Biggest ever DIBF swings into action Thursday

“The 35th edition of the Doha International Book Fair is set to open Thursday at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center, with organisers describing it as the largest in the event's history. The fair, organized by Qatar's Ministry of Culture, will run until May 23 and feature broad participation from embassies, ministries and cultural institutions from across the Arab world and beyond, reflecting the exhibition's growing regional and international standing. This year's edition will include 910 exhibition booths and more than 1.85mn books covering around 231,000 titles. Organisers said 143 new books would be launched during the event, alongside 46 panel discussions, 69 workshops and 46 seminars on the fair's main stage. In comments to Qatar News Agency, Jassim Ahmed al-Buainain, Director of the Libraries Department at the Ministry of Culture and Director of the Doha International Book Fair, said the event would host 520 publishing houses from 37 Arab and foreign countries. He added that the programme would include a wide range of cultural activities, including lectures, literary discussions and workshops across various fields. The fair will also announce the winners of the second Doha International Book Fair Award, which includes six categories aimed at supporting Qatari and international authors and publishers. A cultural programme on the fair's main stage will bring together writers, intellectuals and academics from Qatar and abroad for discussions on literature and thought, while the cultural salon will host book signings and dialogue sessions with authors. Al-Buainain said the event would also feature 'Reading Guide' sessions to help visitors choose books, as well as a dedicated 'Doha Children's Zone' with interactive activities and performances for young audiences. The Qatari Authors Forum, affiliated with the Ministry of Culture, will organise a series of cultural, educational and intellectual events involving writers, researchers and academics from inside and outside Qatar. More than 100 new publications by Qatari authors and residents will be launched during the fair, alongside over 25 intellectual seminars, 15 specialist lectures and 12 discussion sessions focusing on cultural and social issues. The exhibition will open daily from 9am to 10pm local time, except on Fridays when visitors will be admitted from 3pm until 10pm. Organisers said special attention had been given to children and young readers ahead of this year's edition, including the launch of a mobile library bus that visited around 12 schools to encourage reading and learning among students. The Doha International Book Fair is regarded as one of the oldest and largest book fairs in the region. First launched in 1972 under the supervision of Qatar's national library authority, it was initially held every two years before becoming an annual event in 2002. Since 2010, the fair has hosted a guest country each year, including the United States, Turkiye, Iran, Japan, the United Kingdom, Germany, Russia, France, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Palestine.

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