Amman, Sep. 23 (Petra) – Under Royal patronage, the 25th edition, Silver Jubilee, of the Amman International Book Fair kicks will kick off this Thursday.
Organized by the Jordanian Publishers Union (JPU), the event is held in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture, the Greater Amman Municipality, and the Abdul Hameed Shoman Foundation.
According to a JPU statement issued Wednesday, this edition marks a "historic milestone" in the Jordanian and Arab cultural landscape.
This year’s edition, held at the Jordan International Exhibition Center (Mecca Mall), features participation of approximately 400 Jordanian, Arab, and international publishing houses from 22 countries are participating either directly or via representation, alongside new publishing houses joining for the first time.
The Syrian Arab Republic is the "Guest of Honor" for this exceptional edition, celebrating its civilizational and literary heritage and embodying the deep historical and cultural ties uniting the two brotherly nations.
In press remarks, Jabr Abu Fares, JPU President and the Fair's Director, said the fair has become the Kingdom's "most prominent cultural event and a key driver" of tourism and the economy over the past 25 years.
Through its continuity and organizational evolution, he noted that the fair has built "solid" partnerships with readers and Arab cultural institutions, while bolstering the presence and intellectual position of local print books amidst rapid economic and technological shifts.
For this "Silver Jubilee" edition, he stated the fair's management has launched an "extensive and innovative" cultural program spanning multiple venues.
The event's cultural program features approximately 60 events, including specialized intellectual, critical, and philosophical seminars, as well as sessions highlighting the "Jordanian Narrative Project: Land and People." The program also includes literary sessions, which will host key intellectual figures and promising young voices, alongside evenings dedicated to both Standard Arabic and Nabati poetry.
Its activities are distributed across the events hall at the Jordan International Exhibition Center (Mecca Mall), the Royal Cultural Center, and the National Library of Jordan.
The program sees broad Arab and international participation, with around 40 guests arriving from Syria, this year’s guest of honor, Palestine, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Egypt, Tunisia, Lebanon, Oman, and China.
The fair also deatures a "dedicated" children's cultural program, supervised by the Abdul Hameed Shoman Foundation, hosted in a fully equipped hall that offers daily artistic and folkloric performances, as well as art and photography exhibitions.
This step makes the event a comprehensive cultural showcase that caters to the interests of all segments of society.
The fair, held at the Mecca Mall exhibition hall (Gate 3), welcomes visitors daily from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., except on Fridays, when it opens from 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
//Petra// AG
