JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia on Wednesday opened its pavilion at the Moscow International Book Fair, highlighting the Kingdom’s literary and cultural output while seeking to expand cooperation with Russia in publishing and translation. The Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission is leading the Kingdom’s participation in the fair, which runs from Sept. 2 to 6 at Gostiny Dvor. The 39th edition brings together more than 300 publishing houses from Russia and other countries and features more than 400 sessions, including author talks, professional panels and new book presentations. This year’s program focuses on the future of publishing in the age of artificial intelligence, alongside efforts to strengthen international cooperation in the book and publishing sectors. Abdullatif Al-Wasel, the commission’s CEO, said the Kingdom’s participation reflected the long-standing cultural ties between Saudi Arabia and Russia, the Saudi Press Agency reported. He said the pavilion offered an opportunity to showcase Saudi literary and intellectual developments to Russian and international audiences. Al-Wasel added that the pavilion reflected the Kingdom’s growing intellectual and creative diversity under Saudi Vision 2030. Saudi Arabia’s participation aims to strengthen cultural ties and knowledge exchange with Russia, promote the diversity of Saudi literature and culture, and support the international presence of Saudi publishers and literary agencies. It also seeks to create new opportunities for cooperation in literature, publishing and translation and expand the reach of Saudi content to new audiences. The Saudi pavilion brings together government bodies and cultural institutions, including the King Fahd National Library, the King Abdulaziz Public Library, the King Abdulaziz Complex for Endowment Libraries, and the King Abdulaziz Foundation for Research and Archives. Other participants include the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, the King Fahd Complex for the Printing of the Holy Qur’an, the King Abdulaziz Center for National Dialogue, and the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Global Center for Arabic Calligraphy. An accompanying cultural program includes panel discussions and poetry evenings featuring Saudi writers and intellectuals. The sessions address literature, publishing and translation while highlighting Saudi cultural achievements and their international reach. The Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University is also taking part through its Deanship of Scientific Research and Libraries. Its pavilion showcases around 89 titles produced by university members across disciplines including health sciences, design and the arts, humanities and social sciences, and engineering. The university said its participation aimed to highlight its role in knowledge dissemination and academic publishing while creating opportunities for research cooperation and cultural exchange with international institutions. The participation is part of wider efforts by the Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission to strengthen Saudi Arabia’s cultural presence at major international events and promote national initiatives supporting books, authors and the publishing sector.