DAMASCUS — Saudi Arabia on Tuesday opened the Guest of Honor Pavilion at the 2026 Damascus International Book Fair.
The pavilion was opened by Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Culture Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan, who is also the Chairman of the Literature, Publishing and Translation Committee, in the presence of Syria’s Minister of Culture Mohamed Yassin Saleh and Qatar’s Minister of Culture Abdulrahman bin Hamad Al Thani.
Saudi Arabia is participating as the guest of honor at this year’s trade fair, which runs until February 16, in a move that reflects Saudi Arabia’s cultural leadership and commitment to strengthening Arab cultural exchange.
This participation is in line with Saudi Vision 2030, which positions culture as a platform for dialogue, a bridge of civilized communication, and a tool to foster closer ties between Arab societies.
The Literature, Publishing and Translation Committee leads Saudi participation in an institutional framework that emphasizes the development of Saudi Arabia’s literature, publishing and translation sector, and reaffirms the central role of books as transmitters of knowledge and awareness.
Abdullatif Alwaser, CEO of the commission, said Saudi Arabia’s selection as guest of honor reflects the country’s leadership in the Arab cultural scene and its belief in culture as a space for dialogue and shared creativity.
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He added that the Saudi presence in Damascus underscores the depth of Saudi-Syrian relations, built on partnership and mutual respect, and reflects Saudi Arabia’s commitment to strengthening cultural exchanges as a key pillar of its national strategy under Vision 2030.
The Saudi Pavilion will showcase the diversity of the Kingdom’s cultural and creative landscape through a comprehensive program that includes intellectual seminars, poetry evenings, manuscript exhibitions, a Saudi fashion corner, hospitality exhibitions, replicas of archaeological artifacts, performances of traditional Saudi art, and more.
Visitors to the fair will be offered an immersive introduction to Saudi culture in its literary, heritage and human dimensions, presented within a unified Arab cultural ethos that emphasizes the role of culture in understanding and building shared meaning.
Organizers described the Damascus International Book Fair as an important cultural moment, reaffirming the value of books as a forum for dialogue and as the basis for a more open and conscious Arab cultural future.
