CIBF Draws Over 750,000 Visitors on Eighth Day

Egypt’s Cairo International Book Fair recorded a surge in attendance on its eighth public day, attracting more than 750,000 visitors, organizers said Thursday, highlighting the event’s continued popularity as one of the Arab world’s largest cultural gatherings.

A total of 751,020 people attended the fair on Thursday alone, pushing overall attendance since the opening to 3,785,050 visitors, according to official figures.

Now in its 57th edition, the Cairo International Book Fair is being held under the patronage of President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi from Jan. 21 to Feb. 3 at the Egypt International Exhibition and Convention Center in New Cairo.

This year’s fair is held under the slogan “Whoever stops reading for an hour falls centuries behind.” Romania is the guest of honor, while Nobel laureate Naguib Mahfouz has been named the fair’s featured cultural figure.

The fair offers a wide-ranging cultural and artistic program, including intellectual seminars, literary evenings, art performances, and activities for children and youth.