MUSCAT: The 27th edition of the Muscat International Book Fair 2023 that attracted thousands of bibliophiles for 11 days, has come to a close at the Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre (OCEC) under the auspices of Sayyid Saeed bin Sultan al Busaidy, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth for Culture and other dignitaries on Saturday.
The exhibition which attracted participants from 32 countries along with the Sultanate of Oman, was held in collaboration with the Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre, and showcased a wide range of books, including fiction, non-fiction, and children’s
books, as well as academic and reference books.
MAJOR REGIONAL EVENT
The book fair attracted more than 300,000 visitors ever since it started on February 22, and a steady stream of families took part in various seminars and other brainstorming sessions held as part of the major regional event.
“The 27th edition of Muscat International Book Fair witnessed a wide turnout from all categories.”
“The Omani community affirmed the love of reading through its constant presence at the exhibition,” said Ahmed bin Saud al Rawahi, Director of the Muscat International Book Fair. “This was confirmed with a significant increase in the number of visitors compared to the previous year.”
As many as 165 cultural events, apart from more than 300 various activities meant for children in as many as 1,194 pavilions which reflected the cultures and traditions of diverse countries were held at the fair, whose guest of honour was South Al Batinah Governorate, and proved to be a major pull for visitors from across the region.
In addition to over 260,614 Arabic books from nearly 826 publishing houses, along with 204,411 non-Arabic and 5900 new publications were a cynosure at the event.
In terms of cultural exchange and enlightenment, 47 globally renowned intellectuals, media, GCC and Arab exhibition managers, and others were key participants at the book fair.
Al Dhahirah Governorate will be the guest of honour of the exhibition in its 28th session, which will be held from February 24 to March 3, 2024.
Al Rawahi said that the next edition would be even bigger and better, and praised the success of this year’s fair, saying that it had exceeded expectations in terms of attendance and sales. He also expressed his gratitude to the participants and organisers for their hard work and dedication, which contributed to the event’s success.
Oman Daily Obsersver and its sister publication Oman Daily participated with a dedicated stall for the public to view its present and past editions.
KABEER YOUSUF and AHMED AL KAABI
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