Book Fair sees participation of 37 countries, 500 publishers

The activities of the 32nd Doha International Book Fair, under the slogan "With Reading We Rise", kicked off Monday at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center, with the participation of more than 500 direct publishers from 37 countries.
In this year's edition, the fair aims to consolidate the status of culture in the country and to confirm the pivotal role of knowledge in the renaissance of Qatari society. Launched for the first time in 1972, the fair seeks to become a cultural and intellectual beacon in Qatar and the region.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the guest of this year's edition and its pavilion presents a group of various books.
The Book Fair, which runs until June 21, will host 37 cultural, scientific, literary, and social seminars, in addition to poetry evenings, along with the activities of the cultural salon with 116 events, including seminars, cultural sessions, and the launch of new publications. On the sidelines of this year's Book Fair edition, 48 workshops will be held, including 87 performances in the children's oasis, including art workshops, activity spaces, and a puppet theater, while Al Mutanabbi Street will host six bookstores from Baghdad. During the live cooking event, 28 performances will be held with the participation of 28 male and female chefs.
The 32nd edition is the largest edition of the fair as hundreds of local, Arab and international publishing houses are taking part with about 180,000 titles and 750,000 books.
Many ministries and state institutions are participating in the exhibition. Qatari institutions, along with publishing houses, present their latest publications in the fields of knowledge and science. The most prominent of which is the pavilion of the Ministry of Culture that displays the latest publications of the ministry, along with a group of Qatari dress shops that present the culture of clothing, in addition to musical instruments and artifacts. The central area witnesses the establishment of some works of art such as playing the oud, the violin, plastic art, and photography.