Riyaadh Book Fair Has Started

Riyaadh Book Fair Starts Tomorrow

**
*Riyadh Book Fair opens tomorrow, women allowed *
*By Abdul Mohsen Al-Harithi - Saudi Gazette*

RIYADH – The annual Riyadh International Book Fair opens Tuesday at
the new
exhibition center on King Abdullah Highway with a selection of a
quarter of
a million tomes in various languages from 27 countries, supplied by
650 Arab
and foreign publishing houses.

The fair will include, for the first time, a section of second-hand
books,
and the design and layout includes facilities to allow easy access for
disabled people.

Abdul Aziz Al-Subeil, Deputy Minister for Cultural Affairs, commented
on
last year’s controversy over females working at the exhibition,
saying:
“This year women will be permitted to work at the international
exhibition.”

Exhibition organizers have also been coordinating closely with the
Hai’a to
make sure events run smoothly, he said.

Al-Subeil, speaking at a press conference last week, said that the
introduction of new technology had reduced the pressure on the
monitoring of
books on display. Books previously displayed, the deputy minister
said,
would not require monitoring other than in the case of new editions,
helping
to make sure that no books contain violations of a religious,
political or
moral nature.

“No publishing house has been barred from taking part. Last year’s
exhibition was unable to host every publishing house that wished to
participate due to a lack of space,” Al-Subeil said.

A special place has been designated for the public to make comments
and
observations on any of the books on display.

Wednesday and Thursday have been designated to the nation of Brazil –
this
year’s guest of honor. – Okaz/SG