The Riyadh International Book Fair 2025 will launch this Thursday, featuring participation from 2,000 publishing houses and agencies from 25 countries. The event, organized by the Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission at Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, will run from October 2 to 11.

The fair is a well-established cultural destination that places Saudi Arabia at the heart of the global cultural scene. This year’s edition carries the theme “Riyadh Reads,” aligning with the “Saudi Arabia Reads” campaign launched by the Commission to foster a passion for reading within Saudi society, encourage culture and creativity, and enrich the literary and intellectual landscape of the Kingdom. The campaign sends a message that it is not just a local call but a Saudi discourse directed to the world, signaling the Kingdom’s investment in knowledge.

The wide international participation reflects global confidence in the Saudi market, which has become a hub for cultural and economic exchange. East and West converge on one platform to activate culture as an effective diplomatic tool, equal in importance to political and economic instruments. The fair’s program includes specialized events targeting book industry professionals, with the business area serving as a real laboratory for partnerships and initiatives. Literary agents meet local printers, industry challenges are discussed, and the future of digital publishing and intellectual property rights is addressed, transforming the event from a mere reader gathering into a comprehensive economic platform that drives the industry toward greater professionalism.

The fair offers families and individuals an exceptional experience combining knowledge and entertainment. The presence of families at the fair’s pavilions has prompted organizers to dedicate activities for children, alongside the “Saudi Author Corner” highlighting the creativity of local writers. These elements help establish reading habits in society and restore the book’s natural place in the lives of new generations. This inclusive character reflects the current edition’s slogan “Riyadh Reads,” emphasizing that reading is not just an individual act but a national project for human development and social cohesion.

The cultural program includes more than 200 events such as panel discussions, poetry evenings, training workshops, and artistic performances covering a wide range of literature, thought, arts, and technology. These programs practically embody Saudi Vision 2030, which aims to make culture an essential part of daily life and a sustainable economic resource. This diversity of events enhances Saudi Arabia’s presence as a regional and global center for cultural dialogue, offering visitors the opportunity to explore rich intellectual and artistic experiences from around the world.

The fair presents a live model of the cultural economy as a soft power tool, combining the direct economic dimension through sales and deals, the cultural dimension through promoting reading and dialogue, and the diplomatic dimension through wide international participation. This makes the fair a strategic event that consolidates Saudi Arabia’s position as a rising cultural power on the global stage. As the Kingdom continues to invest in its national culture strategy, the fair remains a bright platform reflecting deep transformations and opening wider horizons for a future in which Riyadh becomes a global capital for culture, publishing, and creativity.

Last year’s fair attracted over one million visitors, with direct sales exceeding 28 million Saudi riyals, according to official data from the Commission. The fair has contributed to stimulating the cultural and knowledge economy.