Doha: Head of the Cultural Committee of the 31st Doha International Book Fair (DIBF) Jawaher Al Badr said that the cultural programme accompanying the Fair this year is full and varied, and can be built upon to be a working map of the cultural movement in the country after the exhibition.
In statements to Qatar News Agency (QNA) on the sidelines of the Fair yesterday, the Head of the Cultural Committee of Doha Book Fair said that the cultural programme includes more than 400 activities, such as seminars, workshops for young people and lectures, in addition to the activities offered by various authorities, cultural centres and publishing houses, all of which aimed to keep pace with the Fair’s slogan “Knowledge is Light”.
She noted that officials in the Ministry of Culture are keen to document the recommendations, proposals and ideas put forward by the participants to be built on and presented in new cultural frameworks and events throughout the year, because the Book Fair is the largest cultural event in the country throughout the year.
Speaking about challenges that the Committee faced during the preparation of the cultural program or during its implementation, she said that the main challenge was the inability of the symbols of Arab thought and culture and those who contribute to the development of human civilization from different countries to attend the Fair due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The solution was to organise virtual seminars and workshop and host the guests via video call. Another big challenge was the sudden apology from some of the guests due to infection with the coronavirus, but the committee was keen to have alternatives on an ongoing basis and to make the schedule flexible.
Jawaher Al Badr pointed out the interest of the cultural program in reaching all groups, including with thinkers specialized in language, literature, history and science, youth groups and their cultural interests, as well as children, women and people with special needs, noting the keenness of the Cultural Committee to present a program that confirms the cultural identity of the State of Qatar with its local and Arab dimensions.
She revealed that the Cultural Committee, in cooperation with the Department of Libraries at the Ministry of Culture, is in the process of implementing a project to make an archive on the history of Doha Fair during in the past fifty years, to be a reference for researchers and those interested in the cultural history of the State of Qatar.
