Al Amn Magazine # 161

31 MARCH 2023 Book Fair for this year is being attended by representatives of 826 publishing houses from 32 countries, displaying 533,063 titles and publications. There are also 22,950 Omani publications, including 5,900 recent ones. There are 204,411 foreign books and 260,000 Arabic books. A corner has been allocated for Omani authors focussing on Omani publications, whether in Zanzibar, in Arab or in European countries. There is a Children’s Corner, where a space has been allocated for activities of children and their families. There is a theatre, scientific and cultural corners, a reading corner and workshops, in addition to the cultural cafes. The exhibition includes a discussion session entitled “The Fourth Authority, where to?”, a lecture on the international experience in building knowledge and the prosperity of nations, a symposium on Mahmoud Darwish, the universal poet, and a discussion session on “The Professional Association and its impact on the development of the publishing industry.” A dialogue session entitled “The Cultural Common Between Arabs and Spain”, and another one on “Citizenship and Cultural Identity” were also part of the events. Authorities related to the industry and book publishing are taking part along with authors to sign their publications in a special corner. With the aim of refining experiences and gaining skills, and for the first time in the Muscat International Book Fair 2023, the electronic payment service has been implemented in all participants’ platforms, in coordination with a local bank.