great demand for purchases. He was keen to present to the public more than 120 titles directed at children, noting that this demand reflects a growing cultural awareness among society, and the role of these festivals in supporting the national publishing industry.

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