Concluded Riyadh International Book Fair its activities with sales of 71 million and 645 thousand riyals (about $ 19 million) while the number of visitors since it opened ten days ago about two million and four hundred thousand visitors according to the Department of the exhibition.
the exhibition in its current session which ended on Friday Witness the biggest gathering of publishers and exhibitors, agencies and authorities compared to previous years. 32 countries participated including the Arab states and more than 970 houses hand in the exhibition.
present in the corridors of the exhibition over 250 thousand paper title and more than one million and two hundred thousand electronic title after expanded exhibition space for last year up additional lounge includes 105 suites.
The guest honor of this year "the Kingdom of Morocco" and participated elite of senior intellectuals who have an influential presence in the Arab and internationally cultural scene. Came guest area of about 130 square meters of about a thousand titles and with the participation of 12 publishing houses.
Participated in this year new publishing houses amounting to 790 .. in addition to the added space for the exhibition which provided post 260 additional publishing house for the past year.
In contrast to previous years Outweigh the female presence on the men in exhibition galleries and surprised a lot of exhibitors who used to come to Riyadh to attend gallery thick women by definition books displayed in various forms including those exposed to Arab and regional issues.
The area of freedom is greater during the session as noted by many of the visitors .. was Under-secretary of the Ministry of Culture and Information for Cultural Affairs "Nasser Hejailan" said "not a book banned but what is agreed on prevention such as books pirated and copied or violating the fundamentals of religion."
The versions that address Saudi affairs and politics and history more supply and demand, including the book "Wahhabism .. shirk and cracked tribe" Saudi writer "Khalid al-Dakhil" the much-it demand and sold within two days 1500 copies: a notation in the history of "the Wahhabi movement" and "the emergence of the Saudi state "outside the framework of the official version approved for this date.
As many demand and attendance to sign the book " no compulsion in national" Saudi writer Dr. Ziad Al-Drees Permanent Representative of the Kingdom to UNESCO .. the book deals with the ambiguous relationship between religion and the homeland. the book was published for the Arab Cultural Center in Beirut and Casablanca.