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Invitation Extended to Saudi Arabia as Guest of Honor for Next Year
1404/02/20-18:46
In a meeting with Abdullah bin Saud Al-Anzi, the Saudi ambassador to Iran, the Deputy Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance for Cultural Affairs described the cultural relations between the two countries as expanding and formally invited Saudi Arabia to participate as the special guest in next year’s Tehran International Book Fair.
According to the Tehran International Book Fair News Headquarters, the Saudi ambassador toured various sections of the cultural event and met with Mohsen Javadi, Deputy Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance and President of the Book Fair.
During their meeting, both parties emphasized the importance of cultural exchange and explored ways to enhance bilateral cooperation in publishing, literature, and cultural exchanges. The Saudi ambassador welcomed the presence of Saudi publishers at the fair and called the event a valuable opportunity to deepen cultural ties.
Javadi stated, “The Tehran Book Fair is one of the largest book fairs in the world in terms of visitor numbers. In some years, daily attendance has reached nearly one million people.”
He added that the fair includes diverse sections such as general publishing, children and young adult literature, and educational publishing, with separate halls designated for each category. The international section is divided into two parts: one for countries to showcase their works and another for direct book sales by foreign publishers.
Javadi continued, “Every year, one country is selected as the special guest, and this year, Iraq has been given the honor. We hope that in the coming years, Saudi Arabia will also take part as the special guest.”
Referring to his recent trip to Saudi Arabia, he said, “During my visits to bookstores in Jeddah and Medina, I witnessed a significant transformation in Saudi publishing. New works and translations have been published, creating great potential for cultural cooperation between our countries.”
He emphasized Iran’s interest in having Iranian publishers and authors participate in Saudi book fairs, and in turn, welcomed the participation of Saudi publishers in Tehran.
The Saudi ambassador expressed his pleasure in attending the fair, saying, “I am delighted to be part of this important cultural event and to witness Iran’s extensive cultural activities up close. I also visited the fair last year and was impressed by the Iranian people’s passion for books and reading.”
Highlighting the importance of setting aside differences and focusing on shared cultural values, he said, “Relations between the two countries are on a positive path, and we hope to see ongoing development in cultural collaboration between the Saudi Ministry of Culture and Iran’s Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance.”
He concluded, “We must focus on common cultural ground and avoid divisive issues. I am confident that next year Saudi Arabia will be present at the Tehran Book Fair, and Iran will also participate in the Saudi book fair.”
“I thank Iran for its warm hospitality and hope this meeting marks the beginning of a new chapter in cultural cooperation between our two nations.”
The 36th Tehran International Book Fair runs from May 6 to May 16, 2025, under the slogan “Let’s Read for Iran” at Imam Khomeini Mosalla. The event is also being held virtually at book.icfi.ir.
