Abu Dhabi: The 33rd Abu Dhabi International Book Fair (ADIBF) kicked off today and will continue until 5th May, organised by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre.

Held under the patronage of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the book fair will host 1350 publishers from 90 countries, 140 of which are participating for the first time.

The Abu Dhabi International Book Fair 2024 will be welcoming 12 countries participating for the first time, namely, Greece, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Pakistan, Cyprus, Mozambique, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Brazil.

The event offers the audience a diverse set of activities and cultural events, and this year's edition will see a comprehensive digital payment system implemented for the first time in the fair's history.

This year's exhibition hosts the Arab Republic of Egypt as the Guest of Honour to engage the audience with a rich and diverse cultural programme reflecting its intellectual, knowledge, and civilisational history.

The ADIBF has also chosen renowned Arab and international novelist Naguib Mahfouz as the "Focus Personality" of this year's edition in recognition of his significant role and achievements that have long drawn attention to Arab culture and Arabic novels. This year's fair celebrates the first Arab author to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, making an undeniable impact with his literary works.