Logos Hope, the largest floating book fair in the world, has returned to the UAE Capital. The Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC), a part of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT – Abu Dhabi), organized the fair after the ship docked at Mina Zayed Port. This exhibition, which is free to attend and will run until June 4, offers bibliophiles a selection of over 5,000 titles at affordable prices. What makes Logos Hope remarkable is its crew of international volunteers from more than 65 nationalities, all dedicated to the shared purpose of sharing knowledge, help, and hope with people.
Ship captain Ionut Vlad, originally from Romania and with seven years of experience on board, expressed his gratitude for being able to visit Abu Dhabi. Having traveled to many countries, Vlad was humbled to find such a diverse range of nationalities in the UAE Capital, with over 200 nationalities present. He praised the culture of the Middle East, particularly that of the UAE, and expressed his eagerness to learn from the region.
Logos Hope’s visit coincides with the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, which will be held from May 22 to 28. During the opening remarks, Dr. Ali bin Tamim, ALC Chairman, described Logos Hope as a unique and beautiful story. He emphasized the ship’s contribution to Abu Dhabi’s cultural agenda, promoting a culture of reading and ensuring broad access to books and knowledge resources for all community members.
Over the next two weeks, the ship will host various workshops, discussions, interactive sessions, and cultural programs. The ALC’s programming includes a children’s story reading workshop by author Dr. Fatima Al Mazrouei, an Arabic calligraphy workshop by Saeed Al Amiri, a book discussion led by members of the ALC Reading Club, and a workshop on the history of literature and music presented by Iman Al Hashemi. During the opening ceremony, a team of volunteers performed a traditional South Korean dance.
