Abu Dhabi: – The Chinese newspaper "People's Daily" described the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair as "one of the largest and most influential book fairs in the Middle East."

In its coverage of the 33rd edition of the fair, organised by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre from April 29 to May 5, the "People's Daily," the official newspaper of the People's Republic of China, dedicated significant space to discuss the event. This edition saw the largest Chinese participation in any book fair in the world, with 120 Chinese publishers spread across nine pavilions covering an area of 500 square metres. The largest pavilion showcased cultural industries and intangible cultural heritage, with the participation of nine institutions from six Chinese provinces.

The newspaper, which sells 3 to 4 million copies daily, covered the participation programme under the theme " Where the World’s Tales Unfold," which included 15 cultural, professional, and artistic events. Among them was the launch of 20 new books translated from Chinese into Arabic for the first time, notably the book "Belt and Road Initiative," launched by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013, the first of its kind in an Arab capital.

The newspaper quoted a speech by His Excellency Dr. Ali Bin Tamim, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre, at the fair, in which he said: "The Abu Dhabi International Book Fair is an important event for cultural exchange, and it jointly tells stories from all over the world." He emphasized that the book "Belt and Road Initiative" will help enhance dialogue between different civilizations, strengthen people-to-people relations between Arabs and China, and enhance shared development."

China's participation in the fair included the organisation of the Arab-Chinese Publishing and Translation Rights Exchange Forum, seminars on the latest artificial intelligence technologies in the field of publishing, and the "Chinese Language Talents in the UAE" competition for Abu Dhabi school students.

Over the past five years, the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair has topped the list of Arab fairs with the highest number of Chinese participants, becoming the only fair for which the Chinese government issue circulars encouraging publishers and companies to attend.

The People's Republic of China was the guest of honour at the 27th edition of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair in 2017.

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