RIYADH, 9 August — More than 150,000 titles by around 500 publishing houses from 16 countries around the globe will go on display at the ninth Riyadh International Book Fair to be held at King Saud University here on Sept. 24 .
Dr. Sulaiman Al-Ogla, dean of libraries at KSU and head of the organizing committee of the book fair, said this year’s event will witness the participation of foreign publishing houses .
" A special ward will be allocated for these international houses and up to 25 percent discount will be offered on book prices during the event," Al-Ogla told Arab News in an interview.
"We have received a big number of participants from local , Arab and international publishing houses," Al-Ogla said, adding that computer companies will also take part in the fair. Among the countries participating for the first time are India, Iran and Libya, he said.
"The cultural program will comprise workshops, seminars, lectures, poetry evenings and other activities," said Al-Ogla. The organizing committee has selected the best and most reputed publishing houses to participate in the fair, he added.
The Riyadh International Book Fair presents a unique opportunity for everyone to go over a range of new titles, electronic publications and trends in literature, media and the sciences, said Al-Ogla.
Riyadh Fair has served for more than two decades as a meeting place for authors, publishers and readers . " It is the biggest of its kind in the Gulf region that helps enrich the educational and cultural environment and provide a forum for learning, debate and discussion," he added.
Another distinguishing feature of the 10-day fair is the creation of a special corridor for books published in 2001 and 2002 on various subjects such as information, technology, science, environment and literature . " A special stand will also be installed for the Arab Publishers Federation that promotes Arabic books and helps organize book fairs throughout the Arab world," Al-Ogla said.
"We will display about 10 new books written by Saudi authors in the fair," said Maher Kayyali, head of the Arab House for Research and Publishing, the well-known Lebanese publishing house that will feature more than 400 titles in the fair. "We have around 200 new titles of books that were published in 2001 and 2002," he added.
