Following the success of the first Arabian Nights conference in Madrid earlier this year, we worked closely with the Sheikh Zayed Book Award to organise the next conference in the series, in collaboration with Keio University, Tokyo. The conference held in October 2024 and hosted by the Sheikh Zayed Book Award (SZBA) and the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC), brought together leading experts to share their work with a wide and engaged audience of students, academics, experts, members of the public and stakeholders.
The conference series promotes cross-cultural dialogue between the Arabic speaking world and the international academic community. The Arabian Nights have captured imaginations across the world for centuries, influencing all cultural genres including literature, cinema, music and more. Their timeless appeal draws from universal themes, and encourages us to acknowledge the soft power of culture.
The conferences were attended by a delegation from Abu Dhabi, including HE Dr Ali bin Tamim, Chairman of ALC and Secretary General of SZBA, HE Saeed Hamdan Al Tunaiji, Acting Executive Director at ALC, and Abdulrahman Mohamed Alnaqbi, Director of Literary Awards at ALC.
The Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre, part of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, focuses on the advancement of the Arabic language. It established the famed Sheikh Zayed Book Award, which honours writers, publishers, and intellectuals who promote and enrich the development of Arab literature and culture.
Collaborating with Keio University and with experts in the field of Arabic literature studies, we provided strategic event planning, on-site event management and media and stakeholder outreach to amplify the conferences’ reach and impact.
Alongside the conferences, we curated itineraries in Tokyo for the SZBA delegation and organised meetings with key cultural institutions, including the University of Tokyo and the Japan Foundation in Tokyo, fostering new relationships between SZBA and global stakeholders.
We are thrilled to further our collaboration with the Sheikh Zayed Book Award in 2025, in the lead-up to the Award’s 20th anniversary in 2026, and as always we are proud to contribute to the promotion of Arab literature and culture across the globe.
