Hadramout Book Fair Preparations Led by Ministers

The Minister of Information, Culture, and Tourism, Muammar Al-Eryani, along with the Governor of Hadhramaut Province, Mabkhout bin Madi, chaired the inaugural meeting of the Supreme Preparatory Committee for the Hadhramaut International Book Fair. The fair, organized by the General Authority for Books, is scheduled to take place in the city of Mukalla in December.

During the meeting, Al-Eryani and Bin Madi were briefed by Yahya Al-Thulaya, the head of the General Authority for Books, on the preparatory work undertaken to ensure the event’s success. The fair, in partnership with the Hadhramaut Foundation for Culture, will feature a series of quality events and activities fitting for this significant national cultural event, which is set to be the most prominent in Yemen in over a decade and a half. Al-Thulaya highlighted the enthusiasm and keen interest from Arab publishers to attend the fair.

Al-Eryani directed the leadership of the Book Authority and the fair to exert all efforts with precision and dedication to ensure the event’s success, in a manner befitting Hadhramaut’s status and reputation.

He expressed the government and the ministry’s appreciation for the support and facilitation provided by the local authority in Hadhramaut, represented by Governor Bin Madi, to the cultural sector in general. Hosting the first international book fair since 2013 underscores Hadhramaut’s significance and position in national and regional cultural and knowledge fields.

Al-Eryani emphasized the government’s commitment, represented by the Ministry of Information, Culture, and Tourism, to reviving the cultural activity that suffered due to the coup and war instigated by the Houthi militia, which completely paralyzed the cultural sector. He noted the importance of book fairs in national awareness and in protecting the generation from the dangers of extremist, violent, and racist projects.

He expressed hope that the Hadhramaut Book Fair would add to the literary and artistic momentum in the province, alongside the development and construction process, and the security and stability achieved through the cooperation of the local authority with all political and social components of the society.

Al-Eryani praised the efforts of the General Authority for Books and its Hadhramaut branch for their work in achieving ideal arrangements for the fair. He also thanked the Hadhramaut Foundation for Culture, led by Engineer Abdullah Ahmed Bqshan and his team in Mukalla, for their outstanding support and service to culture, literature, awareness, and enlightenment.

Governor Bin Madi affirmed the local authority’s commitment to providing all facilitations to ensure the success of this exceptional event, highlighting Mukalla’s readiness in terms of infrastructure, service facilities, and both public and private sectors. He thanked the General Authority for Books for choosing Hadhramaut as the venue for the international fair.

The Supreme Committee, joined by the President of Hadhramaut University, Dr. Mohammed Saeed Khunbash, and the Secretary-General of the Local Council in Hadhramaut, Saleh Aboud Al-Amqi, reviewed the Ali Hood Baabad Hall and Ali Ahmed Bakathir Auditorium, where the fair will be held, and the ongoing maintenance and updates to prepare them for the event.

The meeting was attended by key figures, including the Chairman of the 14th October Foundation for Press, Printing, and Publishing, Mohammed Hisham Bashraheel, Deputy Minister of Information Abdulbasit Al-Qaedi, and other notable officials from the Ministry of Information, the local government, and the Hadhramaut Foundation for Culture.

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