Kuwait city: The National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters (NCCAL) announced the upcoming 48th Kuwait International Book Fair, commencing next Wednesday. The event, held under the patronage of His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, will take place from November 19 to 29 at the Kuwait International Fairgrounds in Mishref, featuring 611 publishing houses from 33 countries.
According to Kuwait News Agency, Assistant Secretary-General for Culture at NCCAL, Aisha Al-Mahmoud, highlighted that this year's fair coincides with Kuwait's designation as the Arab Capital of Culture and Media for 2025. Oman will be honored as the guest country, recognizing its cultural contributions. Mohammad bin Al-Zubair, a retired advisor and founder of Bait Al-Ummal, has been selected as the fair's cultural figure for his work in promoting Arab culture.
The fair will host events across three cultural platforms: the "Cultural Cafe" for Arab cultural dialogue, the "Culture Pavilion" showcasing modern cultural diversity, and the "Children's Culture Pavilion" offering an interactive educational setting. New initiatives include the "Kuwait International Book Fair Award for Unpublished Works," the "Best Review Competition for the World Creativity Series," and the distribution of the "Creative Students Award."
The fair's director, Khalifa Al-Rabah, announced that the 48th edition will be themed "Capital of Culture... Homeland of Books." The exhibition will occupy three halls, with Hall 5 dedicated to Arab publishing houses, Hall 6 to Kuwaiti, Gulf, and other international publishers, and Hall 7 for government agencies and public benefit organizations. The exhibition lobby will focus on children's book publishers.
Al-Rabah reported that the fair will feature 287,000 registered books, including 35,066 new titles. Additionally, 84 publishing houses will participate in the Arab Publishers Professional Program and the "I Am the Author" project aimed at encouraging children's writing.
The exhibition offers a 25% discount on all books, automated information centers, and interactive screens for public convenience. Visitors can also use mobile phones or QR codes at booths to access information on the exhibition website.