The Cairo International Book Fair has attracted a high number of visitors since its opening on Friday. Egypt's Minister of Culture, Ahmed Fouad Hanno, toured the 56th edition of the fair on Saturday, praising the public turnout, particularly families. The fair continues until 5 February at the Egypt International Exhibition Centre in New Cairo. Organised by the Egyptian General Book Authority, headed by Ahmed Bahi Aldin, the fair's theme is "Read... In the beginning was the Word." The Minister's tour included visits to several publisher and exhibitor pavilions, such as Al-Azhar, the Ministry of Defence, the Administrative Control Authority, and the Ministry of Culture. He also visited the discounted foreign books pavilion, a new addition organised in partnership with the Sharjah Book Authority. Hanno expressed his satisfaction with the visitor numbers, describing the fair as a cultural and intellectual destination reflecting Egyptians' love of culture. He stated that this edition embodies Egypt's cultural standing and its leading role in promoting culture and knowledge, expressing hope for the fair's continued success. The purpose of the Minister's tour was to assess the fair's operations and monitor services for publishers and visitors. On Friday, the first day, the Ministry of Culture announced 400,942 attendees. Visitors flocked to the fairgrounds from the early hours to participate in cultural and artistic activities, and to purchase publications on diverse subjects from participating publishing houses and the Ministry of Culture's pavilions. Egyptian families, along with Arab and international visitors, attended the opening day of the annual event. This year, the Ministry of Culture launched the Million Books initiative, aiming to donate one million books across various categories and for different age groups throughout Egypt. This initiative aims to improve public awareness and cognitive skills. The fair features 1,345 publishing houses from 80 countries and 6,150 exhibitors. New participating countries this year include Chile, Belgium, Congo, Bulgaria, and Austria, adding to the fair's cultural diversity. The Sultanate of Oman is the guest of honour. Ahmed Mostagir, the Egyptian scholar and writer, has been named the fair's personality of the year, while the children's book fair personality is writer Fatima Al-Maadoul. The fair's theme, "Read.. was the word in the beginning," draws inspiration from Islamic and Christian scriptures, highlighting reading's importance. The slogan aims to encourage knowledge-seeking through reading, promoting a deeper understanding of oneself and the world, and fostering creativity and innovation. The Sultanate of Oman is also the Guest of Honour for this 56th edition. The fair's Higher Advisory Committee selected the late scholar Aḥmad Mustajīr as the main personality of the fair and children's writer Fatima Al-Maadoul as the Children's Fair personality. The Cairo International Book Fair offers diverse activities encompassing all fields of knowledge. These events are held in designated halls throughout the fairgrounds, including the Main Hall, the International Hall, the Cultural Salon, the Thought and Creativity Hall, the Poetry Hall, and the Presentation Hall. Activities for children and artistic events are also featured. Hundreds of writers and intellectuals from Egypt, Arab countries, and other nations are participating in the cultural programme, which includes over 600 diverse events. The fair welcomes visitors daily from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm, extending its hours to 9:00 pm on Thursdays and Fridays.
