Saudi Gazette report

JEDDAH - Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, emir of Makkah and adviser to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, inaugurated the third edition of the Jeddah International Book Fair on Wednesday evening.

The opening ceremony was attended by Jeddah Governor Prince Mishal Bin Majed, Deputy Emir of Makkah Prince Abdullah Bin Bandar, Minister of Culture and Information Awwad Al-Awwad and other senior officials.

Prince Khaled honored renowned Saudi poet Ibrahim Khafaji, who passed away recently at the age of 93.

Al-Khafaji, a celebrated poet, was known for composing Saudi Arabia’s national anthem.

The emir presented a shield of honor to Al-Khafaji’s son Muhammad Wajeedh.

Six other prominent writers and figures in the fields of culture, literature and publishing were also honored. They included Ahmed Al-Dhbaib, Dr. Abbas Tashkandi, Yahya Bin Junaid, Abdul Rahman Al-Muaammar, Huda Al-Amoudi, and Khaled Al-Youssuf. The sponsors of the event were also honored on the occasion.

After the inaugural ceremony, Prince Khaled and other guests toured the pavilions of the 10-day fair being held in South Obhur. He also opened the education pavilion and listened to a welcome song by a group of children. He toured the theatre and pavilion of the European Union.

Minister of Culture and Information Awwad Al-Awwad said that more than 500 publishing houses, representing 42 countries, are taking part in the fair, which showcases the cultural depth of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. “This exhibition reflects the interest shown by our wise government under the leadership of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman for cultural affairs,” he said while highlighting the care and attention given by Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman, deputy premier and minister of defense, and his keenness to disseminate the culture, knowledge and work to build bridges of dialogue for all peoples.

In a press statement, the minister said the opening of this year’s exhibition coincides with the qualitative changes being witnessed in the Kingdom at all levels, as reflected in the royal speech delivered by King Salman under the dome of the Shoura Council Wednesday. Al-Awwad thanked Prince Khaled Al-Faisal for his support for cultural activities. He also commended the distinguished efforts being exerted by Prince Mishal Bin Majed with his close follow up and supervision to make this cultural gathering a resounding success.

The minister said that a major attraction of this year’s book fair is staging of cultural events from China, Japan, United States, Turkmenistan, as well as from the European Union. Welcoming the participants from within and outside the Kingdom to the fair, the minister hoped that the fair would achieve its goal of promoting cultural movement and encourage the publishing movement in the Kingdom and other Arab countries.

The fair will introduce the Colors project, a national program conceptualized by the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH), to promote local artistic talent as well as tourism, mainly through photography. The 10-day event will open for visitors from Thursday morning. The visiting hours will be from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday to Thursday and from 4 p.m. to midnight on Friday.