Egypt on Wednesday opened the 57th edition of the Cairo International Book Fair, with Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly inaugurating the event on behalf of President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi at the Egypt International Exhibition Centre in New Cairo.
Held under presidential patronage, the fair will run from 21 January to 3 February and is being billed as the largest in its history in terms of both participation and activities.
This year’s edition is organised under the slogan “One who stops reading for an hour falls centuries behind,” a quote by Nobel laureate Naguib Mahfouz, who has been named Personality of the Fair. Renowned artist Mohieddin El-Labbad was selected as Personality of the Children’s Book Fair, while Romania is participating as guest of honour.
The opening ceremony was attended by several cabinet ministers, the Grand Mufti of Egypt, the governor of Cairo, diplomats and senior officials, as well as members of parliament, writers, intellectuals and media figures. Romania was represented by Culture Minister András István Demeter and Ambassador Olivia Toderean.
Madbouly praised the continuous development of the Cairo International Book Fair in recent years, saying the steady growth in international participation, diversity of exhibitors and expansion of exhibition space reflect the fair’s prominent position on the Arab and regional cultural map. He stressed that the event underscores Egypt’s commitment to promoting culture and thought as key pillars of its soft power and its long-standing role as a regional cultural hub.
Minister of Culture Ahmed Fouad Hanno said the current edition is the largest in the fair’s history, with the participation of 1,457 publishing houses from 83 countries and more than 6,600 exhibitors. He added that the cultural and intellectual programme includes around 400 events, over 100 book-signing ceremonies and 120 artistic performances, featuring Egyptian, Arab and international writers and artists.
Hanno noted that this year’s fair places special emphasis on Egypt’s ancient civilisation and heritage, coinciding with the recent opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum. He added that several new initiatives are being launched, including the “Library for Every Home” project, aimed at restoring books to daily family life, and the “Ahlena wa Nasna” camp, which highlights Egypt’s intangible cultural heritage across its governorates.
The programme honouring Mahfouz includes intellectual seminars, film screenings and artistic activities, most notably the exhibition “Naguib Mahfouz Through the Eyes of the World,” featuring works by artists from several countries. Activities celebrating El-Labbad include specialised seminars, an exhibition of his works, interactive children’s programmes, reprints of selected publications and a commemorative book documenting his artistic career.
During his tour of the fair, Madbouly visited pavilions of several ministries and state institutions, including the ministries of culture, defence and interior, the Administrative Control Authority, the Central Bank of Egypt and the Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics, which announced that Egypt’s population has reached 108.6 million.
He also toured the pavilions of Al-Azhar, Dar Al-Ifta, the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs and the National Reading Pavilion, as well as the Financial Regulatory Authority, which showcased its initiatives to promote financial literacy. The Cabinet’s Information and Decision Support Centre presented its research publications, digital platforms and smart applications.
At the Romania pavilion, Madbouly was briefed on the guest of honour’s cultural programme, which includes 30 events involving 60 participants, as part of preparations to mark 120 years of diplomatic relations between Egypt and Romania in 2026.
Concluding his tour, the prime minister praised the high level of organisation, the diversity of participating pavilions and the dedicated children’s area, as well as the prominent tribute to Mahfouz. He said the Cairo International Book Fair continues to strengthen its role as a leading platform for cultural dialogue, a key supporter of the publishing industry and an important gateway for spreading knowledge and public awareness.
