Jose A Benzaquen Perea, Ambassador of Peru to Qatar
Since the invention of writing 5,300 years ago by the Sumerian civilisation, humans have been recording their experiences, knowledge, culture, research, past events, and even adventures.
Over time, books containing various materials have been created in an orderly manner, eventually leading to the invention of paper in 1450 and the printing press.
In these activities of cultural-educational promotion and dissemination, we have been able to visit the 32nd edition of the Doha International Book Fair, held with the motto “With Reading We Progress”, during June 12 and 21 of this year, has fulfilled all the expectations of a public interested in spending moments enriching knowledge, and in a very well exhibited way.
This international event was inaugurated by the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassin Al Thani under the patronage of Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani who also visited the event and said: “I am pleased with the diversity and richness that I have been able to see during my visit to the Doha International Book Fair.”
We had the honour of being invited by the Minister of Culture, H E Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Hamad Al Thani, who kindly showed us much of what was exhibited in this cultural meeting. We learned that it was first held in 1972 and has been held every year since then.
The fair was held in the well-designed Doha Convention and Exhibition Centre, and offered a variety of books that motivated visitors to read and learn. It also included seminars and poetic presentations, and highlighted the participation of the future of the nation, children.
A success story for Qatar, helping to position the country as a leading cultural hub in the region and reflecting the development of a more literate and informed society.
The fair featured valuable publications from global and independent publishers as well as pavilions from participating countries.
From the exponents of the bibliographic works, we received a variety of information that motivates us to continue promoting our work to strengthen our relations with the State of Qatar, and encourage mutual cooperation.
