Oman’s Minister of Culture Participates in Opening of Doha International Book Fair 2026
Doha, The Gulf Observer: Sayyid Saud bin Hilal Al Busaidi, Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth of the Oman, participated in the opening ceremony of the Doha International Book Fair 2026 held at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center from May 14 to 23, 2026.
During his tour of the exhibition, the Minister received briefings on prominent intellectual, literary, and scientific publications showcased at the fair. He also visited the Sultanate of Oman’s pavilion, represented by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, and the National Records and Archives Authority, alongside several Omani, GCC, and Arab publishing houses.
Sayyid Saud praised the diversity and richness of the cultural and intellectual content presented at the event, which features participation from 36 countries and includes more than 515 publishing houses and institutions across 910 pavilions.
The Doha International Book Fair 2026 is regarded as one of the region’s leading annual cultural events, attracting thousands of visitors, publishers, intellectuals, and readers from around the world. The fair serves as a major platform for enhancing cultural dialogue and intellectual exchange among nations.
On the sidelines of the event, Sayyid Saud held a series of meetings with senior Qatari officials to discuss cooperation in culture, sports, and youth affairs.
The Minister met with Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Hamad Al Thani to discuss ways of strengthening cultural cooperation and exchanging expertise between the two countries.
He also held talks with Dr. Hamad bin Abdulaziz Al Kawari, during which he was briefed on the experience and facilities of the Qatar National Library. Discussions focused on knowledge exchange and supporting the National Library project within the Sayyid Tarik bin Taimur Cultural Complex.
In the field of sports and youth, Sayyid Saud met with Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani. The two sides reviewed Qatar’s experience in developing sports infrastructure and hosting major international events, particularly the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, and discussed ways to benefit from these experiences to support regional development initiatives.
