Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani inaugurated the 35th Doha International Book Fair, featuring 520 publishers from 37 countries and more than 1.85 million books.
Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani inaugurated the 35th edition of the Doha International Book Fair on Thursday, with organisers describing the event as a reflection of the country’s growing cultural and intellectual landscape.
The exhibition, held at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center until 23 May, features 520 publishing houses from 37 countries across 910 booths.
A number of ministers, diplomats and senior officials attended the opening ceremony, where Sheikh Mohammed toured local, Arab and international publishing stands showcasing new releases, manuscripts and publications from the Ministry of Culture and participating institutions.
He also launched the “This is Qatar” book project, selected as the guest of honour initiative for this year’s edition.
The 35th edition of the fair includes more than 1.85 million books, around 231,000 titles, the launch of 143 new books, 46 discussion panels and 69 workshops.
Minister of State and President of Qatar National Library Hamad bin Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari said the exhibition had embodied Qatar’s broader cultural development and reflected the country’s continued investment in intellectual and cultural activities despite regional challenges.
“The Doha International Book Fair has become a major cultural destination not only in Qatar but across the Arab world,” Al Kuwari told QNA, pointing to the increasing number of participating publishers and countries each year.
He added that Qatar National Library, which now houses around 1.5 million books, continues to strengthen its presence through year-round cultural and educational initiatives.
Qatari media figure Saad bin Mohammed Al Rumaihi also praised the Ministry of Culture’s efforts in organising the exhibition, describing it as one of the Arab world’s leading cultural events in comments to QNA.
Jordan’s Minister of Culture Mustafa Al-Rawashdeh praised Qatar as a “beacon of culture” and said Jordan’s participation reflected the deep cultural ties between the two countries.
Speaking to QNA on the sidelines of the opening, Al Rawashdeh highlighted the strong presence of Jordanian publishers and visitors at the event, saying book fairs play an important role in promoting dialogue, knowledge exchange and cultural understanding.