ABU DHABI, (Pakistan Point News - 23rd Jun, 2020) The Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi, DCT Abu Dhabi, virtually hosted the 16th meeting of the Gulf region’s book fair directors, under the patronage of the General Secretariat of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, GCC.
Held in light of the challenges faced by book fairs as a result of the worldwide spread of COVID-19, the meeting was attended by Faisal Al Sheikh, Director of Exhibitions and Programmes for the Dar Al Kutub Sector at DCT Abu Dhabi; Fadil Hussain Ahmed, Deputy Director of the Sharjah International Book Fair; Dr. Abdulrahman Alasem, Director of the Riyadh International Book Fair; Yousuf Ibrahim Al Bulushi, Director of the Muscat International Book Fair; Saad Alanazi, Director of the Kuwait International Book Fair; Saad Al Zughaibi, Director of the Department of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities in the General Secretariat of the Gulf Cooperation Council; and Jasim Albouenin, Director of the Doha International Book Fair.
The convening of the book fair directors aimed to coordinate efforts and work towards a common vision to tackle the impact on the exhibition industry in GCC countries. The meeting discussed plans for future book fairs in the region, as well as specific projects to help recover from the crisis and maintain a strong presence for book fairs both in the region and internationally.
Scheduling of upcoming exhibitions was also discussed, to ensure events did not overlap. Recommendations from the previous meeting were also reviewed, as well as steps taken by each country to address the impact of the pandemic.
