(MENAFN- The Peninsula) QNA
Doha, Qatar: Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani inaugurated the 33rd Doha International Book Fair (DIBF), yesterday. Themed Knowledge Builds Civilizations, the event runs through May 18 at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center. Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth of the Sultanate of Oman H H Sayyid Theyazin bin Haitham Al Said attended the inauguration. Also present were a number of Their Excellencies sheikhs, ministers, heads of diplomatic missions, senior officials, and guests of the exhibition.
The Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs visited the exhibition pavilions and was briefed on the Qatari, Arab and foreign exhibitors, and the latest publications, books and manuscripts belonging to government agencies, Arab and international cultural institutions and embassies accredited to the state, especially the Sultanate of Oman, the guest of honour of this edition. Oman's pavilion showcases a special and diverse cultural programme that highlights the authentic Omani heritage, and intellectual and literary production, and presents a group of popular and artistic performances. His Excellency also visited the Doha Children, which spans 2,400 square meters, and offers a range of workshops and activities for children, theatrical and cultural programmes, and booths for children's book publishers.
The 33rd Doha International Book Fair features over 515 publishing houses from 42 countries and displays more than 180,000 new titles in the various fields of knowledge and science, in addition to broader cultural participation by the embassies of brotherly and friendly countries.
The fair is being held under the theme“Knowledge Builds Civilizations.” The Sultanate of Oman is the guest of honour for this session and participates with a special pavilion and a diverse cultural programme that highlights the authentic Omani heritage, intellectual and literary production, and presents a group of popular and artistic performances.
A number of their Excellencies, Ministers and officials expressed their admiration for the fair, stressing that it consolidates the position of Qatar on the map of Arab and international culture.
Minister of Transport, H E Jassim Saif Ahmed Al Sulaiti, said in a statement to Qatar News Agency (QNA) that the exhibition is witnessing continuous development year after year in terms of the volume of participation, organisation and creativity in designs.“We notice an increase in the exhibits annually by about 30% of the number of participants.
“The exhibits confirm that the book fair has its place in the State of Qatar, and that readers are eager to receive knowledge from its original sources, which strengthens the cultural status of the country on the Arab and international levels.”
For his part, Minister of Justice and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs, H E Ibrahim bin Ali bin Issa Al Hassan Al Mohannadi, said that the book fair confirms the interest of Qatar in culture, creativity and the development of thought, which, despite all developments, remains the highest source of knowledge and science.
In turn, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth for Culture in the Sultanate of Oman, H E Sayyed Saeed bin Sultan Al Busaidi described that the relations between Qatar and Oman as well-established, and that the work between the two countries concerned with culture is a great work, and has been ongoing for decades, and that choosing Oman as the guest of honour is the culmination of these strong relations.
MENAFN10052024000063011010ID1108196862
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.