Abu Dhabi, UAE - 20 November 2024 – In line with its commitment to keeping up with technological advancements, Al Ain Book Festival, which kicked off its 15th edition on Sunday (17 November 2024), is now offering visitors the opportunity to make their purchases using smart digital payment cards, supported by modern payment devices available throughout the festival.

Organised by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC), the festival is scheduled to run until 23 November at Al Ain Square - Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium and various other cultural and tourist spots around the city.

The newly introduced service significantly facilitates the shopping experience for visitors. Commenting on the topic, Firas Attar, Director of Lenador Systems, an Al Ain Book Festival-based information technology company and sponsor of the tech systems for the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair (ADIBF), explained that the system used in this process is the first of its kind in the country, linking sales operations at festivals with electronic payment systems provided by local banks.

“We launched the digital payment service for the first time during the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair 2024 and it was a great success for both visitors and participating publishers,” he added. “And this compelled us to offer the service to visitors of the Al Ain Book Festival, in order to promote the concept of digital cards, on one hand, and offer an alternative to visitors who do not have bank cards and are forced to use paper or coin currency, on the other.”

In an effort to facilitate the process for visitors, Al Ain Book Festival has assigned a team of specialised volunteers to support those wishing to use the digital payment service, guiding them through the process of operating the nine digital charging stations, known as Kiosk Machines. The volunteers will also explain the simple steps involved, which adhere to high security standards that protect against theft and errors. The system links the customer’s data to their card, ensuring that in the event of a lost card, customers can contact customer service and within minutes, the relevant department will refund the amount to the customer’s bank account.

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