Sami Younes, head of Cairo International Convention Centre, announced on Monday that the Cairo International Book Fair will be held twice a year starting in 2018, adding that the second edition will be held in autumn of each year, according to state-run media outlet Egy News. Younes added that this year's second edition is expected to be held in September or October, stating that the centre has agreed with the General Egyptian Book Organisation to organise the second edition. He explained the establishment of a second round of the oldest book fair in the Arab World is due to the popular demand the fair is regularly met with. The 49th Cairo International Book Fair witnessed over 2.5 million visitors this year; 650,000 of them in just the first two days. Haytham El Hag Ali, head of the General Egyptian Book Organisation, previously stated that the fair's sales rate increased by about 16% compared to last year. This year's edition, which lasted from 27 January until 10 February, witnessed the participation of 867 publishers, of which 367 are from the MENA region and nine are non-Arab publishers. One hundred and fourteen new publishing houses were participating for the first time in the fair, and 117 kiosks were established at the Soor El-Azbakeya tents, where books are sold at reduced prices.
