Muscat, April 30 (PTI) 29. The International Book Fair Muscat, open in the Oman Congress and Exhibition Center, has moved away since last year’s global focus on artificial intelligence to celebrate its cultural diversity as a path to unity.
“Last year, AI was a dominant topic, but this year Oman accepts a more practical approach,” said Sheikha Al Mahrouqi, the reigning CEO of the International Media at the Ministry of Information, Videos PTI.
“Through this book fair, we give a vital message: to accept our differences and accept how we are,” she said.
The thematic “cultural diversity enriches our civilization”, the fair, which began on April 23 and will be closed on May 3, seeks to support peace and unity through literature and cultural exchange.
“In the world that needs unity, we need to use culture, especially book trade fairs, as a tool to support peace and coexistence across ideologies, religions and backgrounds,” Al Mahrouqi stressed.
A large literary event in the region, the fair is organized by 674 publishing houses from 35 countries and depicts 681,041 titles, including 467 413 Arab books, 213 610 foreign books and 27,464 Omani works. In the years 2024-2025 it also contains around 52 205 new publications.
Al Mahrouqi emphasized Oman’s long -term cultural and business ties with India, strengthened by the visit of Sultan Haitham Bin Tariq in 2023.
“Our relationship with India is a historical-business of cultural influences. Visiting his majestic Sultan Haitham Bin Tariq to India in 2023 crowned our long-term relationship,” she said.
Al Mahrouqi also called on the international media to emphasize the stories of diversity to advance in peace, and stated that “accepting differences is necessary for progress and prosperity.”
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