The third edition of the International Translation Conference with the theme "Artificial Intelligence: Translation and the Enrichment of National Libraries" commenced today at the National Library and Archives (NLA) in Abu Dhabi.

Abdullah Majid Al Ali, Director-General of the NLA, expressed the UAE's commitment to enriching Arab libraries and showcasing Arab civilization to other cultures. He emphasised the significance of this objective in creating a positive image for the country. The NLA is responsible for organising the international conference, which is a crucial milestone in their journey towards the UAE Centennial 2071, he added.

Al Ali further highlighted the importance of artificial intelligence in the development of translation systems, particularly in today's critical era. In his speech, Zaki Nusseibeh, Cultural Advisor to the UAE President and Chancellor of UAE University (UAEU), shared his personal experience as a translator and interpreter for the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan over four decades, highlighting the art of translation.

During the concluding session of the first day, Professor Siddiq Gohar, a translation expert at the National Library and Archives, gave a speech titled "The Interfaces and Trajectories of Translation in the Arab World: A Socio-Historical Perspective."

Dr. Ivan H. Jimenez Williams of University of Abuja, Nigeria, presented a paper on “Avatars in Translation: The Pros and Cons of Using AI in Emirati Films.’’, while Professor Labidi Bouabdallah and Dr. Haitham Zeinhom (Mohamed Bin Zayed University for Humanities) presented a paper titled:’’ Towards a New Theory in Machine Translation: The Contribution of Etymological Relations between Vernacular and Classical Arabic in the Translation of Colloquial Dialects”.

A paper on “Translation mand its role in Acculturating and Preserving the Arab Knowledge Heritage” was presented by Dr. Ahmed Abdel Moneim Aqili of (Umm Al Qaiwain University.

The conference serves as a platform for a multilingual scientific and academic forum that brings together elite researchers from all around the world in various fields of translation studies. It features professors from major universities in North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa, as well as local and regional universities and research centres.