TRENDS Research & Advisory continues its dynamic presence and activities at the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair 2025 for the seventh consecutive day, through its AI-enhanced pavilion in Hall 10, which bridges the past and the future and showcases around 350 research publications that span various fields of knowledge, offering analysis, insight, and global foresight.

On the seventh day, the center’s pavilion witnessed intensive visits from officials, thinkers, and academics, who learned about the center’s publications and its various departments.

Future Researcher Awards

The pavilion of TRENDS Research & Advisory, the Platinum Sponsor of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair 2025, hosted a special ceremony to honor the winners of the Future Researcher Awards. The competition was held under the theme “Empowering Young Minds to Lead Through Research” and targeted students from grades 1 to 12 with the aim of encouraging scientific inquiry, nurturing curiosity, and promoting youth contributions to a better future.

Talented students participated in the competition, presenting innovative research projects across various fields. A specialized jury evaluated the submissions based on rigorous criteria, and the winners were announced and honored in a joyful ceremony held at the TRENDS pavilion.

Training Program Graduation

TRENDS Research & Advisory also celebrated the graduation of a new cohort from the research training program organized by the TRENDS International Training Institute. The graduates received certificates of appreciation for successfully completing the program, which aims to develop scientific research skills among youth and emerging researchers.

Money for Terrorism

TRENDS’ pavilion at the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair also witnessed the signing of two new publications. The first is “Money for Terrorism” by Senator Nathalie Goulet, member of the French Senate and Vice Chairperson of the Law Committee. This updated and expanded edition offers an in-depth and comprehensive analysis of the various methods terrorist networks use to finance their operations.

Goulet explains that terrorist financing goes beyond illicit activities to include seemingly legal ones such as real estate purchases, online fundraising, financial investments, and even the acquisition of artworks. She stresses the urgent need to rigorously combat fraud, tax evasion, and money laundering in order to address this evolving and complex threat.

This book serves as a key reference for understanding the mechanisms of terrorist financing and how to combat them effectively, especially given the growing sophistication of funding methods. It is worth noting that Nathalie Goulet was one of the first to warn of the dangers of jihadist financing; she called for a Senate inquiry committee on the issue six months before the Charlie Hebdo attacks and went on to co-chair it.

The Emirati Experience

The second book is “The Emirati Experience: Roots and Development” by H.E. Ali Abdullah Mohammed Al-Ahmad, Assistant Undersecretary for Policy and Defense Communications at the Ministry of Defense. The book aims to explore the key milestones of the UAE’s journey across various fields. It offers a journey that begins with the founding of the state in 1971 and the adoption of the federal system, tracing the strategic challenge of the post-oil era, and culminating in the country’s remarkable achievements in human development and its unique model of balancing heritage and modernity.

The book also examines the soft power tools the UAE has developed, including most notably diplomacy, which enabled the country to play an influential regional and international role and to position itself as a key global player.