The 57th edition of Cairo International Book Fair surpasses two million visitors in five days

The 57th edition of the Cairo International Book Fair has set a new record for public attendance, surpassing the two-million-visitor mark within just five days of opening to the public. The total number of visitors reached 2,169,701, with Monday alone recording 346,789.

Dr. Ahmed Fouad Hanno, Egypt’s Minister of Culture, confirmed that this strong turnout reflects the firmly established status of the Cairo International Book Fair as Cairo’s most important cultural event and one of the leading cultural showcases in the region. He noted that surpassing two million visitors in such a short time is clear evidence of the growing interest of the Egyptian public in culture and knowledge, as well as the rising societal awareness of the importance of reading and its central role in human development.

The Minister of Culture explained that the current edition features a rich diversity of cultural, intellectual, and artistic events and programs, alongside continuous development of the services provided to the public. This contributes to delivering a comprehensive cultural experience that meets the aspirations of different age groups and reinforces the fair’s role as an annual gathering for creators, thinkers, and audiences from within Egypt and abroad.

As part of his follow-up on the activities of the 57th edition of the Cairo International Book Fair, Dr. Ahmed Fouad Hanno toured the fair’s pavilions and events on Monday, reviewing several activities within the cultural and artistic programs, as well as the hall dedicated to children’s activities, to assess performance standards and the quality of services offered to visitors.

During his tour, the Minister listened to visitors’ opinions and suggestions regarding service quality and ways to develop it. He also monitored sales activity at the pavilions of the various sectors of the Ministry of Culture, reviewed the most popular publications and the availability of diverse titles, and noted the strong turnout for the “A Library for Every Home” initiative, which has achieved remarkable success since the fair’s early days.

The Minister directed that the “A Library for Every Home” initiative be expanded by making it available through Egypt Post, ensuring its reach to all governorates, in addition to offering it at Ministry of Culture sales outlets across the governorates, in support of policies aimed at increasing access to books and reinforcing the principle of cultural equity.

He also attended several seminars and artistic performances and toured the children’s activity hall, which witnessed wide engagement from children and parents alike. This reflects the success of the programs in combining education and entertainment while promoting creativity and knowledge among young people. Additionally, he reviewed the views of several exhibitors regarding the level of organization and services, as part of the ongoing commitment to developing the fair’s overall system.

The 57th edition of the Cairo International Book Fair runs until February 3 at the Egypt International Exhibition and Convention Center in New Cairo, under the slogan “He who stops reading for an hour falls behind by centuries.” Romania is the Guest of Honor of this edition, while the fair honors world-renowned writer Naguib Mahfouz as its featured personality.