Hundreds of families, mostly women and children, flocked to the Oman Convention and Exhibition Center (OCEC) for the 27th edition of the Muscat International Book Fair (MIBF) which began on February 22. With over hundreds of thousands of titles from publishers around the world, the Book Fair has already become an instant hit, attracting visitors from all walks of life during the first weekend of its opening.
The annual event is a feast for book lovers, academicians, and fiction enthusiasts, with nearly 500,000 titles to choose from. Among these are 204,411 non-Arabic titles, 260,614 Arabic books from 826 publishing houses, and 5,900 new publications from around the globe. For attendees searching for specific books, the fair has proven to be a one-stop solution. Abdul Aziz al Balushi, a ministerial employee, shared that the Book Fair has been amazing for him as he was able to find books for his son studying in the UK and daughter in kindergarten.
Huda al Kindi, a lawyer and mother of three, also found the event helpful. She mentioned that the Book Fair is a one-stop solution for all book needs, be it fiction or academic, adding that she preferred western publishers as many titles came from the west.
This year, the South Al Batinah Governorate is the guest of honour at the Book Fair, with a dedicated section for heritage, history, science, academy, literature, thinkers and philosophy, children's books, law, education, languages, stories, novels and medicine. In addition, there are various cultural activities for families to enjoy throughout the exhibition days.
Since the opening of the Book Fair on Wednesday, several book launches have occurred. One of them was for a book titled '101 Leaders Who Inspired Us' by Sidhique Hassan, a prominent social worker and orator, which was launched by Rekha Prem, a vlogger and social worker, and Saraswati Manoj, an active name in Oman's philanthropist activities. The book highlights modern-day leaders who have motivated humanity to dream of a brighter future.
Since its introduction in 1992, the Muscat International Book Fair has grown to be a regional cultural event, hosting major international publishing houses and hundreds of thousands of works by acclaimed authors. The MIBF is ranked among the top ten fairs in the Arab world and among the three most prominent exhibitions in the Gulf, cementing its position as a one-stop solution for literary and other needs of both students and readers.
@kabeeryousef
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
