On the 14th and second to last day of the 52nd Cairo International Book Fair, 91,000 visitors made their way to its exhibition halls, amid strict COVID-19 precautionary measures.
Head of the Egyptian General Book Organization Haitham al-Hajj confirmed that the fair witnessed tremendous turnout this year despite the pandemic.
Hajj attributed this turnout to the government’s ability to confront the pandemic, adding that the fair’s closing day will likely see even more visitors.
He also said that the fairgoers’ keenness on knowledge despite the challenges has contributed to the high numbers.
The 52nd session of the Cairo International Book Fair is held this year under the slogan “Reading is Life,” and includes 1,218 publishers from 25 countries. Its final day is Thursday.
The fair was inaugurated by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, and Culture Minister Enas Abdel Dayem.
This year, the exhibition is witnessing the launch of the “Your Culture, Your Book” initiative, for which a special corner is allocated. The prices of books range from LE1 to LE20 under the initiative.
Also a digital platform was launched for booking tickets, viewing the fair’s layout, watching workshops and activities, and offering online book purchases.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
