JEDDAH: Intellectuals, publishers and authors participated in the second Qassim Book Fair, which was organized by Qassim governorate in collaboration with the Saudi Publishers Association. The fair included lectures and seminars. One notable lecture was by Dr. Qais Al-Sheikh Mubarak, who highlighted the importance of reading and seeking knowledge. Dr. Nora Al-Rashoud, a lecturer at Umm Al-Qura University, gave a lecture titled “Judicial efforts in family issues.” There was also a symposium titled “The future of journalism: Between digital and print,” as well as poetry evenings. The fair was attended by 200 publishing houses, as well as government and social agencies. It provided an opportunity for many companies and individuals to offer their services and products to visitors. The fair included a pavilion for artists, one for families, and one for children to develop their skills and consolidate their love of reading. The Kingdom is making efforts to promote reading culture among the youth. Authorities have organized a number of book fairs to make world literature available to the public. Recently, an international book fair was held in Jeddah. The fair drew more than 50,000 visitors daily and publishers from 40 countries. Several workshops in fine arts, photography and calligraphy were also organized.