Fair will host writers, thinkers, and intellectuals from Saudi Arabia and beyond, making it a pivotal literary platform in the region Mohammed Hasan Alwan: The fair offers visitors a unique intellectual and cultural experience, incorporating the latest technologies and digital solutions JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia’s Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission is gearing up for the 2024 Riyadh International Book Fair, which is set to take place from Sept. 26 to Oct. 5 at King Saud University in Riyadh. With about 2,000 local, Arab and international publishing houses and agencies from more than 30 countries adorning 800 booths, this year’s fair promises to be a celebration of literature, knowledge, and creativity. The fair will host writers, thinkers, and intellectuals from Saudi Arabia and beyond, making it a pivotal literary platform in the region. Qatar will be the guest of honor at the fair. The rich cultural and intellectual legacy of the country will be on display through a dedicated pavilion featuring rare manuscripts and publications from Qatar’s Ministry of Culture. Leading literary and artistic luminaries, alongside key organizations from Qatar’s cultural landscape, will feature at the event. Mohammed Hasan Alwan, the CEO of the commission, said that the fair illustrated the unwavering support for cultural endeavors in Saudi Arabia. Alwan said: “The fair offers visitors a unique intellectual and cultural experience, incorporating the latest technologies and digital solutions. Attendees can discover thousands of new releases across various fields and enjoy a wide range of activities and events within the diverse cultural program, featuring prominent cultural figures from Saudi Arabia and beyond. “This makes the 2024 edition a truly inspiring cultural journey, building on the successes of previous editions.” This year’s fair boasts a dedicated business zone, with participation from literary agencies managing authors’ works and contracts, and with printing presses offering services to publishers. Additionally, there will be government and financial institution booths related to the publishing business sector. The zone will host special sessions and workshops on topics such as entrepreneurship, licensing and copyright. The fair will also feature a children’s area brimming with literary, cultural, and entertainment activities aimed at igniting the spark of curiosity in the young generation. By championing local authors, providing a platform for self-published works, and offering a diverse range of cultural activities, the fair reflects the Kingdom’s efforts to nurture creativity and promote literary innovation. The fair’s diverse cultural and intellectual activities are to be hosted in partnership with the Cultural Channel. The program includes dialogue sessions, workshops, poetry evenings, and concerts and artistic performances designed to enrich the cultural sector, foster knowledge and promote reading as a way of life, while contributing to the sustainability of the cultural and intellectual renaissance underway in Saudi society.