Deputizing for His Majesty King Abdullah II, Minister of Culture Mustafa Rawashdeh on Thursday inaugurated the Amman International Book Fair 2024, in the presence of Algerian Minister of Culture and Arts, Soraya Mouloudji.
The two ministers toured the official exhibition pavilions, the Silver Jubilee Pavilion, the Ministry of Culture, the Crown Prince Foundation, the Jordanian Armed Forces - the Arab Army, the Greater Amman Municipality, and the National Library Department, prior to the opening ceremony, which was hosted by the Jordanian Publishers Association in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and the Greater Amman Municipality. The pavilions of China, Palestine, Kuwait, the Sultanate of Oman, Sharjah, and the Iraqi Women Artists' Site were also visited by them.
More than 400 local, regional and international publishing houses from 20 countries are participating in the book fair, including Algeria, which is the "guest of honor" this year.
In a speech he gave at the ceremony, Rawashdeh said that this session was held in conjunction with the Kingdom's celebrations of the Silver Jubilee of His Majesty's assumption of constitutional powers. He also expressed gratitude for Algeria's participation as the exhibition's guest of honor. Algeria is associated with the memories of Jordanians from the mid-1960s, when they struggled against colonialism and made sacrifices. Algeria is also emotionally connected to Jordanians due to their shared issues as a nation, and its presence in numerous joint cultural programs in Jordan.
Referring to the numerous agreements and memoranda of understanding reached between the two friendly nations, Moulouji emphasized the depth of Algerian-Jordanian relations over decades and the high level of cooperation between the two countries.
Head of the Publishers Union and Director of the Exhibition, Jabr Abu Faris, said that the union feels obligated to work harder to ensure that the exhibition takes place on time because of the annual royal patronage. He also mentioned that the exhibition continues to promote the slogan "Jerusalem, the Capital of Palestine," confirming the Hashemite guardianship over the Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem and preserving the emotional and historical ties between the country, Palestine, and the holy city of Jerusalem, which stands proudly today in the face of Israeli arrogance and unrestrained terrorism.