Muscat Book Fair ends today

MUSCAT, MARCH 1 - The 25th edition of the Muscat International Book Fair (MIBF) concludes on Monday. The 10-day MIBF, being held at the Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre (OCEC), hosted thousands of titles from 946 publishing houses and acclaimed authors from across the world. It was an instant hit among the book lovers in the country. A total of 676 publishing houses participated directly, while 270 publishing houses took part through agencies. As many as 32 countries participated in the fair.

The Governorate of Musandam had been the ‘Guest of Honour’ of the book fair, while various governorates and wilayats were represented through their artefacts and lifestyle reenactments. Highlight of the book fair was the poetry evenings organised in honour of late Sultan Qaboos. The poetry evening was dedicated to his immortal legacy highlighting the journey of the country from 1970 till date. Schoolchildren made beelines at the OCEC throughout the 10 days.

“A fair like this is highly useful for the young minds as well as the passionate readers who wait for long to see new titles under one roof, as this is an opportunity to hunt for the titles that one is looking for,” Ibrahim al Wahaibi, parent of four, told the Observer. MIBF was also a venue for many authors to bring out their books to the public. The Light of Arabia - Sultan Qaboos evoked good response from the visitors at the Oman Establishment for Press, Publication and Advertising’s (OEPPA) stall.

A number of books and reference guides of national importance including an encyclopaedia of Oman titled Oman’s History Over Time were launched at the opening ceremony. The Encyclopaedia of the History of Oman, prepared by the Office of the Adviser for Cultural Affairs, elucidates the history of the nation through three different stages of the modern era. As many as 25 culture-related initiatives were also introduced during the fair. The five best are to be sponsored for over a year. Also, a series of seminars featuring the personality of the late Sultan, Blessed Renaissance, and 50 years of efforts to transform Oman into what it is today, were held at the fair.