The Congress of Arabic & Creative Industries is a global platform that brings together policymakers, investors, technology leaders, entrepreneurs and creative industry experts to unlock the commercial potential of Arabic across the creative and digital economies.
Organised by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre, part of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, the Congress explores the policies, investment models and technological innovations needed to transform Arabic content and intellectual property into scalable products and sustainable economic value.
Now in its fifth edition, under the theme "Arabic as Infrastructure: Identity, Knowledge and Economic Power in the Digital Age"
Confirmed participants include HE Anne-Claire Legendre, President of the Arab World Institute in Paris and the first woman to lead the institution in its four-decade history; Professor Andy Pratt, UNESCO Chair in Global Creative Economy, whose frameworks inform cultural-sector definitions used by UNESCO and UNCTAD; Roy Casagranda, the acclaimed historian and public intellectual; and celebrated Arabic music artist Hamza Namira, whose work has reached audiences of millions across the region and beyond.
The Congress will be hosted by Ahmed Amin, acclaimed actor and star of Paranormal, Netflix’s first Egyptian Arabic original series, and one of the early creators of Arabic content on YouTube.
The 2026 programme features a series of high-level conversations exploring some of the most pressing opportunities shaping the future of Arabic, including intellectual property, artificial intelligence, financing creative industries. Alongside the main stage programme, participants will gain practical insights through expert-led masterclasses, workshops and professional development sessions designed to equip creators, entrepreneurs and industry professionals with the skills needed to thrive in a rapidly evolving creative landscape.
