Closing the curtain on the thirty-second session of Doha International Book Fair successfully

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

According to the Ministry of Culture, the curtain has been closed on the thirty-second session of Doha International Book Fair, which was held during the period from June 12 to June 21, and organized by the Ministry of Culture represented by Qatar Center for Cultural and Heritage Events, at Doha Exhibition and Conferences Center under the slogan (By Reading, We Rise)

Dr. Ghanem bin Mubarak Al-Ali Al-Maadeed, the Assistant Undersecretary for Cultural Affairs at the Ministry of Culture, said in a statement on this occasion that the thirty-second session of Doha International Book Fair witnessed an unprecedented cultural, intellectual and literary movement, and its success was based on several factors, most notably the wide participation and value of the role of Local, Arab and international publishing, whose roles have integrated to provide an exceptional experience for visitors and those interested in reading, literature, art and culture, as well as the diversity of titles, books, collectibles, manuscripts and other exhibits that have enriched the public’s taste and given them broader options to read everything new in various fields of thought and creativity, expressing his happiness with the turnout of the large audience from inside and outside Qatar, as well as the positive and distinctive return achieved by the package of cultural activities and events that were presented daily, and which were widely praised by various groups.

He explained that Doha International Book Fair, as a leading cultural beacon in Qatar and the region, embodies the vision of the Ministry of Culture seeking to enhance the cultural scene by supporting efforts to localize the book and the authoring and publishing industry, and to provide a live interactive platform that brings together authors, publishers and readers under one roof, stressing that the exhibition has achieved its goals with distinction, and thus, it will be added to the series of valuable events organized by the Ministry this year, such as the season of seminars, Ramadan Book Fair, Doha Theater Festival, and the Universities Poet Competition, in order to achieve the Ministry’s strategy based on supporting intellectuals and creators.

For his part, Mr. Jassim Ahmed Al-Buainain, the Director of Doha International Book Fair, said that this year’s edition provided a rich cultural meal and a unique experience by organizing more than (500) various activities throughout the days of the exhibition, as the main stage witnessed a series of valuable cultural, literary and intellectual seminars, numbering (37) seminars which all of them witnessed a large attendance and follow-up by intellectuals and exhibition goers, in addition to the activities of the cultural salon, lectures and dialogue sessions, which amounted to 40 sessions, and 198 books were launched, in addition to artworks, training workshops, and live cooking theater performances.

He added by saying that: “About 15,000 children visited the exhibition and enjoyed a large share of the distinguished activities and events in the (Children’s Oasis), which included 10 sections with artistic workshops, spaces for children’s activities, and a puppet theater, and 87 theatrical performances were presented,” stressing that the exhibition witnessed a great turnout by children and families, especially on the spaces designated for children in the exhibition and the special atmosphere they experienced throughout the days of the exhibition.

He continued by saying that: “Doha International Book Fair has always represented a pioneering cultural event and a gathering forum for intellectuals, creators, and those interested in reading and books, as the exhibition witnesses a great development year after year, which serves the objectives of the Ministry of Culture in spreading science and knowledge, and enhances the efforts of the state and its national vision 2030.

The Ministry of Culture was interested in organizing a distinguished edition of Doha International Book Fair in terms of shape, quality and quantity, which made it admire the visitors of the exhibition, who varied in their various segments, as the thirty-second session of the exhibition witnessed a great cultural and intellectual momentum over the course of ten days, as (37) countries and (550) publishing houses participated in the exhibition along with many other internal bodies headed by Qatari ministries and bodies, most notably the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs – the Ministry of Municipality – the Ministry of Justice – the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, in addition to many national bodies with the allocation of a special pavilion for Expo Doha 2023.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was the guest of honor for this session, as it presented, during its participation, a cultural experience that reflected the rich heritage and authentic culture of the Kingdom, and presented its outstanding efforts in supporting the cultural movement with its various components at the local and international levels. The Kingdom’s participation in the exhibition witnessed the presentation of a diverse cultural program, which included a package of seminars, interactive lectures, dialogue sessions, and poetry evenings that accompanied the initiative of the Year of Arab Poetry 2023 in Saudi Arabia, and other intellectual and cultural events.

During its participation, Saudi Arabia reviewed the most prominent publications and modern knowledge and cultural additions, and presented in its pavilion a group of archaeological pieces and figures discovered there, as well as live performances of handicrafts, and educational films to introduce the deep cultural sequence of the Kingdom, in addition to the most prominent archaeological discoveries, and their connection to neighboring civilizations, and a museum to display artifacts.

Besides, official cultural institutions from the Arab world also participated in the exhibition, the most important of which is the participation of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth in the Sultanate of Oman, the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication in Morocco, the Algerian Ministry of Culture, the Palestinian Ministry of Culture, the National Council for Culture, Arts and Literature in Kuwait, the Egyptian General Book Authority, and the General Authority For writers in Yemen, the Sharjah Book Authority, and the Abu Dhabi Center for the Arabic Language, as well as a number of Arab publishers unions.