The three-day Arabic Book Fair comes to an end on Sunday. Today, the international event with 77 exhibitors is still open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. It takes place at the Mercury Hotel MOA in Berlin-Mitte (Moabit, Stephanstraße 41). Admission is free.

For the new ambassador of Qatar, Abdullah bin Ibrahim Al Hamar, it was the very first appointment at the post in Germany. The high-ranking diplomat, who moved from Madrid to Berlin, is also chairman of the advisory board of the Divan, the Arabic Culture House, which developed the book fair and organized it for the second time.

With its diverse program, the Divan is a beacon of Arab culture in Europe and a leading center for cultural dialogue, said Al Hamar. The Divan is a reputable institution, a cultural bridge that connects Germany with the Arab world.

The book fair offers an important platform for enriching literature and culture. “It is an expression of our deep commitment to promoting cultural dialogue and building bridges of understanding between cultures. ”

Berlin, a city known for its cultural diversity, offers the ideal place to exchange ideas and knowledge. “With its National Vision 2030, the state of Qatar is pursuing the goal of promoting culture as an essential part of its path to sustainable development in order to become a knowledge-based and innovation-based economy that preserves its national identity and authentic traditions,” said the ambassador. “Qatar's role as a platform for dialogue and peace reflects our firm commitment to building bridges of understanding and working for a more harmonious and tolerant world. ”

At the book fair, Ambassador Al-Hamar announced the continuation and expansion of the “Divan Library” initiative in cooperation with the German LIT Verlag. This initiative aims to translate outstanding Arabic works into German. The latest example of this initiative is the book “The Magic of Culture” by Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani. The diplomat also announced that he would launch the “library of audio books.” This is intended to promote global access to Arabic literature.

Other speakers included the doyen of the Arab Diplomatic Corps in Germany, Lebanon's Ambassador Mustafa Adib; José Borghino, Secretary General of the International Publishers Association; Bachar Chebaro, Secretary General of the Arab Publishers Association, and Ibrahim Al-Buhashem al-Sayed, Advisor to the Qatari Minister of Culture and Director of the Al-Watad publishing house.

Diplomat Anna Bartels, who is responsible for foreign cultural policy at the Federal Foreign Office, opened the event on the German side. She also addressed the situation in Gaza, stating civilian population must be better protected.

The extensive supporting program included panel discussions on topics such as:

• “The state of literature in the Arab world using the example of fictional literature”

• “Satirical literature and its socio-critical function: comedic drama on television and cinema”

• “The situation of international, Arab and German publishing: current challenges, the e-book and its future impact on the world of publishing”

• “Arabic-German translation: current situation and outlook, challenges with electronic and specialist translations”

• “The role of Qatar's cultural heritage in strengthening national identity”

• “The horizon of Arab-German dialogue using the example of the cultural work of Prof. Dr. Udo Steinbach”

• and an event to mark the tenth anniversary of the Sheikh Hamad Prize for Translation and International Understanding against the backdrop of 2025 as the Year of the German Language.

The first edition of the Arabic Book Fair in October last year was such a great success with more than sixty exhibitors that the venue had to be moved from the Divan's headquarters in Berlin-Zehlendorf to Mitte for capacity reasons. The third edition will take place in early autumn 2025, to which Ambassador Al-Hamar has already extended an invitation.

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Eko

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