Abu Dhabi's Congress of Arabic and Creative Industries Set to Tackle AI, Gaming, and the Future of the Creative Economy

The fifth iteration of the Congress of Arabic and Creative Industries in Abu Dhabi will explore critical topics including the value of Arabic intellectual property, the development of Arabic-language AI tools, and innovative financing methods for the region's creative sectors. Hosted at Manarat Al Saadiyat with free entry upon registration, the event brings together policymakers, authors, technologists, content creators, and investors for a day of keynotes, panel discussions, and masterclasses. Egyptian singer-songwriter Hamza Namira is slated to perform in the evening following a discussion about his craft.

Organised by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre under the theme Arabic as Infrastructure: Language, Identity and Economic Power in the Digital Age, the congress aims to address regional and international growth for Arabic creative industries. Key sessions include Arabic Content Value and IP, which will focus on commercial value, book rights, transmedia franchises, game localisation, and licensing agreements.

Anne-Claire Legendre, president of Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris, will participate in her first official speaking engagement in the region since her appointment, joining the opening session titled Arabic Language and Identity in a Changing World to discuss how language and culture adapt to new digital technologies. Meanwhile, the session titled Financing Arabic Creative Industries will address investment gaps across the Middle East and North Africa with insights from Anghami co-founder Eddy Maroun, Global Ventures founder and managing partner Noor Sweid, and Egyptian screenwriter and producer Mohamed Hefzy.

Additional sessions will examine interactive learning and gamification through How Gamification Can Bring Language, Learning and Culture to Life, while historian and author Roy Casagranda will deliver The Linguistic Interconnectivity of the Mediterranean. Mubarak Al Nakhi, undersecretary at the UAE Ministry of Culture, will lead a special session concerning the UAE’s forthcoming Arabic Language Law in 2027.

The masterclass lineup features Egyptian actor, writer, and producer Ahmed Amin leading Writing Arabic Comedy for Digital, and American novelist and scriptwriter Todd Gallicano hosting From Storylines to Story Words. Further technical workshops include Human Stories, Smart Tools: A Mobile Journalism Masterclass, Dubbing in the Age of AI, and How to Create a Global IP. The congress takes place on September 20 at Manarat Al Saadiyat, Abu Dhabi.