Kingdom participated at the Beijing International Book Fair as the guest of honor Visitors were able to learn about Saudi culture, arts and heritage through an integrated cultural experience RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has concluded its participation in the Beijing International Book Fair 2024, which was held from June 19 to 23 in the Chinese capital. Saudi Arabia participated at the Beijing International Book Fair as the guest of honor, where it highlighted aspects of Saudi culture. The Kingdom’s pavilion was widely visited by the Chinese public, being the highlight of the exhibition, the Saudi Press Agency reported. Visitors were able to learn about Saudi culture, arts and heritage through an integrated cultural experience. The Literature, Publishing, and Translation Commission led the effort, while various other cultural entities took part, such as the Heritage Commission, the Culinary Arts Commission, the Fashion Commission, the King Abdulaziz Foundation for Research and Archives (Darah), the King Salman Global Academy for the Arabic Language, the King Abdulaziz Public Library, the Saudi Publishing Association, and the Ministry of Investment. The Saudi pavilion played a significant role in fostering cultural dialogue and introducing the Saudi culture to the Chinese public through a cultural program that included 15 dialogue sessions. The Prince Mohammed bin Salman Award for Cultural Cooperation between Saudi Arabia and China had a special pavilion at the exhibition, to emphasize the importance of cultural exchange and cooperation between the two countries. The King Salman Global Academy for the Arabic Language organized the Saudi-Chinese Linguistic Forum in cooperation with the Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission, which included a symposium — “The Arabic language and the Chinese language, history and relationship.” The academy’s participation in the Saudi pavilion under the umbrella of the Ministry of Culture, was part of its activities aimed at introducing its projects and programs in disseminating the Arabic language, teaching it to non-native speakers locally and globally, and highlighting the efforts of the Kingdom in serving Arabic in a way that enhances the status of the language and culture. At the book fair several agreements were signed between Saudi and Chinese publishers, including a cooperation agreement that is part of the Tarjem translation initiative, entailing translating into Arabic the books “The Forbidden City: A History of China Since the Fifteenth Century” and “Historical Tales of the Great Wall of China.” The Beijing International Book Fair was launched in 1986 by the China National Publications Import and Export Group. It is one of the largest book fairs in the world and the most influential in China and the Asian continent, with more than 2,600 exhibitors from 100 countries.