UAE 'Guest of Honour' at Riyadh International Book Fair

ABU DHABI, 20th February, 2018 (WAM) -- The UAE has been announced as the Guest of Honour for the Riyadh International Book Fair, which is set to be held at the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Centre from 14th to 24th March, 2018. Held under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia, the fair is held under the slogan "The Book is the Future of Transformation". Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development, said that the gesture demonstrates the depth of the historic relations that unites the two countries across the cultural, intellectual, and literary spheres. She stated that this step will bolster efforts to strengthen cultural exchange between the two countries through the sharing of a wide range of artistic and literary works at one of the foremost leading book fairs in the region. Al Kaabi said, "Culture has always reflected the sophisticated character of the relationships shared between the two nations and their people. This fact is exemplified in its most advanced form in the relationship shared between the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Cultural integration is an essential part of enhancing the growth of the political, economic, and strategic relations between our two states." The UAE is preparing to shed light on its ongoing cultural and literary activities at the fair, where an iconic range of cultural content will be presented. The Riyadh International Book Fair is one of the most significant cultural events in Saudi Arabia, seeing the highest sales among all Arab fairs with more than 500 participating Arab and international publishing houses and more than 80 cultural activities. The fair hosts a Guest of Honour each year to showcase their literary history and publications for visitors, in addition to participating in a variety of activities, cultural seminars, and poetry recitals organised for the event.