Culture Minister Inaugurates Kingdom's Pavilion as Guest of Honor at Damascus Book Fair

Minister of Culture Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan, who is the Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission Board Chairman, inaugurated the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's pavilion as guest of honor at the 2026 Damascus International Book Fair.

 The inauguration took place in the Syrian capital in the presence of Syrian Arab Republic Minister of Culture Mohammed Yassin Saleh and Qatari Minister of Culture Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Hamad bin Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani.

 The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the guest of honor at this year's fair, which runs until February 16, in a cultural presence that reflects the Kingdom's prominent position and leadership in the Arab and international cultural scene.

 The Kingdom's participation as guest of honor at the fair stems from the role culture plays within the Kingdom's Vision 2030 and from its belief in culture as a space for convergence, a bridge for civilizational communication, and a tool for strengthening ties among Arab peoples.

 The Literature, Publishing, and Translation Commission is leading the Kingdom's participation at the book fair within an institutional framework that reflects the development of the literature, publishing, and translation sector in the Kingdom. Its participation underscores the Kingdom's commitment to presenting a cultural presence grounded in meaning, respecting history, and restoring the book's status as a vehicle for awareness and knowledge.

 Literature, Publishing, and Translation Commission Chief Executive Dr. Abdul Latif Al-Wasil affirmed that the Kingdom's presence as guest of honor at the fair reflects its leading role in the Arab cultural landscape and embodies its belief in the role of culture as a bridge for communication, a space for dialogue, and a tool for supporting joint cultural initiatives.

 He explained that the Kingdom's presence in Damascus affirms the depth of Saudi-Syrian relations, based on partnership and mutual respect, and stems from the Kingdom's commitment to strengthening cultural exchange. This is one of the objectives of the national strategy under the umbrella of Vision 2030, through which the Literature, Publishing, and Translation Commission has given special attention to continuing constructive dialogue between peoples, exchanging knowledge and expertise, and consolidating the Kingdom's active role in the Arab and international cultural landscape.

 The Kingdom's pavilion showcases the cultural and creative diversity of the Saudi cultural and literary scene through a comprehensive cultural program that includes intellectual seminars, poetry evenings, a manuscripts exhibition, a Saudi fashion corner, a hospitality corner, and a corner displaying archaeological replicas, in addition to Saudi performing arts performances that express the depth of the Kingdom's cultural heritage.

 The pavilion offers visitors to the exhibition the opportunity to explore aspects of Saudi culture in its literary, heritage, and human dimensions within a cultural experience presented in a unifying Arab spirit, affirming that culture remains one of the most effective means of fostering understanding and building shared meaning.

 This year's Damascus International Book Fair represents a significant cultural milestone, in which the value of the book is restored as a carrier of meaning, a space for dialogue, and the beginning of a cultural path that reflects the aspirations of the Arab scene towards a more open and conscious stage.