Egyptian Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouli opened the 52nd edition of the Cairo International Book Fair (CIBF) at the International Exhibitions Centre Wednesday. The event is held under the auspices of President Abdel Fattah El Sisi.
The book fair, themed “Reading is Life”, runs until July 15. The fair will receive the public starting from today.
Twenty-five countries are participating in this year’s fair, including, Sudan, South Sudan, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia, Eritrea, Morocco, Somalia, UAE, Kuwait, Jordan, KSA, Lebanon, Yemen, Palestine, Bahrain, Iraq, Syria, Japan, South Korea, Serbia, Russia, Greece, the UK, Spain, and the US.
Around 1,215 publishers from Egypt and other countries are participating in the event.
All cultural activities will be launched on the portal of the General Egyptian Book Organisation (GEBO), www.cairobookfair.gebo.gov.eg, while virtual visits will take place through three-dimensioned technology.
Minister of Culture Inas Abdel Dayem said tickets for this year’s edition will be booked online.
GEBO said that the fair is open daily from 10am to 10pm, and that it will allow 100,000 visitors a day to access the fair.
Each individual is allowed to buy four tickets per registered phone number.
Visitors are not allowed into the fair except on the day recorded on the ticket.
The digital platform also offers a list of all participating publishers and their locations in the four halls.
It also offers a list of the activities taking place on a daily basis. Visitors should wear face masks and have their temperature measured at the gate.
Book signing events are not allowed this year.
All the events and seminars will be broadcast online to maintain social distancing and prevent the spread of Covid-19 pandemic. The 52nd Cairo International Book Fair is set to launch new initiatives, including “Your Culture Is Your Book”.
The GEBO is cooperating with the Cairo Transport Authority to provide 11 designated bus lines with a total of 85 buses.
