World cultures and innovations converge in 34th Abu Dhabi International Book Fair

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ABU DHABI, UAE, April 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The 34th Abu Dhabi International Book Fair (ADIBF), organised by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre, part of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, has launched its activities, offering a platform for cultures and innovations of the world to converge, interact, and explore new horizons of knowledge.

Continuing until 5 May 2025 under the theme ‘Knowledge Illuminates Our Community’, the fair brings 1,400 exhibitors from 96 countries, offering a comprehensive programme of 2,000 activities that cater to all community members, while spotlighting Caribbean culture as Guest of Honour, in recognition of its intellectual distinction and impact on global culture.

Moreover, ADIBF 2025 celebrates Ibn Sina as its Focus Personality, marking the 1,000-year anniversary of his book The Canon of Medicine, and highlighting his legacy as one of the scientists that contributed most to humanity’s advancement. It also features One Thousand and One Nights as Book of the World, underlining its timeless, cross-cultural, and enduring influence.

The fair welcomes 20 countries participating for the first time. It also introduces the ‘On the Path of Knowledge’ initiative, honours pioneers of Arab publishing, and welcomes prominent writers, thinkers, publishers, and content creators from the Arab region and the world to present various activities under five themes: Society, Fantasy, Sustainability, Arab Sciences, and Artificial Intelligence & Innovation. The exhibition also hosts the Poetry Majlis, which celebrates diverse poetic experiences with prominent poets, authors, and experts for 10 days.

Additionally, ADIBF 2025 hosts the third season of Podcast from Abu Dhabi, presenting high-quality content that discusses the evolving literary scene, while launching its inaugural ‘Digitising Creativity’ conference, which explores where AI and art intersect and how emerging technologies affect content creation.

Visitors can enjoy arts, entertainment, photography, and the World’s Cuisine experience, while children and youth can join workshops that blend learning and fun, with scientific and creative activities that develop their skills and strengthen their connection to their cultural heritage.

Meanwhile, the Under the Ghaf’s Shade experience offers readings from selected books, followed by book signings with guest authors, whereas the Business Lounge connects publishers and content creators to encourage collaboration in the industry.

Furthermore, the ADIBF Professional Programme offers a platform for supporting the publishing and creative industries, embracing the latest trends including AI and digital technologies. Meanwhile, the Digital Square offers activities and initiatives aimed at developing the publishing sector.

The ADIBF will launch initiatives to promote reading and creativity, and support the Arabic language, in line with the UAE and Abu Dhabi’s vision to nurture emerging literary talent, enrich the Arabic library, and build a community of avid readers, capable of producing Arabic content for the digital era.

Perenco Expands In Trinidad & Tobago

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News Americas, New York, NY, April 28, 2025: Perenco is set to expand its footprint in Trinidad and Tobago, having entered into an agreement with Woodside Energy to acquire its Greater Angostura producing oil and gas assets, along with key onshore facilities.

The acquisition, announced this week, includes two Woodside entities, their working interest, and operatorship of the 2(C) and 3(A) Production Sharing Contracts. The deal is expected to close by the third quarter of 2025.

Located in the shallow waters off northeast Trinidad, the Greater Angostura fields—developed through seven fixed platforms and additional subsea facilities—produce more than 300 million standard cubic feet of gas per day (MMSCFD) and approximately 50,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day. These assets represent around 12% of Trinidad and Tobago’s national gas production.

The acquisition strengthens Perenco’s existing presence in the Columbus Basin, positioning the Greater Angostura fields just 40 kilometers north of Perenco’s Teak, Samaan, and Poui (TSP) assets acquired in 2016.

“We are delighted to be further expanding our portfolio in Trinidad & Tobago,” said Armel Simondin, CEO of Perenco. “Following the recent safe and smooth transition of the CAFI perimeter to Perenco operatorship in late 2024, Perenco has proven itself to be a partner of choice to safeguard the Greater Angostura gas production for Trinidad & Tobago. We welcome the transferring employees to the Perenco family and look forward to an exciting new chapter together.”

Following the transaction, Perenco will consolidate a gross gas production base exceeding 500 MMSCFD, allowing for significant operational synergies, enhanced value, and further investment opportunities.

