UNESCO has chosen Rabat as the 2026 World Book Capital. The nomination of the Moroccan capital was announced on October 8 by Audrey Azoulay, Director General of UNESCO: “After Rio de Janeiro in 2025 and Strasbourg at this very moment, I am happy to announce the designation of Rabat as world book capital 2026. Rabat is a major cultural crossroads where books contribute to the transmission of knowledge and arts in all their diversity ».
26e city to obtain the distinction, Rabat is the 5e African city named after Alexandria (Egypt), Port-Harcourt (Nigeria), Conakry (Guinea) and Accra (Ghana). The selection committee particularly praised the city’s commitment to providing access to books and making them a central pillar of education. “With 54 publishing houses, an international book and publishing fair among the most important in Africa, as well as a growing number of bookstores, the book chain is not only a vital element of creative economy of Rabat, but also a powerful engine for the democratization of knowledge”.
Rabat actually hosts the International Publishing and Book Fair, the 29th of whiche edition took place last May. The city will be officially celebrated on April 23, 2026 as World Book and Copyright Day. His choice reinforces Moroccan soft power efforts. The Cherifian kingdom ranks 50e place in the Global Soft Power Index 2024 from the British firm Brand Finance. The country ranks 3e rank in Africa behind Egypt and South Africa. This position is due to several elements, including the business climate and trade, but also education, science, culture and heritage.
