Saudi Gazette report

MUNICH — Saudi Arabia showcased its rich cultural legacy and heritage at the New Delhi World Book Fair 2024, which concluded on Sunday.

The Kingdom was the guest of honor for this year’s fair, which was held at the Pragati Maidan in the Indian capital city of New Delhi from February 10 to 18.

Saudi Arabia’s participation was within the framework of the deep-rooted historical and cultural relations that bring together the two countries since a long period of time.

The Saudi pavilion at the fair shed light on various aspects of the Saudi culture in front of the Indian public, through a wide variety of programs, including 13 dialogue sessions and seminars that presented the richness of Saudi culture and its impact on Indian culture. It also highlighted the cooperation in the fields of publishing, cinema and translation between the two countries.

The pavilion also included mini-exhibitions of Saudi fashions and musical instruments, and a heritage segment where guests served Saudi coffee. There was a display of books featuring the Saudi regions in terms of their nature, heritage and tradition.

The exhibition also showcased antiquities and artifacts unearthed from various regions of the Kingdom, dating back thousands of years, as part of an initiative to introduce Saudi ancient cultural heritage to the Indian public.

On the sidelines of Saudi participation, a Saudi dinner night was held to celebrate national dishes, and a musical night to introduce Saudi music and performing arts, in the presence of ministers and officials from India, as well as diplomats, academics, media professionals and interested persons.

The Saudi Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission led the Saudi participation in the fair along with the Heritage Commission, the Music Commission, the Film Commission, the Culinary Arts Commission, the Fashion Commission, and the King Abdulaziz Foundation for Research and Archives (Darah).

The annual exhibition is organized by the National Book Trust of India, under the Ministry of Education. Launched in 1972I, the New Delhi World Book Fair is considered as the oldest book fair in India. More than 600 international publishing houses participated in it, bringing together the products of the world’s diverse cultures under one umbrella.