37 countries to participate in the 31st DIBF; The Minister of Culture visits the place

The Doha International Book Fair (DIBF) is the largest and oldest of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, giving Qatar the responsibility of continuing its excellence and development every year, HE the Minister said on Wednesday. of Culture Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Hamad al-Thani.
He was visiting the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center where the 31st edition of DIBF begins on Thursday. He briefed local newspaper editors and his media colleagues on the goals and final preparations for the launch of the exhibition.
The fair, organized by the Qatar Cultural and Heritage Events Center (QCHEC) of the Ministry of Culture, with the participation of publishing houses from 37 Arab and foreign countries, will run until January 22 under the slogan “Knowledge is light ”to present the human journey of exploration and learning.
During the tour, HE Sheikh Abdulrahman highlighted the most important events and activities, reviewing the developments that the event will witness. He praised the wide global participation, especially the Arab participation.
“During the current edition, we wanted the fair to include all kinds of books and portray different cultures, and we also focused on providing cultural activities suitable for groups of children, while respecting the measures of precaution in accordance with the protocol of the Ministry of Public Health. against Covid-19, ”he said.
HE the Minister explained that one of the most important objectives of the book fair is to bring the public back to reading. Recalling the start of the Doha Book Fair in 1972, he said it was the first of its kind in GCC countries.
Stressing that the Covid-19 pandemic had caused the cancellation of the previous edition, HE Sheikh Abdulrahman observed that all precautionary and preventive measures are in place during the event this year.
“Visitors are only allowed up to 30% of the capacity of the hall and although children under 12 cannot attend, we have planned several activities for them during the event as well as in coordination with Qatar TV, in particular puppet pieces.
HE the Minister also expressed his hope that visitors to the book fair would respect health, and hoped that this edition of the event would greatly contribute to consolidating the value of reading.
The exhibition will feature the most recent and recent publications that reflect the creative and thoughtful knowledge of humans in all fields, providing a window of knowledge for researchers, innovators, scientists and writers to develop societies and improve lives.
In a statement, the Ministry of Culture underlined its availability and the preparation of all facilities to welcome visitors to this annual cultural event that highlights creativity and innovation in Qatar.
The ministry stressed the concern to present an extraordinary edition of the Doha International Book Fair in terms of quantity, form and quality, noting that the number of participations in this year’s edition is the most important.
Launched in 1972, the Doha International Book Fair will mark its 50th anniversary this year, affirming Qatar’s cultural leadership and continued efforts to disseminate culture and knowledge.
Its pavilions have been uniquely designed, allowing 430 publishers, as well as 90 indirect agencies of Arab and foreign publishers, to exhibit their scientific treasures, making visiting the exhibition a real opportunity to discover all that is new in the world of creativity, literature and science.
The United States will be the guest of honor at the fair as part of the Qatar-USA Year of Culture 2021.
This allows visitors to learn about different aspects of American culture and intellectual production.
The fair will also experience a wide participation at the level of the Gulf and Arab countries, such as the participation of the General Secretariat of the GCC, the Ministry of Heritage and Culture of Oman, the Sharjah Book Authority, in addition to the ministries of culture. from Morocco, Algeria, Sudan and Egypt, and distinguished participations from foreign publishing houses, mainly from the United States.
There will be larger participations for the embassies of Palestine, Syria, Japan, South Korea, Kyrgyz Republic, Indonesia and Russia, as well as the participation of Azerbaijan represented by the Ministry of Culture.
The show will be held from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily and from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday. All precautionary measures will be taken to ensure the safety and health of all.