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15th Muscat Book Fair to open on
Feb 23
MUSCAT — His Highness Sayyid
Haitham bin Tareq al Said, Minister of Heritage and Culture, will preside
over the opening ceremony of the 15th Muscat International Book Fair 2010 on
Tuesday, February 23. Shaikh Hamad bin Hilal al Maamari, Heritage and
Culture Ministry’s Under-Secretary for Cultural Affairs and Deputy Chairman
of Muscat International Book Fair 2010 Committee, said at a press conference
yesterday that at the opening ceremony a book titled Word’s Faith will be
launched.
The book, written by 40 Omani writers, deals with the Omani Renaissance from
1970 till 2010. More than 500 participants from 27 Arab and foreign
countries will take part in the fair. The fair is divided into four stands.
They are Al Faraheedi, Al Otabi, Ibn Duraid and Ahmed bin Majid. Al
Faraheedi and Ahmed bin Majid stands will be allocated for Arab and foreign
publishing houses that exhibit Arab books; Al Otabi will be allocated for
government establishments from within and outside the Sultanate; and Ibn
Duraid for Arab and foreign publishing houses for foreign books, Al Maamari
said.
He noted that 38 official departments and 23 foreign book publishers and a
library representing seven countries, including Japan and Singapore, are
taking part for the first time. The fair will be open from 10 am to 9 pm
from Saturday to Thursday, and on Friday, from 4 pm to 9 pm. A new hall
named Ahmed bin Majid that can accommodate 76 pavilions is added this year.
ONTC will operate three free tours to the fair from Buraimi, Sohar and Nizwa.
E-book will be available for visitors. The fair also includes lectures and
cultural programmes. — ONA |
