The Abu Dhabi International Book Fair is off to a furious start.
Being held at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre until Sunday, the annual event hasn't followed the slow-boil pattern usually seen at book fairs.
By noon the halls were teaming with school students, authors, government officials, diplomats and a Nobel laureate.
Guido Imbens, the Dutch-American winner of the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize for Economics, was spotted wandering the halls with a tote bag and admiring pavilions big and small.
Speaking of these structures, the German section befits the country’s standing as the book fair’s guest of honour for the second consecutive year.
What to expect inside
Located in Hall 8, it is the first pavilion you see upon entering the red carpeted VIP guests' entrance.
The 400-square-metre space has a mini three-tiered amphitheatre and ample meeting spaces where 34 German publishers are on hand to showcase their titles and hopefully land some deals for translations and regional distribution.
Willing these cultural ambassadors is the German ambassador to the UAE himself, Ernst Peter Fischer, who officially opened Germany's participation at the book fair.
“We are back with a bigger and better stand,” he says. “We have been part of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair each year since 2008, so we are regular and happy guests and customers.
“I think it is meaningful and important that Abu Dhabi is presenting itself as a centre of literature and reading. From that flows ideas, discussion and debate.”
Networking among publishers
Admiring the pageantry from his cosy stand is Qassim Al Tarras, the general manager of Syria’s Pioneers Publishing House.
“I have been coming here to the Abu Dhabi Book Fair since 2008 and the first few days are always exciting,” he says.
“You see old and new faces and it makes you motivated to do a good job.”
Al Tarras’s stand maybe a cubbyhole in comparison to the German pavilion, but he is confident his innovative catalogue will attract its fair share of book lovers.
His secret weapon, he says, is a well-stocked shelf of Arabic translations of Turkish novels, including works by bestselling author Sule Yuksel Senler.
“This is a field that I have been getting into over the past few years and the potential is great. This is because the Arabic and Turkish cultures are not so different when it comes to tradition and family.
“So if you are an Arab reader, you don’t feel like you are making too much of a mental leap when identifying with the plot.”
Gamification comes to the Abu Dhabi Book Fair
With the weekdays normally dedicated to school groups aged 16 and above, educational pavilions are where most of the action is during the mornings and early afternoons.
An eye-catching exhibition is dedicated to the UAE Space Agency’s Mission to Mars and includes a medium-sized replica of the red planet that changes colour.
The Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge also introduced a technological element to its programming this year.
A shower of Arabic letters in a futuristic font is suspended above, as students undertake quizzes, presented in the form of computer games, to identify a favourite genre.
"We do believe that there is no such thing as a young person who dislikes reading, it only means they haven't found the right book yet," event experience manager Dana Alyazeedi tells The National.
"We have introduced gamification to the book fair for the first time in that they can have an interactive experience that they can enjoy.
“We just want to encourage kids to read and we want to help them figure out where to begin that book journey and hopefully make that journey of discovery fun and exciting.”
At the interactive pavilion dedicated to the book fair's Cultural Personality of the Year, Taher Hussein, the deep voice of the 20th-century author wafts from the speakers with a message of encouragement for all involved in the book fair.
We need "more people who love knowledge for the sake of knowledge and discovery ... I think that will preserve the important role of arts and culture".
More information on the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair is available at adbookfair.com
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
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The specs
Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed
Power: 271 and 409 horsepower
Torque: 385 and 650Nm
Price: from Dh229,900 to Dh355,000
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
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COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Letstango.com
Started: June 2013
Founder: Alex Tchablakian
Based: Dubai
Industry: e-commerce
Initial investment: Dh10 million
Investors: Self-funded
Total customers: 300,000 unique customers every month
The distance learning plan
Spring break will be from March 8 - 19
Public school pupils will undergo distance learning from March 22 - April 2. School hours will be 8.30am to 1.30pm
Staff will be trained in distance learning programmes from March 15 - 19
Teaching hours will be 8am to 2pm during distance learning
Pupils will return to school for normal lessons from April 5
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
The bio
Job: Coder, website designer and chief executive, Trinet solutions
School: Year 8 pupil at Elite English School in Abu Hail, Deira
Role Models: Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk
Dream City: San Francisco
Hometown: Dubai
City of birth: Thiruvilla, Kerala
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
Essentials
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct from the UAE to Geneva from Dh2,845 return, including taxes. The flight takes 6 hours.
The package
Clinique La Prairie offers a variety of programmes. A six-night Master Detox costs from 14,900 Swiss francs (Dh57,655), including all food, accommodation and a set schedule of medical consultations and spa treatments.
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If you go...
Fly from Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Chiang Mai in Thailand, via Bangkok, before taking a five-hour bus ride across the Laos border to Huay Xai. The land border crossing at Huay Xai is a well-trodden route, meaning entry is swift, though travellers should be aware of visa requirements for both countries.
Flights from Dubai start at Dh4,000 return with Emirates, while Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi start at Dh2,000. Local buses can be booked in Chiang Mai from around Dh50
The specs: 2019 Aston Martin DBS Superleggera
Price, base: Dh1.2 million
Engine: 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 725hp @ 6,500pm
Torque: 900Nm @ 1,800rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.3L / 100km (estimate)
THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
