Qatar Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani inaugurated the 35th Doha International Book Fair at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center. The knowledge festival, which will last until May 23, will feature 520 publishers from 37 countries. The fair, which has made more than 1.8 million books available, also launched a special book project called “This Is Qatar” to promote Qatari writers under the leadership of the Prime Minister. The book fair, which began in 1972, is currently one of the oldest and most famous literary fairs in the region.
More than just a book fair, extensive cultural programs have been planned as part of the fair this time. Apart from a number of panel discussions, workshops and seminars, there are also special ‘Reading Guide’ sessions to help readers choose books according to their taste. Other key attractions this year include the ‘Doha Children’s Zone’ designed to attract children to reading, and a mobile library bus that visits schools to promote reading. The visiting hours of the fair are from 9 am to 10 pm every day and from 3 pm to 10 pm on Fridays.
