Director of the Amman International Book Fair Jabr Abu Fares praised the active and distinguished participation of the State of Qatar in the 24th edition of the fair, which will begin September 25 until October 4, 2025.
In a statement to Qatar News Agency (QNA), Abu Fares confirmed that Qatar's Ministry of Culture will participate this year with an expanded pavilion at the exhibition, alongside a number of Qatari publishing houses that are displaying their publications at the pavilion.
He revealed that the Ministry of Culture requested to expand the area of its pavilion to 36 square metres, reflecting the active and effective nature of Qatar's participation and its commitment to ensuring a distinguished presence at regional cultural events, most notably the Amman International Book Fair.
The book fair's director expressed appreciation for Qatar's genuine participation, which directly contributes to enriching the Jordanian and Arab cultural scene, and works to strengthen bilateral cultural relations, especially through the ongoing cooperation between the publishers' unions in the two countries, and communication with cultural institutions on both sides.
Abu Fares pointed out that the exhibition also witnesses the participation of a number of Qatari writers and creatives, who are keen to attend and contribute to the cultural events organized on the sidelines of the exhibition, reflecting the renewed Qatari cultural movement.
He emphasized Jordan's broad and active participation in the Doha International Book Fair and praised the warm welcome and extensive cooperation enjoyed by Jordanian publishers in Doha, which contributed to increased cultural exchange and knowledge integration between the two brotherly people.
Abu Fares confirmed that the 24th edition of the book fair will witness a qualitative leap in terms of the number of participants, the diversity of events, and the cultural content on display. A large number of new publishing houses will participate for the first time, as part of the management's efforts to diversify the participation map geographically and intellectually, and to provide a platform for voices, books, and publications from various governorates and countries.
He said that by hosting the guest of honor, the book fair aimed to enhance cultural and knowledge exchange, provide an opportunity for Jordanian readers to view the literary and knowledge production of the participating countries, and create a space for dialogue and communication between intellectuals and publishers.
The director also revealed that the number of participating publishing houses this year is approximately 400, in addition to extensive participation from Arab countries such as Qatar, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and the Sultanate of Oman, in addition to international participation from China, Turkey, Canada, and the UK.
Regarding public turnout, Abu Fares noted that last year's book fair saw more than half a million visitors over a ten-day period. He expects the number to exceed this year.
He emphasized that the ultimate goal of the fair is to promote a culture of reading and encourage Jordanian and Arab society to return to printed books. He also emphasized that management requires all publishers to offer discounts of no less than 25% on book prices, to ensure that they are within the reach of readers.
Abu Fares emphasized that the Amman International Book Fair is making confident strides toward becoming a comprehensive Arab cultural platform and a vital window for engaging with everything that matters to the Arab reader. He emphasized that the fair is not only a book market, but also a space for awareness, openness, and dialogue between cultures.
