The Riyadh International Book Fair

The Riyadh International Book Fair is held annually in Riyadh, the capital city of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It provides a platform for companies, institutions and individuals with interest in books and the publication industry to display their products and services. The primary role of the fair is to support society’s reading habits and skills, raise cultural, literary and artistic awareness. It also encourages individuals to visit, purchase books, attend conferences, workshops and seminars related to culture, literature, and art. Since its establishment -about 40 years ago- the Riyadh International Book Fair has built its reputation as a major event in the Arab intellectual scene. It is one of the top leading Arab book fairs in terms of visitor count, sales volume and the diversity of cultural programs. It attracts publications from prominent Saudi, Arab, and international publishing houses and writers each year. In 2019, the organization and administration of the fair was assigned to the Ministry of Culture. The Ministry is working on building the fair’s infrastructure to complement the objectives outlined in Vision 2030 and the cultural vision launched by the Ministry of Culture in 2019. It also aspires to support the fair on the global stage.