Menassah Distribution Company is presenting more than 1,000 Emirati titles at the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, which opened on September 13 at the ADNEC Centre, according to the Emirates News Agency. The 35th edition of the fair runs through September 18 and features exhibitors from 95 countries along with more than 1,500 cultural events, a WAM report stated. Organised by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre under the theme Turn the Page, Read the World, the gathering includes new initiatives such as the National Gathering of Emirati Writers and Intellectuals to address challenges in the publishing sector. The participation highlights the diversity of local literary production across genres ranging from literature to specialised knowledge fields.
The platform operated by Menassah aims to connect Emirati publishers with international counterparts and readers, the Emirates News Agency reported. This appearance continues a series of engagements that have taken the company to fairs in Indonesia, Ajman and Riyadh earlier in the year. Such steps seek to facilitate rights exchanges while increasing the availability of Emirati works both regionally and globally.
The Arab Publishers Association reported that book production in the UAE climbed to 3,021 titles in 2023, up from 1,727 the year before, signalling steady sector expansion. A separate study by the association placed the UAE among active contributors to Arab publishing totals that reached 93,000 new titles across the region during the same period. These gains have coincided with policy measures that have encouraged local houses, now numbering more than 100, to participate in domestic and overseas events.
The Ministry of Culture released the UAE National Reading Index for 2025, which surveyed more than 3,300 citizens and residents and found that 91.9 percent of writers prefer Emirati literature. The same study showed that 75 percent of respondents view local works as reflective of the national cultural and social environment, an increase from 60 percent in the prior survey. Printed book readership averaged six titles per year while digital and audio formats reached nine on average, indicating evolving consumption patterns.
Menassah has maintained a consistent schedule of fair participations throughout 2025 and 2026, according to multiple WAM dispatches. At the Indonesia International Book Fair the company displayed 498 titles from 87 publishers while the Jeddah International Book Fair featured 725 titles from 104 houses. These activities have collectively placed thousands of copies before regional audiences and supported distribution agreements that extend the footprint of Emirati content.
The current Abu Dhabi fair also spotlights Emirati publications funded through the National Grant Programme for Culture and Creativity, a WAM assessment found. Book signings and displays of award-winning works in calligraphy form part of the schedule at various pavilions. The event further introduces the Emirati Pioneers initiative to document contributions by leading cultural figures, beginning with Mohammed Al Murr.
