Visitors flocked to the Jeddah International Book Fair on Monday, taking advantage of the closure of schools due to heavy rain and a break from matches at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Organizers were relieved with turnout after a slow week when the fair was held at the same time as World Cup matches.
Publishers are hoping that visitors will continue to pour in until the end of the fair on Saturday.
The fifth day of the fair hosted Arabic comedy stars and sports journalists at panel discussions. Four seminars and poetry reading were also held.
One seminar, “Technology Imagination and Marketing Game”, explored the Metaverse, web, and other modern technologies that have expanded in the virtual reality world. The seminar was moderated by Dr. Alaa al-Mohammedi and attended by Princess Rim al-Faisal, Nukta CEO Salwa Radawi, and financial analyst Abdullah Mashat.
Another seminar hosted a number of sports journalists to talk about the impact of sports programs on youth. Moderated by Sultan al-Ghashyan, the seminar hosted Walid al-Farraj, Dr. Sultan al-Lahyani, and Mohammed al-Mishal.
The fair dedicated a seminar about comedy in the Arab world that featured actors Mohamed Henedi and Ibrahim al-Hajjaj.
The fourth seminar, “Arabism of Iraq: Culture and Identity”, hosted Mashari al-Thaydi, Iraqi historian Rasheed al-Khayyun, Cleric Raheem Aburhgeef, and writer Kamel al-Khati.
Monday also saw a poetry reading evening moderated by Dr. Ahmed al-Hilali, and attended by poets Mohammed Yaqoob and Tahani al-Subeih. The day concluded with a workshop during which Dr. Mirvat al-Ardawi showcased the foundations of film criticism.