Since entering Trinidad and Tobago in 2016, Perenco has undertaken major modernization efforts at its TSP fields, electrifying operations and boosting gas production. The company recently expanded further with the late 2024 acquisition of the Cashima, Amherstia, Flamboyant, and Immortelle (CAFI) gas assets.

Perenco’s growing footprint underscores its commitment to supporting Trinidad and Tobago’s energy sector and enhancing local energy security.

Guyana’s Oil Output Climbs Year-On-Year

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News Americas, New York, NY, April 27, 2025: Guyana’s oil production saw a slight dip in March 2025, falling about 3% to 627,000 barrels per day (bpd) from the previous month. Yet, the small South American CARICOM nation continues to solidify its position as one of the region’s fastest-rising energy giants.

According to new data from the Ministry of Natural Resources, Guyana’s first-quarter production reached an impressive 631,000 bpd—3% higher than the same period last year, underscoring a strong year-on-year growth trend.

Now ranked as Latin America’s fifth-largest oil exporter, behind only Brazil, Mexico, Venezuela, and Colombia, Guyana is poised for even greater expansion. The country’s output is set to soar later this year with the start-up of Yellowtail, ExxonMobil’s fourth major offshore project. The addition of a new floating production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) vessel this month is expected to lift the nation’s oil capacity to an estimated 940,000 bpd.

The Guyanese government projects that by the fourth quarter of 2025, average daily output will rise sharply to around 786,000 bpd, cementing Guyana’s status as a critical player in the global energy market.

Meanwhile, ExxonMobil and its consortium partners are nearing final agreements with the government to relinquish portions of the vast Stabroek Block that have not been explored or yielded commercial finds. The government confirmed that at least 2,534 square kilometers (approximately 253,400 hectares) will be returned, creating opportunities for new entrants into Guyana’s booming energy sector.

Oil revenues are also on a robust trajectory. The Ministry of Finance reported $605.46 million earned from royalties and crude sales in the last quarter of 2024 alone, including proceeds from seven cargoes sold from the government’s share.

As global energy dynamics shift, Guyana’s consistent production growth and strategic resource management continue to position it as a rising powerhouse in the Americas, with even bigger gains on the horizon.

Three Caribbean Nations Named Global Leaders In Financial Transparency

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News Americas, New York, NY, April 28, 2025: Three Caribbean nations are making waves globally for their leadership in financial transparency and crime prevention, according to the newly released 2025 Nasdaq Global Financial and Economic Crime Outlook from the Secretariat Economic Crime Index (SECI).

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Dominica, and Barbados have been ranked among just 19 countries worldwide labeled “Transparent Titans” — a distinction awarded for strong enforcement, global compliance, financial integrity, and proactive cross-border risk management.

Saint Vincent and The Grenadines ranked at number one for the Caribbean among global “transparent titans” in the 2025 Nasdaq Global Financial and Economic Crime Outlook from the Secretariat Economic Crime Index.

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines secured the 14th spot globally, Dominica ranked 17th, and Barbados 19th. SECI scores for these nations ranged from 0 to 1.53, demonstrating their commitment to robust anti-financial crime frameworks, due diligence, and enforcement mechanisms.

These Caribbean countries stand shoulder-to-shoulder with global leaders such as Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Luxembourg, and Estonia, who top the 2025 list for their transparency and financial crime prevention efforts.

While governance and transparency typically lower financial crime risks, many financial hubs remain exposed due to the size and scope of their cross-border activity. Nonetheless, Saint Vincent, Dominica, and Barbados have risen to meet these challenges through proactive regulation and strict oversight.

Several other Caribbean nations also performed commendably, landing among the “Vigilant Players” — a category for countries actively strengthening financial crime regulations. St. Lucia, Grenada, The Bahamas, Trinidad and Tobago, the Dominican Republic, and Jamaica were all listed in this group, with SECI scores between 1.54 and 2.18.

Meanwhile, Guyana and Suriname were categorized as “Reactive Reformers,” highlighting the need for accelerated regulatory reforms to combat illicit financial flows and systemic economic crime risks.

“Countries must catch up to the rapidly evolving financial crime landscape,” the report urged. “By sharing transparency and working together, we can unmask criminal networks and hold bad actors accountable.”

The Secretariat called for stronger cross-border collaboration and reinforced regulatory frameworks to build a safer, more resilient global financial system.