DOHA (UNA-OIC) – Within the framework of its keenness to spread all forms of culture and provide an opportunity for generations of all ages to view the latest innovations created and produced by minds from all over the world, the State of Qatar is keen to organize annually a new, upgraded version of the Doha International Book Fair, within its strategy aimed at emphasizing its position as a beacon of creativity and one of the most culturally important countries locally and globally.
Organized by the Qatar Cultural and Heritage Events Center under the theme “Knowledge is Light,” the 31st Doha International Book Fair starts on Thursday and continues until Jan. 22, 2022, under the supervision of the Ministry of Culture.
The 2022 Doha International Book Fair comes to continue the human journey with research, discovery, and thinking, as the exhibition introduces the latest productions of humanity in terms of culture, science, and creativity in all fields, as the book is a window to acquire knowledge for researchers, innovators, scientists, and writers to develop their societies.
Doha is preoccupied with creativity and knowledge, enhancing its influential action, and strengthening culture, heritage, and Arab-Islamic identity, therefore, it supports every thought and mind that promotes its conviction that Islamic culture is found to live as an authentic value that has its uniqueness within the cultures of the world.
Within this framework, Doha, the Capital of Culture in the Islamic World, hosted more than 70 cultural events in 2021 based on its awareness of the importance of cultural capital and the need to highlight the cultural and civilizational diversity that characterizes it.
These events aimed at spreading Islamic culture, renewing its contents, and reviving its message, immortalizing cultural and civilizational glories in the fields of literature, arts, sciences, and Islamic knowledge, promoting dialogue between cultures and civilizations, and spreading the values of coexistence and understanding among peoples.
In 2010, as the capital of Arab culture, Doha hosted many literary and scientific publications, theatrical performances for adults and children, cultural weeks, and concerts and singing parties, aiming to communicate with the Arab and global cultural fields.
These Arab and Islamic events contribute to achieving the 2018-2022 strategy of the Ministry of Culture, highlighting the importance of providing a developing cultural environment that incubates the energies of Qatari society with all its components, makes Qatar a role model, and plays a cultural role based on a civilized human value system.
In this context, the Doha International Book Fair kicks off its 31st session and has folded a half-century-old creative path, characterized – among other things – by bringing humanity productions in the fields of culture, science, and creativity.
The exhibition includes more than 430 direct publishers from 37 countries and 90 indirect representations. The State of Qatar has been keen annually to organize an upgraded version based on the cultural scene in the country, as it is considered a prominent cultural event that the cultural, academic, and media circles follow and pay special attention to.
It also highlights, with its treasures of science and knowledge, the importance of spreading culture in all its forms and sectors and provides an opportunity for generations of different ages to see the latest innovations created and produced by minds in all parts of the earth.
Not far from its original interest, the 2022 exhibition hosts several cultural events that contribute to enabling its patrons to refine their talents, writers to communicate with the audience of readers, and intellectuals to exchange views and experiences among themselves. These events bet on spreading the etiquette of dialogue and promoting responsible freedom so that science becomes a virtue combined with good morals.
Many Qatari institutions and ministries and the Qatar National Library will participate in the exhibition. Also, Qatari publishing houses including the House of Culture, Hamad Bin Khalifa University Press (HBKU Press), Katara Publishing House, Qatar University Press (QU Press), Rosa Publishing House, Zakrit Publishing House, Dar Al Watad for Publishing and Distribution, Dar Al Sharq Printing, Publishing and Distribution, Nabja House for Publishing and Distribution and Nawa Publishing House will participate in the exhibition.
On a regional level, representatives from the Ministry of Heritage and Culture of Oman, and the Sharjah Book Authority, in addition to the ministries of culture in Morocco, Algeria, Sudan, Egypt, represented by the Egyptian National Library, and Azerbaijan will all participate in the book fair.
Many Arab and foreign embassies in the country and the Bologna International Fair, which is considered the most important children’s book fair in the world, are also participating in the Doha International Book Fair. (MORE).
The 31st Doha International Book Fair is of particular importance, as the fair has marked its 50th anniversary, as it is the first fair of its kind to be held in the State of Qatar, as well as at the level of the Arab Gulf states, which is a great indication that the State of Qatar has a long history of culture and it continues its efforts to spread culture and knowledge.
In 2002, the exhibition has received international recognition after its success in attracting the largest and most important publishing houses in the world and became an annual event instead of a biennial one.
Since 2010, the Doha International Book Fair chooses a country to be the guest of honor, starting with the United States, then Turkey, Iran, Japan, Brazil, Germany, and France, which was the guest of honor of the 30th session.
The US will be the guest of honor of the 2022 edition as part of the Qatar-America 2021 Cultural Year. The exhibition will witness a presentation of American culture and intellectual production, in the belief that cultures interact with each other, and that the book is an aspect of this generosity offered by the creator to peoples so that the book is a means of rapprochement between them and an indication of their diversity and tolerance.
Despite the COVID-19 precautions, the exhibition is expected to witness a huge turnout of all ages wishing to view or acquire the latest productions produced by printing presses, especially after the cancellation of last year’s edition due to health precautions of the COVID-19.
The State of Qatar firmly believes in the role of culture in upgrading the human being in knowledge, behavior, ambition, and achievement, spreading knowledge in the paths of creativity, building stability and peace, building bridges between all human beings without discrimination, and promoting dialogue, understanding and cooperation between nations and civilizations.
In this context, it is important to note the existence of a Ministry of Culture in Qatar, which includes a Department for Publications and Publishing that owns copyrights and trade names for the broadcast materials it produces or uses, grants third parties the right to use them, research, study and issue applications for the necessary licenses for press publications, printing houses, publishing houses, libraries, institutions importing, exporting and distributing publications, publicity and advertising institutions, public relations, artistic production, and artworks distribution shops, in addition to monitoring local publications and local and foreign artistic works, issuing books and pamphlets that introduce the state in various aspects, and providing them to embassies and diplomatic missions, in coordination with the competent administrative units.
It falls within this framework of the Amiri Decision No. 11 of 2003, which stipulated granting the State appreciation award to scientists and innovators in appreciation of their total scientific and creative giving and granting the State incentive award to promising researchers and creators of outstanding giving.
The Katara Cultural Village is one of the most important cultural landmarks in the State of Qatar and one of the largest projects with multiple cultural dimensions in the country, where the public visits it to learn about the cultures of the world. The idea of Katara arose from a dream in which Qatar would be a global cultural beacon from the Middle East through theater, literature, arts, music, conferences, and exhibitions.
Among the prominent and powerful evidence of the Qatari cultural scene is the Qatar National Library, a member of the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science, and Community Development, which is responsible for preserving the national heritage of the State of Qatar. It reflects the history and culture of the Gulf region and provides all citizens and residents of the State of Qatar with equal opportunities to benefit from its contents, facilities, and equipment.
Also, the Museum of Islamic Art is distinguished cultural evidence in the country, which includes one of the best collections of Islamic art around the world, including real masterpieces coming from three continents, representing the diversity of Islamic heritage.
