Egypt opened the 57th edition of the Cairo International Book Fair on Wednesday, with Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly inaugurating the event on behalf of President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi at the Egypt International Exhibition Centre in New Cairo. Held under presidential patronage, the fair runs from January 21 to February 3 under the slogan “One who stops reading for an hour falls centuries behind,” a quote from Nobel laureate Naguib Mahfouz, named Personality of the Fair.
This edition is billed as the largest in the fair's history in terms of participation and activities, featuring 1,457 publishing houses from 83 countries and more than 6,600 exhibitors. The cultural and intellectual programme includes around 400 events, over 100 book-signing ceremonies, and 120 artistic performances involving Egyptian, Arab, and international writers and artists. The fair places special emphasis on Egypt's ancient civilisation and heritage, coinciding with the recent opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum, and launches new initiatives such as the “Library for Every Home” project to restore books to daily family life and the “Ahlena wa Nasna” camp highlighting Egypt's intangible cultural heritage across its governorates.
The programme honouring Mahfouz features intellectual seminars, film screenings, and artistic activities, including the exhibition “Naguib Mahfouz Through the Eyes of the World,” showcasing works by artists from several countries. Renowned artist Mohieddin El-Labbad, selected as Personality of the Children’s Book Fair, is celebrated through specialised seminars, an exhibition of his works, interactive children’s programmes, reprints of selected publications, and a commemorative book.
Romania participates as guest of honour, represented by Culture Minister András István Demeter and Ambassador Olivia Toderean, with a cultural programme of 30 events involving 60 participants, in preparation for marking 120 years of diplomatic relations between Egypt and Romania in 2026. During his tour, Madbouly visited pavilions of several ministries and state institutions, including culture, defence, and interior, as well as the Central Bank of Egypt, which announced Egypt’s population has reached 108.6 million. Madbouly praised the event's continuous development, steady growth in international participation, and its role in promoting culture as a pillar of Egypt's soft power and its position as a regional cultural hub.