Book Fairs in Saudi Arabia

Book Fairs in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are an international or local cultural event that represents a public marketplace for books, an economic field for publishers and retail booksellers, authors, literary agents, journalists, and the general public. They are organized by the Literature, Publishing, and Translation Commission, affiliated with the Ministry of Culture, in one of the Saudi cities such as Jeddah Governorate or Riyadh City. The Riyadh and Jeddah book fairs are described as international, unlike the local book fairs that were launched as part of the 'Book Fairs' initiative under the supervision of the Ministry of Culture. The goal is to organize local book fairs in all provinces of the Kingdom, including al-Madinah al-Munawwarah Book Fair. Arab, regional, and international publishing houses participate in the book fairs in the Kingdom, and they offer a variety of literary products.

The capital, Riyadh, began hosting the book fair organized by King Saud University in 1976 under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud - when he was the Governor of the Riyadh Province. In 2006, the then Ministry of Higher Education (currently the Ministry of Education) took over the organization. The organization then transferred to the Ministry of Culture and Media (currently the Ministry of Culture) in 2007. Both editions of the fair included cultural events and open meetings for intellectuals and poets. In 2008, the ministry added a feature for electronic book search within the fairgrounds.

The Riyadh International Book Fair began hosting cultural representations from countries in 2008, with Japan being the first honorary cultural guest of the fair. A separate pavilion was dedicated to Japan in the middle of the exhibition hall. In 2009, the space for the exhibition, as well as the conference and seminar tents, were expanded at the book fair. The number of publishers and publications increased, with around 650 publishers from twenty-seven countries participating, presenting 250,000 titles. Brazil was featured as the guest of honor. The 2010 edition of the Riyadh International Book Fair featured a variety of cultural programs, and the Republic of Senegal participated as the guest of honor.

The following edition of the Riyadh International Book Fair in 2011 saw the participation of about seven hundred publishers from thirty countries, showcasing three hundred thousand titles. Additionally, eighteen cultural events were held within the fair, and a cultural pavilion was added where eighty Arab thinkers and writers participated. India was honored as the guest of honor. The 2011 edition of the fair provided four signing platforms for writers and authors, with 165 male and female authors signing their new releases. The number of visitors exceeded three million.

Starting in 2012, international book fairs in the Kingdom began to be inaugurated under specific slogans. That year's edition was launched under the slogan "Reading is Life". The Kingdom of Sweden was the guest of honor and participated in a pavilion that featured a selection of publications introducing Swedish culture and numerous children's books. Additionally, a Swedish publishing house took part in the fair.

The fair featured participation from 450 local, Arab, and international publishers. Additionally, a complete pavilion was dedicated to families and children, containing everything of interest for children, including educational, cultural, and entertaining resources, as well as explanatory materials for all stages of childhood. The fair also recorded an attendance of approximately 2.8 million visitors.

In 2013, the Riyadh International Book Fair was launched under the slogan "Dialogue: Culture and Behavior". The Kingdom of Morocco attended as the honorary cultural guest and participated with a cultural program. In 2014, the slogan for the Riyadh International Book Fair was "The Book: Vault of Civilization". The fair featured a special pavilion dedicated to individual Saudi authors to display and market their works to publishing houses.

From inside the Jeddah International Book Fair. (SPA)

In 2015, the Riyadh International Book Fair was launched under the slogan "Books for Coexistence". South Africa was the guest of honor at the event, which also featured the participation of 915 publishers from twenty-nine Arab and foreign countries. The following edition of the Riyadh International Book Fair was held in 2016 under the slogan "The Book is an ageless memory."

The Riyadh International Book Fair in 2017 was held under the slogan "The Book: Vision and Transformation," which was linked to Saudi Vision 2030. This connection was emphasized through the fair's visual identity, showcased in the designs of the corridors, pavilions, gates, and the main logo within the exhibition. Malaysia served as the cultural guest of honor for this edition. In 2018, the United Arab Emirates was the guest of honor at the Riyadh International Book Fair, themed "The Book is the Future of Transformation." That edition featured participation from five hundred Arab and international publishing houses, which presented around eighty cultural events.

In 2019, the Saudi Ministry of Culture launched a special logo for the Riyadh International Book Fair that reflected the identity of the fair and the significance of its location. The logo was designed to resemble books lined up on a shelf, using colors derived from the official logo of the ministry. The event was moved to the new venue of Riyadh Front. This edition marked the first time the Ministry of Culture organized and supervised the fair, as previously, the Ministry of Media had been responsible for organizing and overseeing all editions of book fairs in the Kingdom.

Following its establishment as part of the cultural bodies under the Saudi Ministry of Culture, the responsibility for organizing and supervising international book fairs in the Kingdom was transferred to the Literature, Publishing, and Translation Commission. This Commission has worked to enhance the status of the Riyadh International Book Fair and the Jeddah International Book Fair on the regional and international book fair maps. Additionally, it has developed these fairs in line with Saudi Vision 2030, which identifies culture as a fundamental component of life quality.

In 2020, the edition of the Riyadh International Book Fair was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, the fair was held under the slogan "New Destination, New Chapter," with Iraq serving as the cultural guest in the presence of many Iraqi intellectuals and authors.

The Jeddah International Book Fair was held for the first time in 2015 in Jeddah Governorate. It spanned an area of twenty thousand m at the exhibition grounds and featured a special app that included an interactive map of the fair. In 2016, the Jeddah International Book Fair hosted thirty countries and 450 local, Arab, and international publishers. By the third edition of the fair in 2017, author-signing platforms were introduced. Additionally, an online site was launched to accept applications from authors who wished to secure signing platforms at the fair, requiring them to fill out forms with the necessary information. The fair also featured a book vending machine, the 'Bookccino'.

In its fifth edition in 2019, the Jeddah International Book Fair adopted a design inspired by traditional Saudi heritage architecture and expanded its area to thirty thousand m. The fair included various cultural events, such as a pavilion dedicated to the history of printing. This pavilion showcased the evolution of book printing from early techniques to digital printing, with participation from about four hundred publishers from forty countries around the world.

The Saudi Literature, Publishing, and Translation Commission launched the 'Book Fairs' initiative under the supervision of the Ministry of Culture. This initiative aims to organize local book fairs across all provinces and cities of the Kingdom, providing readers in any city with the opportunity to explore products from local, Arab, and international publishers. In 2022, the Literature, Publishing, and Translation Commission organized al-Madinah Book Fair at the King Salman International Convention Center.

In 2023, the commission launched al-Sharqiya Book Fair 2023 as part of the 'Book Fairs' initiative, at the Dhahran Expo under the slogan "Exhibition, Culture, Civilization, and Art," with the participation of five hundred local, Arab, and international publishers across 350 pavilions.