RIYADH: The Riyadh International Book Fair, one of the region’s largest cultural events, will open on Wednesday with more than 900 Arab and global publishing houses taking part.
Bahrain is the guest of honor at the international cultural fair. More than 30 countries will be represented at the 10-day event, Mohammed Al-Marzouqi, chairman of the book fair’s media committee, told Arab News.
The fair will honor seven leading Saudi filmmakers — Saad Khadr, Ibrahim Al-Qadi, Khalil Al-Rawaf, Saad Al-Freih, Abdullah Al-Muhaisen, Haifa Al-Mansour and Ibrahim Al-Hasawi.
The annual book fair will also celebrate the life of Ghazi Al-Gosaibi, the Saudi politician, diplomat, poet and novelist who died in 2010.
After the opening ceremony on Wednesday, the book fair will be open to visitors on Thursday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
The fair, held under the patronage of King Salman at the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Center, will provide a cultural bridge between the Arab region and the wider world, and serve as a networking platform for publishers, writers, scholars and academic institutions.
More than 500,000 books and publications will be displayed at the fair, which attracts over a million visitors every year.
The exhibition will also include a pavilion dedicated to Saudi Vision 2030 and displays for the NEOM, Red Sea and Qiddiya megaprojects.
The book fair, which started over a decade ago, features a large number of books on Islam, Arab culture, history, medicine, law, science and technology, mass media and communication, besides biographical accounts, fiction and novels available in popular languages including Arabic, English, French, Turkish, Urdu and Spanish.
Riyadh book fair starts 10-day run
Riyadh book fair starts 10-day run
- Bahrain guest of honor at the event
- More than 500,000 books and publications will be displayed at the fair, which attracts over a million visitors every year
Saudi Hajj Ministry suspends Umrah firm, overseas agent over contract violations
- Company failed to provide accommodation for a number of Umrah pilgrims, despite these services being documented in the contractual programs, ministry says
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Hajj and Umrah on Sunday announced the suspension of an Umrah company and its overseas agent for failing to provide accommodation services for pilgrims in line with approved contractual programs.
In a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency, the ministry said the company’s failure constitutes a clear violation of regulations governing services for Umrah pilgrims and visitors to the Two Holy Mosques.
It noted that a number of pilgrims arrived in the Kingdom without secured accommodation, despite these services being documented in the contractual programs.
This prompted immediate regulatory action against the company and its overseas agent under the established legal frameworks, the ministry said.
"The measures are intended to safeguard the rights of affected pilgrims, prevent a recurrence of such violations, and ensure the continued enhancement of service quality," it added.
Last June, the ministry suspended seven Umrah companies due to deficiencies in providing transport services to pilgrims.
In an earlier report quoting the Hajj Ministry and the General Authority for the Care of the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques, SPA said more than 1.7 million Muslims from all over the world arrived in the Kingdom to perform Umrah during Jumada Al Akhira alone.
Also referred to as Jumada Al Thani, Jumada Al Akhira is the sixth month of the Islamic calendar. For Hijri year 1447, this sixth month ended on December 20, 2025 in the Gregorian calendar.
