Ramadan Book Fair concludes

HE the Minister of Culture Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Hamad al-Thani and other dignitaries at the seminar.

The first edition of Qatar's Ramadan Book Fair concluded on Saturday. The nine-day event was held in the western square of Souq Waqif featuring programmes for all ages including lectures, seminars, art workshops and children’s theatre. In the presence of HE the Minister of Culture Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Hamad al-Thani and Palestine's ambassador to Qatar Munir Abdullah Ghannam, a seminar on 'Al-Aqsa Mosque and its Status in the Nation' was held yesterday. It was presented by Dr Khaled Meshaal, head of the Hamas foreign political bureau.

The book fair was organised by the Ministry of Culture, represented by Qatar Cultural and Heritage Events Centre. Historical books and manuscripts dating back over 300 years ago were on display at the venue. Besides Arabic, books in English and French, among other languages, were available. Among those who visited the book fair were several ambassadors and local dignitaries. Book fair director Jassim Ahmed al-Buainain said the fair coinciding the holy month of Ramadan focused on religious books. He explained that they conducted this event to promote a culture of reading in the country. More than a dozen local publishing houses participated in the first edition along with others from nine countries - Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, India and Australia.