The 35th Abu Dhabi International Book Fair opens today, 13 September, turning ADNEC into six days of books, children’s activities, cultural programmes, publishing discussions and international storytelling.
The fair runs until 18 September 2026 at ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi, with public opening hours from 9am to 10pm each day.
This year’s edition brings together around 1,200 exhibitors from 95 countries, including seven countries participating for the first time, alongside more than 1,500 events and activities.
For families, students and general readers, the useful approach is not to try to see everything.
Pick the parts of the fair that actually match why you are going.
Families: look beyond the book stalls
Parents can certainly use the fair to buy books, but the programme is much broader than shopping.
Educational sessions, storytelling activities, performances and creative workshops run throughout the week.
Today’s programme alone includes a children’s session titled “What Is the Story Telling Us?”, along with music, cultural events and food-related programmes later in the evening.
Families with younger children may therefore get more from the visit by checking the programme first and planning around one or two activities rather than simply walking through every hall.
There is a major book discount this year
One practical reason to visit is a 35% discount on books and publications from participating exhibitors throughout the fair.
The Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre says the discount is being applied through the fair’s authorised digital payment system.
That could make the event particularly worthwhile for families building a children’s library, students buying reading material or regular readers planning several purchases.
Still, compare editions and prices rather than buying something simply because it carries a fair discount.
Students can use the fair differently
For students, the fair can be more than somewhere to buy textbooks.
The programme covers literature, languages, publishing, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, education and creative industries.
That gives students interested in media, writing, translation, design, education and digital content an opportunity to see how those fields operate beyond the classroom.
The fair is also hosting 37 educational institutions, according to the official event information.
Professionals should look at the publishing programme
The professional programme explores subjects including:
AI, digital transformation, intellectual property, translation, rights exchange and changing reader behaviour.
Those topics are relevant not only to publishers.
People working in communications, media, education, content creation, design and technology may also find useful discussions about how the content industry is changing.
Again, attending a session should be treated as professional learning and networking — not as an automatic job opportunity.
What is different about the 35th edition?
The fair was originally expected earlier in the year but was moved to 13–18 September following consultations with publishers, international partners and UAE authorities.
This edition is being held under the theme “Turn the Page, Read the World”, with the programme built around global cultural dialogue, innovation and live cultural experiences.
The Balkans are the Guest of Honour culture, while the fair also highlights scholar Al-Khalil ibn Ahmad Al-Farahidi and Miguel de Cervantes’ Don Quixote as major cultural reference points in this year’s programme.
Before you go
The simplest plan is:
- choose the day that suits your family;
- check that day’s programme before leaving;
- note the sessions you actually want to attend;
- allow enough time for browsing;
- compare book prices and editions; and
- recheck session times because programmes can change.
The official calendar is already live with day-by-day event times. Abu Dhabi International Book Fair programme
MalluMetro Take
The Abu Dhabi International Book Fair works best when it is treated as more than a very large bookstore.
A family may go for children’s activities.
A student may discover a field they had not considered.
A professional may attend a discussion on AI or publishing.
And someone else may simply spend an evening browsing books from around the world.
With 1,500+ activities and six days available, there is no reason to try to do everything.
Choose what interests you, leave time to wander, and let the fair surprise you a little.