Doha International Book Fair Launches Wednesday

Doha, December 01 (QNA) - The 26th edition of the Doha International Book Fair is set to launch Wednesday at Qatar National Convention Center under the auspices of HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani and the organization of the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage. The 10-day event will draw the participation of 427 publishing houses from 27 Arab and foreign countries. It features over 18,000 titles across the different fields as well as 3,000 foreign-language titles. In a press conference held today to announce details of the latest edition of the fair, HE Minister of Culture, Arts and Heritage Dr. Hamad bin Abdulaziz Al Kuwari said Qatar pays great attention to culture as it constitutes an integral pillar of development and has made huge achievements on the national, Arab and international fronts. He emphasized that Doha International Book Fair is a cornerstone of cultural events and is a recognition for culture and intellectuals every year, and, hence, enjoys the patronage of HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani. HE Al Kuwari pointed that Turkey's participation as guest of honor culminates the Qatar-Turkey 2015 cultural year that has witnessed several cultural and artistic events in both countries, noting that the Turkish involvement would be outstanding thanks to the historic ties binding the two countries. Asked about cultural events accompanying this year's edition, HE the minister said the fair will tackle intellectual and literal issues of domestic, Gulf, Arab and Islamic scopes as well as international issues such as dialogue among nations and the relation between religion and human development. The fair program also includes many literature and poetry evenings and specialized workshops. Regarding the censorship of the books, HE Dr. Al Kuwari said that though it is essential for protecting the community, the fair keeps it at minimal level as long as books do not violate the principles of the nation or call for sedition. (QNA)