The opening ceremony of this major event, placed under the high patronage of King Mohammed VI, was marked by the presence of the Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication, Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid, as well as by a host of political, diplomatic, media and cultural personalities.
In a statement to the press, Mr. Bensaid indicated that SIEL represents not only a celebration of books and reading, but also a suitable opportunity for all citizens to discover new cultural horizons.
“The International Publishing and Book Fair plays an essential role in the cultural and publishing industry, but also in the economic and societal sphere,” he said, noting that the participants in this cultural events record, each edition, considerable book sales and gain visibility. After underlining the constant and direct support provided by his department in favor of reading and books, Mr. Bensaid recalled that several other regional, national and international cultural fairs are held across the different cities of the Kingdom.
For his part, the director of the UNESCO Regional Office for the Maghreb, Eric Falt, welcomed the choice of the UN organization as guest of honor for this new edition of SIEL, noting that “this choice is a recognition of our work and the links that unite us with Morocco.”
“Visitors will have the opportunity to discover in the agora of our space the different activities and actions that we carry out in the field of science, communication and information, the UNESCO heritage sites, as well as than biosphere reserves,” he said.
Mr. Falt also announced that the UNESCO space will host more than 20 conferences during these ten days of SIEL, explaining in this sense that the emphasis will be placed on two very important subjects, namely artificial intelligence and the youth.
Organized until May 19 by the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication in partnership with the Wilaya of the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra region, the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra region and the Municipality of Rabat, this edition sees the participation of 743 exhibitors representing 48 countries, with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as guest of honor.
Like previous editions, the SIEL cultural program, which offers a wide choice of activities bringing together Moroccan and foreign authors, thinkers and creators, confirms Morocco’s vocation as a country of meetings, dialogue and ‘cultural exchanges.
Some 241 cultural activities will punctuate the days of the show, through a rich and diverse program including conferences covering themes such as multiple Africa, profiles and images, writing of the feminine and masculine genre, as well as the media and technology, with the participation of a range of Moroccan and foreign writers, intellectuals and poets.
