Prior registration must to attend Muscat Book Fair

Muscat: HH Sayyid Theyazin bin Haitham al Said, Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth, will inaugurate the 26th edition of Muscat Book Fair 2022 on February 24, said Dr. Abdullah bin Nasser al Harrasi, Minister of Information, during a conference on Wednesday.

Al Harassi said that the exhibition will be by following precautionary measures as the country has decided to coexist with the prevailing health situation pandemic by following the rules.

The Book Fair, which will see the participation of 715 publishing houses with over 361,000 titles from 27 countries, will also host 114 cultural events, 85 activities for children and families.

Pre-registration will be necessary to visit the fair and the number of visitors will not exceed 50,000 per day, and a special schedule will be set for school students.

Around 29 events of the 60 events will be organized by the Governorate of South al Sharqiyah.

The number of participating countries will be less compared to the 2020 edition and the walking corridors between stalls have been increased as part of the measures to implement social distancing rules.

The site will offer provisions for hospitality and logistics services, besides ambulances throughout the exhibition period.

The exhibition will function at 70 percent of its capacity and the number of visitors will be regulated by the people through specific systems installed at the exhibition center.

Al Harassi said there is no prohibition against the dissemination of ideas and creativity, but will not allow publications that violate basic laws of the state.

Muscat International Book Fair is the largest cultural event in the Sultanate of Oman. It also comes within the top ten book fairs at the Arab level. It was launched in 1992 and has since seen the participation of international publishers and authors.

It was ranked among the top ten fairs in the Arab world and among the three most prominent exhibitions in the Gulf. The exhibition’s cultural program includes organizing a variety of cultural, intellectual, literary, and artistic events in coordination with a number of government and private institutions, including the Cultural Club, the Literary Forum, the Omani Society of Writers and Writers, the National Youth Committee and the National Human Rights Committee.