MBRF concludes participation in London Book Fair 2026

The Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation (MBRF) concluded its participation in the London Book Fair (LBF), which was held recently at Olympia London.

During the event, MBRF showcased diverse programmes and discussion sessions, attracting distinguished writers, researchers, and experts from across the knowledge sector.

MBRF’s active participation underscored its wide range of initiatives and efforts aimed at advancing global knowledge production and exchange.

It further opened new opportunities for collaboration with knowledge and academic institutions and international publishing houses.

Jamal Bin Huwaireb, CEO of MBRF, said: “Our participation in the LBF reflects our belief that creating sustainable knowledge societies requires strong international collaboration that brings together expertise and ideas, while encouraging innovation across diverse fields of knowledge. Furthermore, we are committed to reinforcing our presence across global knowledge platforms and opening new avenues of collaboration with international intellectual institutions.”

“This year’s fair provided a pivotal opportunity to exhibit our initiatives, exchange expertise, and explore partnership opportunities to boost knowledge generation and dissemination.”

During the LBF, the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Award (MBRKA) held a session featuring Dr. David M. Clark, an MBRKA laureate, and Prof. Nick Rawlins, a member of the MBRKA Advisory Board.

The session highlighted the significance of the MBRKA in fostering knowledge production and intellectual innovation.

It also explored the MBRKA’s global scope and its contributions to reinforcing knowledge as a major driver of sustainable development.

In addition, the Knowledge Lounge hosted a session titled “Writing Away from Home” featuring Yemeni-British novelist Dr. Hamdan Dammag, who highlighted his experience of writing as an expatriate and the challenges of maintaining cultural and linguistic identity in contexts of alienation. In another session titled “Poetry and the Love of Language,’ Iraqi-British writer Fay Nasir reflected on her experiences in writing and translation, emphasising the emotional relationship between language and identity and the role of poetry in expressing memory and nostalgia.

As part of the “KnowTalks” series, a session titled “Building Sustainable Urban Communities” was held featuring Dr. Cathy Garner, President of the World Capital Institute.

The session focused on how cities are transforming amid accelerating economic and environmental changes.

She stated that around 70% of the world’s population will live in cities by 2050, making them the hub for major decision-making regarding sustainability, justice, and resilience.

Dr. Cathy also underscored that cities consume the largest share of global energy and generate the majority of emissions due to population density, making them hubs of opportunity and challenges related to issues including heat stress, flooding, and pollution.

During its participation, MBRF also organized various meetings and discussions with leading knowledge entities and publishing houses to explore prospects for future collaboration across several fields. Recently, American University of Sharjah (AUS) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with MBRF to strengthen collaboration in research, knowledge exchange, capacity building, community engagement and professional development.

The partnership supports the UAE’s knowledge economy and advances Arabic as a language of scholarship and innovation.

The collaboration will be advanced through the Centre for Arab Studies and Islamic Civilisations (CASIC) at AUS, reflecting the centre’s role in fostering research and partnerships that deepen understanding of Arab and Islamic civilisations and their contemporary knowledge contributions.

Under the agreement, AUS and MBRF will pursue joint academic and research initiatives in areas of mutual interest including knowledge management, digital transformation, sustainability, future foresight and the role of artificial intelligence in knowledge dissemination, alongside efforts that support the preservation and development of Arabic in digital and scholarly contexts.