The latest edition of the Riyadh International Book Fair kicked off today (Thursday) at King Saud University, with the participation of more than 2,000 local, Arab and international publishing houses and agencies from more than 30 countries spread across 800 pavilions. It includes a cultural program that reflects the rich cultural heritage of the Kingdom through 200 events suitable for all age groups, in addition to cognitive and intellectual activities that promote a culture of reading and encourage cultural creativity. It is considered the most important and largest international cultural platform in the Arab world, and the most diverse among Arab book fairs. It will be held from September 26 to October 5.

The State of Qatar is the guest of honor at the exhibition, and leading figures in culture, literature and art, as well as prominent entities concerned with cultural work in the sisterly State of Qatar, are contributing, allowing the public to learn about the cultural and intellectual heritage, through a special pavilion at the exhibition that includes a collection of rare manuscripts and a number of publications from the Qatari Ministry of Culture.

The CEO of the Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission, Dr. Mohammed Hassan Alwan, considered the continuation of the Riyadh International Book Fair, for five decades, with its great importance as one of the most prominent cultural events in the region, as an embodiment of the vision of the wise leadership in the Kingdom and its continuous interest and unlimited support for culture and cultural work, and as a consolidation of the Kingdom’s important position in shaping the Arab cultural scene.

He explained that choosing Qatar as the guest of honor for the current edition allows for showcasing the strong cultural and historical ties between the two brotherly countries, and enables visitors to the exhibition to learn about the numerous Qatari achievements in various fields of culture. He pointed out that the new edition of the exhibition has attracted wide participation from publishers, which supports the local and Arab publishing sector, develops cultural and creative industries, and confirms its prestigious intellectual, literary and cultural position regionally and internationally, and its continuous contributions to enhancing the Kingdom’s knowledge production, and strengthening its leading cultural position in the region in line with the pillars of the National Strategy for Culture emanating from the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.

He emphasized that the exhibition offers its visitors, who are lovers of culture and books, an innovative knowledge and cultural journey that keeps pace with and employs the latest modern technologies and digital solutions, enabling them to learn about thousands of new publications and titles in various fields, and allowing them to enjoy many of the events and activities included in the diverse and rich cultural program of the exhibition with the participation of a constellation of the most important pioneers of culture, art and literature in Saudi Arabia, the region and the world, which makes visiting the 2024 edition of the exhibition a distinctive and inspiring knowledge and cultural experience that complements the successes of previous editions of the exhibition.

This year's edition features significant developments, including the establishment of a business zone with the participation of literary agencies that manage authors' work and contracts, and local printing presses participating for the first time in the exhibition, giving them the opportunity to offer their services to publishers. In addition, there are pavilions for government and financial entities related to the publishing sector. The business zone also hosts a special program that includes panel discussions and workshops covering business, entrepreneurship, licensing, copyright, and other related topics.

The exhibition gives special importance to children, as it allocates a large area that offers dozens of literary, cultural, recreational activities and competitions that enhance the creative abilities of children and young people, and aim to inspire them, develop their love of reading and curiosity, and discover and develop their talents.

The exhibition reinforces the efforts of the Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission to provide an environment that fosters and encourages cultural creativity, supports the local publishing industry, and empowers Saudi writers by providing a platform that allows them to share their literary output with a wide segment of the public, through allocating a corner for self-published Saudi authors that displays many titles in various fields of knowledge, literature and culture.

Book signing platforms allow book lovers to meet their favorite authors, receive personalized dedications, and purchase the latest distinguished releases. The pavilions of participating governmental and private cultural and intellectual bodies, community organizations interested in culture, and universities showcase their latest publications and various cultural initiatives.

The Kingdom's rich cultural heritage is reflected in the exhibition program

The exhibition enriches the culture, knowledge production and publishing sector in the Kingdom, promotes a culture of reading to become a way of life in Saudi society, and supports the publishing industry.

It offers a number of seminars, dialogue sessions, and workshops that discuss various cultural and intellectual topics and issues, as well as lectures and poetry evenings held on the exhibition stage, presented by a select group of writers, thinkers, intellectuals, and poets from Saudi Arabia, the region, and the world.

The outdoor area of ​​the exhibition includes many interactive shows and distinctive cultural, artistic and theatrical events with the participation of many creative artists and theater professionals.

The exhibition will feature prominent Saudi, Arab, and foreign names in the fields of literature, thought, culture, and publishing, including the famous American biographer Walter Isaacson, the world-renowned novelist Jonathan Franzen, the American nanotechnology scientist Jackie B. Roing, the world-renowned poet and novelist Kwame Alexander, and the Secretary-General of the Islamic-Christian Committee for Dialogue, member of the Supreme Council of the Muslim World League, Muhammad Nimr Al-Sammak.

The exhibition will feature a dialogue session on (The House and the Library) by the Special Advisor to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the King Abdulaziz Foundation, Prince Faisal bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, and the Permanent Delegate of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, Ambassador of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, Princess Haifa Al Muqrin, who will participate in a seminar on (Arab Identity in UNESCO).

It holds discussion sessions on various topics, most notably the relationship between sports and culture, including a dialogue session with the Minister of Sports, Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, on “World Championships in the Gulf”.

The exhibition focuses on cinema and filmmaking, and offers many events within the cultural program about cinema, ranging from discussion sessions to workshops.

- It pays attention to translation, and includes holding seminars and workshops that discuss many topics related to the field of translation.

The Saudi Assistant Minister of Information, Dr. Abdullah Al-Maghlouth, and the media figure Mohammed Nasrallah, will present a seminar entitled (Experiences in Cultural Media).

The exhibition will feature a discussion of Chinese-Saudi cultural relations in a seminar in which Professor of Criticism and Literature at King Saud University, Dr. Khalid Al-Rifai, will engage in dialogue with Dr. Abdulmohsen Al-Aqili, Secretary-General of the Mohammed bin Salman Award for Cultural Cooperation between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the People’s Republic of China, and Dr. Fu Jimin, a Chinese scholar.

This year, the exhibition celebrates the Year of the Camel through its cultural program, by holding two seminars; the first on (Celebrating Camels in Classical and Popular Arabic Poetry), and the second on (Describing the Camel in the Mu’allaqa of Tarafa bin al-Abd).

- He organizes a number of poetry evenings with the participation of prominent poets from the Kingdom, Qatar, Kuwait, Iraq, Morocco, Egypt, and Lebanon.

The exhibition’s cultural program highlights the importance of media in the cultural scene, through holding a number of workshops that discuss (journalistic writing), (the writer between writing about himself and writing about others), and (creating a successful newsletter).