Amman International Book Fair To Kick Off Thursday Under Royal Patronage

(MENAFN- Jordan News Agency)

Amman, Sept. 23 (Petra) – Under the patronage of His Majesty King Abdullah II, the 24th edition of the Amman International Book Fair will open Thursday, organized by the Union of Jordanian Publishers at the Jordan International Exhibition Center.
The Union said in a press statement that this year's fair will be held under the slogan "Jerusalem, the Capital of Palestine," alongside its official theme, to highlight the city's place in Arab identity and affirm Jordan's steadfast stance, led by His Majesty the King, in defending the Islamic and Christian holy sites under the Hashemite Custodianship.
Minister of Culture Mustafa Rawashdeh said Oman's participation as Guest of Honor will enrich the fair "with its history, intellectual achievement, and deep cultural heritage."
He also hailed the strategic partnership with the Union and other institutions, noting that the fair remains one of Jordan's leading cultural landmarks, with 400 publishers from 22 Arab and foreign countries taking part.
Rawashdeh pointed out that the ten-day cultural program provides a platform for dialogue on intellectual, cultural, political, and publishing issues, including the economics of culture and knowledge.
Union President and Fair Director Jaber Abu Fares described the exhibition as a milestone cultural event for Jordan and the Arab world, saying organizers worked tirelessly to deliver an exceptional experience this year by attracting new publishers and offering visitors a chance to discover the latest publications.
He added that the program includes lectures, workshops, interactive sessions for children in partnership with the Abdul Hameed Shoman Foundation, and meetings with prominent Arab and Jordanian writers, including Booker Prize-nominated authors Mohamed Sameer Nada, Ahmed Morsi (Egypt), Amira Ghenim (Tunisia), Mohamed Al-Yahyai (Oman), and Jordanian novelist Jalal Barjas.
The fair, held in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture and Greater Amman Municipality, runs until Oct. 4. Oman's participation, represented by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, includes a special pavilion showcasing intellectual and literary output, electronic and audio books, augmented reality and hologram features, as well as Omani manuscripts, historical documents, and cultural artifacts listed on UNESCO's Intangible Heritage register. Exhibitors include the Ministry of Information, Sultan Qaboos University, the Omani Society for Writers and Literature, Oman Memory Center, and Bait Al Zubair.
The cultural committee named Sultan Al-Maani, a leading Jordanian scholar of Semitic languages and ancient Arab history, as Cultural Personality of the Year.
The program also features poetry evenings, storytelling sessions, a creative writing workshop by Jalal Barjas, and nearly 170 participants from Jordan and across the Arab world, such as Nouri Al-Jarrah and Subhi Hadidi (Syria), Amira Ghenim (Tunisia), Raja' Bakriya, Ahlam Bsharat, and Akram Musallam (Palestine), Abdullah Majid Al-Ali and Mohammed Al-Buraiki (UAE), Al-Houari Ghazali (Algeria/France), Fatima Bouhraka (Morocco), Mohamed Samir Nada, Ahmed El Morsi, and Rania Kamal (Egypt), Saif Al Rahbi and Abdul Razzaq Al Rabie (Oman), and Abdul Wahab Suleiman (Kuwait).
Oman's cultural program includes contributions from academics, critics, and writers such as Sheikh Hamad Al-Maamari, Ashraf Al-Asmi, Raqiya Al-Harthiya, Dr. Wafa Al-Shamsiya, Mohamed Al-Yahyai, Bahiyah Al-Shikiliya, Hassan Al-Matrooshi, and others.
Participating Jordanian institutions include the Ministry of Culture, Greater Amman Municipality, Abdul Hameed Shoman Foundation, the Jordanian Writers Association, and the House of Poetry–Mafraq, among others.

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