Riyadh International Book Fair

The Riyadh International Book Fair is a trade fair for displaying and selling books. It is one of the most important Arab book fairs regarding the number of visitors, sales volume, diversity of cultural programs, and number of publishing houses. It was first launched in 1978 at Riyadh University (now King Saud University) and has since undergone various shifts in time and location up to the present day.

The fair held its first edition at King Saud University, which was then known as “Riyadh University,” when the university organized its inaugural book fair in 1978. The university continued to organize and supervise the Riyadh International Book Fair until 2004. In 2006, the Ministry of Higher Education assumed responsibility for its organization. Since 2007, the Ministry of Media—then called the Ministry of Culture and Media—took over the organization and supervision of the fair. Following the separation of the Ministry of Culture from the Ministry of Media in 2018, the Ministry of Culture, through the Literature, Publishing, and Translation Commission, became responsible for organizing and overseeing book fairs. The 2021 Riyadh International Book Fair was the first edition organized by the Commission, following its postponement in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and was held at Riyadh Front.

In addition to displaying and selling books, the Riyadh International Book Fair hosts a variety of cultural activities, such as book signing events, dedicated pavilions for presenting knowledge and cultural services, pavilions for discounted books, and sections for authors who do not have publishing houses to showcase their work. There are also seminars, lectures, workshops, theatrical and cinematic shows, poetry evenings, events designed specifically for children, and the honoring of the Cultural Personality of the Year.

Competitions organized by significant entities, such as the Ministry of Media, cultural initiatives, and spaces for displaying paintings and artworks, are hosted at the exhibition. Additionally, the Kingdom hosts a guest of honor country each year at the fair, dedicating a pavilion to showcase its culture, historical heritage, works, and literary and knowledge publications to the visitors of the fair.

The fair adopts an annual verbal theme for the event. In 2017, its theme was “The Book: Vision and Transformation”; in 2018, “The Book: The Future of Transformation”; in 2019, “The Book: Gateway to the Future”; in 2021, “A New Destination.. A New Chapter”; in 2022, “Chapters of Culture”; in 2023, “An Inspiring Destination”; and in both 2024 and 2025, it carried the theme “Riyadh Reads.”

The fair’s visual identity has gone through three stages in line with the organizing authorities. While under the Ministry of Culture and Information, it featured Riyadh TV Tower adorned with the two swords and palm emblem alongside a drawing of an open blue book. When the Ministry of Media assumed responsibility following the separation of the Ministry of Culture, the design was modified to retain the two swords and palm, with the color changed to green. Finally, after the Ministry of Culture took over organization, the visual identity was redesigned to feature the spines of books in colors reflecting the Ministry’s brand identity.

The fair is not limited to the participation of publishing houses but also involves governmental and private entities, including ministries, authorities, and universities, displaying everything related to them, such as publications, brochures, and knowledge and cultural activities.

Typically, the first day of the exhibition is dedicated to the opening ceremony, sponsored by the King and opened by the Minister of Culture or his representative, with the attendance of representatives from the guest of honor country. Attendance on this day is limited to guests who have received special invitations. On the following day, the public is welcome to attend. Usually, specific morning hours are allocated to welcome school students on school trips to the fair.