Amman, Oct. 3 (Petra) -- The 25th edition of the Amman International Book Fair concluded Saturday. The fair was inaugurated by Minister of Culture Mustafa Rawashdeh and organized by the Union of Jordanian Publishers in partnership with the Ministry of Culture and in cooperation with the Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) and the Abdul Hameed Shoman Foundation (AHSF), under the slogan "Jordan: The Land and the People."

According to a Ministry of Culture statement, the silver jubilee edition marked a prominent milestone in the fair's journey. Over 25 years, the Amman International Book Fair has transformed from a specialized book exhibition into an annual cultural and intellectual event, a platform for dialogue and knowledge exchange, and a bridge connecting Jordan with its Arab surroundings and the world, in addition to its contribution to stimulating cultural, tourism, and economic activity linked to the book and publishing industry.

The edition witnessed broad participation from publishing houses, with more than 400 local, Arab, and foreign publishing houses and institutions from 23 countries, along with writers, creators, researchers, and academics, and public attendance that reflected the standing the fair has cemented over a quarter-century in the Jordanian and Arab cultural scene.

Publishing houses participated for the first time from Kuwait, Libya, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia, along with an official pavilion for the brotherly Republic of Sudan through its embassy, giving Jordanian readers wide space to access Arab and international intellectual and literary production and the latest releases in various fields of knowledge.

The Syrian Arab Republic was the guest of honor of this edition, with a participation carrying cultural, civilizational, and humanitarian connotations, embodying the depth of historical and brotherly relations between Jordan and Syria and presenting a rich picture of the Syrian cultural scene and its literary, intellectual, and artistic heritage, with the participation of Syrian Minister of Culture Mohammad Yassin Saleh, a cultural and creative delegation, and Syrian publishing houses.

The Syrian participation provided an occasion to enhance dialogue and cultural cooperation between the two countries, which was affirmed by the meeting of the Jordanian and Syrian culture ministers on the sidelines of the fair.

The cultural program included about 65 events, with the participation of nearly 220 creators, writers, intellectuals, and researchers, distributed among intellectual, critical, and philosophical seminars, poetry and story evenings, dialogue sessions, workshops, documentary screenings, book signings, and artistic, photographic, and folkloric events.

The cultural program extended to the Royal Cultural Center and the Department of the National Library, in addition to the events hall at the Jordan International Exhibition Center at Mecca Mall.

The Jordanian narrative project "The Land and the People" was strongly present during the fair's events as one of the main themes of this edition, affirming the importance of books and documentation in preserving national memory and documenting the story of place and people, and opening new spaces for reading Jordanian history, society, and identity, along with topics related to the future of culture and publishing amid digital transformations, the information revolution, artificial intelligence, and social media.

The fair gave special attention to children and youth through a cultural and artistic program dedicated by the Shoman Foundation and the Ministry of Culture, including activities, artistic and folkloric performances, interactive events, art and photography exhibitions, and Arabic calligraphy, enhancing the fair's community dimension and cementing its presence as an open cultural space for families, children, students, and readers.

The fair's pavilions witnessed continuous cultural activity represented by the launch and signing of new releases and direct meetings between readers and writers, creators, publishers, and thinkers, contributing to creating intellectual and cultural momentum throughout the fair's days.

This edition affirmed that the publishing and book industry represents a fundamental pillar of the cultural and creative industries and a sector linked to knowledge, economy, culture, and development.

Minister of Culture Mustafa Rawashdeh said in the statement that this global cultural event, whose opening ceremony was held at the Royal Cultural Center as an architectural edifice, cultural space, and national symbol we take pride in, in its 25th edition, in which the Jordanian Publishers Union celebrates the fair's silver jubilee, deserves praise for the successes achieved, valuing the efforts of the union's management, publishing houses, and partner entities and institutions in organizing this edition.

He added that the union, while celebrating the fair's silver jubilee, paid attention to the Jordanian narrative as a cultural and national title within the cultural program, which included a number of items related to the book industry, creativity, creators, the publishing industry, and the future amid technological transformations.

Rawashdeh valued the participation of the brotherly Syrian Arab Republic as guest of honor of this edition, given Syria's heritage and ancient history that reflects the depth of brotherly ties and the roots of shared culture between the two countries, affirming that the Syrian participation constituted a qualitative addition to the cultural program and to the Arab presence at the fair.

Rawashdeh affirmed that the fair, which was visited by more than 400,000 visitors, is considered a fundamental pillar of the national cultural effort to spread the story, along with a range of activities and events the ministry is keen to hold throughout the Kingdom. It is an important foundation in the cultural and creative industries and a driver of national income, as well as a knowledge vessel for reviving and protecting heritage and a practical and methodological framework for documenting the Jordanian narrative: the story of the land and the people.

Rawashdeh said the hope is that the Amman International Book Fair, after a quarter-century of continuity, will constitute a cultural project reflected in society by advancing the publishing industry, introducing new titles, keeping pace with accelerating technological transformations and the multiplicity of knowledge sources and the information revolution, and being a space for introducing new experiences and presenting new voices, critical ideas, and translations, contributing to increasing the number of readers, improving the writer's product, expanding the book market, and raising community awareness.

The Minister of Culture expressed his appreciation for the royal attention and patronage His Majesty the King gave to the fair and to books, intellectuals, researchers, and academics who enriched the cultural program with their ideas and experiences, and to Jordanian and Arab media that covered the fair's events, and to institutions and strategic partners, foremost among them the Greater Amman Municipality and the Abdul Hameed Shoman Foundation, and to all entities that contributed to the success of this edition.

For his part, Director of the Amman International Book Fair and President of the Union of Jordanian Publishers Jabr Abu Fares pointed to the great success achieved by this exceptional edition (the silver jubilee edition).

Abu Fares noted that the fair has once again proven that it has become an established annual cultural appointment and a main driver of intellectual and cultural movement in Jordanian society, explaining that the large public turnout and broad community interaction affirm the authentic standing of the printed book in the hearts and minds of Jordanians.

He praised the efforts of the Ministry of Culture and the Greater Amman Municipality in terms of integrated logistical and institutional support that had a great impact on the success of this edition, valuing the role of the Abdul Hameed Shoman Foundation, which supervised and implemented the "Children's Corner" and provided a distinguished cultural and scientific program throughout the fair's days that contributed to honing the skills of future generations.

He affirmed that this community partnership embodies the finest image of integration among national institutions to preserve and enhance the cultural scene, noting that the silver jubilee edition of the Amman International Book Fair celebrated the Syrian Arab Republic as the guest of honor of the edition.

He noted that the fair's silver jubilee edition witnessed the holding of seminars on the "Jordanian Narrative Project... The Land and the People" to enshrine our national memory.

On the fair's cultural program this year, Abu Fares said: "This edition was distinguished by a rich and diverse cultural program prepared by the fair's cultural committee, as the fair witnessed the organization of about 65 events and intellectual and critical activities and poetry evenings, with the participation of more than 220 creators and thinkers, including 22 intellectual and literary figures from brotherly Arab countries."

It is noted that the silver jubilee edition, with the conclusion of its events, has opened a new horizon for the Amman International Book Fair to move to a more advanced stage in the publishing industry and to increasingly transform the fair into a sustainable cultural and developmental project connected to people, society, and the cultural economy.

//Petra// AF

03/10/2026 22:52:02