CAIRO, 21st January, 2026 (WAM) -- Sheikh Salem bin Khalid Al Qassimi, Minister of Culture, attended the opening of the 57th Cairo International Book Fair and conducted an inspection tour of the UAE pavilions, where he reviewed the latest publications and accompanying cultural activities.
During the tour, he underscored the importance of the UAE’s active presence at major cultural forums and its vital role in strengthening knowledge exchange and supporting the publishing industry, in a manner that reinforces the country’s cultural standing regionally and internationally.
The fair was inaugurated at the Egypt International Exhibition and Conference Centre by Mostafa Madbouly, Prime Minister of the Arab Republic of Egypt, in the presence of a number of ministers, senior officials and guests, under the theme, "Read… In the Beginning Was the Word".
The event, regarded as a central hub of Arab culture, will run until 3rd February. This year’s edition features Romania as guest of honour, with the late Nobel laureate Naguib Mahfouz named the fair’s main personality, and Egyptian artist Mohieddin El Labbad selected as the personality of the Children’s Book Fair, in recognition of their lasting impact on the Arab cultural scene.