Today, the Ministry of Culture announced the organization of the Ramadan Book Fair, in its second edition, during the period from March 30 to April 5, under the patronage of His Excellency Sheikh Abdul Rahman bin Hamad Al Thani, Minister of Culture, at Darb Al-Saai headquarters in Umm Salal, with the participation of 79 publishing houses and bookstores. inside and outside Qatar.
In order to expand the benefits of the Ramadan book fair and keep pace with the atmosphere of the holy month, the Ministry of Culture, in cooperation with the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, the Ministry of Social Development and the Family, and the Qatar Reads initiative, organizes a number of accompanying events and activities, including a series of religious and cultural lectures and seminars, and an exhibition of productive projects. In addition to artistic and heritage activities for children and adults, and the celebration of Garangao Night.
His Excellency Sheikh Abdul Rahman bin Hamad Al Thani, Minister of Culture, said in a statement on the occasion that the Ramadan Book Fair is a new episode in a cultural season full of events throughout the year, noting that the great success achieved by the seminar season in its second edition enriched the cultural scene and constructive intellectual space. on historical and contemporary issues, and this is what the Ministry seeks in its interest in such cultural events.
His Excellency added:" The exhibition is inspired by its objectives from the vision of the Ministry of Culture aimed at strengthening efforts to localize the book and the publishing industry in Qatar, highlighting the creativity of writers in various fields and celebrating its owners, as well as opening broader areas of cooperation between writers and publishers in a way that supports book marketing and expands the circle of readers.". His Excellency stressed that such exhibitions contribute to reviving people’s interest in books and highlight the importance of reading and its role in people’s lives, as well as its impact on the cultural and literary movement in the State of Qatar.
For his part, Dr. Ghanem bin Mubarak Al-Ali Al-Maadeed, Assistant Undersecretary for Cultural Affairs at the Ministry of Culture, said that the Ramadan Book Fair aims to invest the atmosphere of the holy month in the development of religious, cultural and social knowledge, in addition to giving visitors the opportunity to choose books suitable for different ages in various branches of knowledge. He noted that the Ramadan Book Fair, in its second edition, has a distinguished participation of 79 publishing houses and libraries (including 18 publishing houses for children’s books), as it attracts 48 Qatari publishing houses and libraries, and 48 foreign publishing houses from 14 countries: Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Kuwait, Egypt. Jordan, the UAE, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Tunisia, Algeria, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia, stressing that the Ministry of Culture was keen to select distinguished publishing houses from outside the State of Qatar that are specialized in various fields of knowledge, as well as selecting the best publishers of children’s and young adult books. All aspects of support will be provided to participants from outside Qatar to enhance their participation in the activities of the exhibition, indicating that the exhibition opens its doors to visitors daily from eight in the evening until twelve midnight.
In addition, the Ramadan Book Fair includes the establishment of a Ramadan council for public and influential personalities who narrate their biography and history, in addition to organizing a series of daily cultural seminars, and holding religious seminars in cooperation with the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, as part of an advocacy program aimed at keeping pace with the atmosphere of the holy month and deepening the benefit of visitors. The religious seminars, which are organized on a daily basis, from Friday, March 31 to April 5, discuss topics of interest to the family and society and shed light on the importance that Islam has attached to the family entity, and the ethics of the Prophet Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace in his family and follow his example, in addition to examining the effects of means Social communication on family cohesion, and other current issues.
It is worth noting that holding the Ramadan Book Fair for the second time in a row is an embodiment of the Ministry’s keenness to enhance and increase the connection to reading and books, by intensifying initiatives and programs supporting it for all segments of society and all ages.
