“The cultural activities accompanying the 10-day exhibition this year include the Prize of the Ministry of Culture and Information for Writers. It will be given to 10 outstanding books in various branches of knowledge,” Undersecretary for Cultural Affairs at the Ministry of Culture and Information Nasser Al-Hujailan said at a press conference.

More than 450 publishers from 25 countries will participate in the event to be organized at the Riyadh International Exhibition Center.

The exhibition’s theme is “Life through Reading” and it aims to highlight the significance of reading to enrich and expand a person’s horizons.

“Many topics of public interest will be discussed on the sidelines of the exhibition. The topics include foreign scholarship program, world languages, future of paper publications and the modern media,” Al-Hujailan said.

“A ‘virtual book exhibition’ on Internet will also be launched so that a Net surfer can visit the exhibition, find book contents and buy books on the Net,” the official said.

The “ Book for All” program is being initiated this year. It will present five books of leading writers and thinkers who have influenced Saudi culture. The writers are Hamad Al-Jasser, Ahmad Al-Sibaei, Abdul Kareem Al-Juhaiman, Abdul Aziz Mashri and Muhammad Sadiq Diab, he said.

Another new project is the E-Publication to help Saudi writers who cannot find a publisher. They will be given opportunity to publish and sell their books at the exhibition.

The exhibition will also honor seven notable writers. There will also be a prize for the best cover this year. Sweden will be the guest of honor at the exhibition. A special pavilion is allocated for the guest country.

The ministry is collaborating with the King Abdul Aziz Library to select publishing companies for participation in the exhibition, Al-Hujailan said.

The ministry is also taking steps to rule out any possibility of price tampering. He said women would be given due consideration in the programs.

He added the ministry would be collaborating with the Commission for Virtue and Prevention of Vice. The commission’s members will carry their work ID cards at the venue.

The exhibition is open to all including families, he said.