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Doha: The Public Relations and Communication Department at the Ministry of Culture and Sports has announced that postponing the Doha International Book Fair in its 31st edition was due to the difficulties being faced by publishing houses regarding the current health measures to combat coronavirus.
The Ministry said that 14 important book fairs were cancelled this year in the world, including fairs for Arab countries, Oman International Book Fair, Baghdad International Book Fair, Beirut Book Fair, and the Tunis International Book Fair. Also, many other international fairs have been postponed or cancelled, including, for example, the Paris International Book Fair, the New York Book Fair, and the London Book Fair.
The reasons for postponing book fairs at the regional and international level are difficulties being faced by publishing houses regarding health procedures, whether in the countries of origin or upon their arrival to the host country. These measures would reduce the number of participating publishing houses and increase their cost, especially concerning shipping.
Also, there will be difficulty in sterilising the books that arrive from countries, and the risk increases with the spread of the pandemic, especially with many countries on the list of high-risk countries.
The Ministry conducted the necessary studies in this regard and coordinated with the Ministry of Public Health and the competent authorities and concluded that many publishers participating in the Doha Book Fair belong to high-risk countries with procedures in their countries limits their ability to participate.
