HRH Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan Chairs Opening of 31st International Book Fair in Rabat

His Royal Highness Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan chaired on Thursday at the OLM-Souissi venue in Rabat the opening of the 31st edition of the International Book and Publishing Fair (SIEL), held on May 1-10 under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist Him.

His Royal Highness’s opening of this international fair is yet another illustration of the High Solicitude and Care that His Majesty the King, may God preserve Him, tirelessly shows to the cultural sphere, as well as the Sovereign’s firm will to promote its various manifestations and expressions, with the primary objective of building a knowledge-based, open, and prosperous society.

HRH Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan visited several booths at the Fair on this occasion, including the French Republic’s booth, the guest of honor at this 31st edition of SIEL, which celebrates the historical and cultural ties between Morocco and this friendly nation and bolsters the momentum of multidimensional cooperation fostered by the exceptional partnership, established under the leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God glorify Him, and President Emmanuel Macron.

His Royal Highness also visited the booth of the Ministry of Youth, Culture, and Communication, this year on the theme, “Ibn Battuta and the Travel Narrative,” as well as those of the National Observatory for the Rights of the Child, the Mohammed VI Foundation for People with Disabilities, the “Dar El Amane” publishing house, and Palestine.

HRH Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan also visited the booths of the Alawite Organization for the Promotion of the Blind in Morocco, the “Librairie des Ecoles” group, the Mohammed VI Foundation for the Protection of the Environment, the Foundation for the Safeguarding of the Cultural Heritage of Rabat, and the “Little Prince” area.

Organized by the Ministry of Youth, Culture, and Communication (Department of Culture) in partnership with the Wilaya of Rabat-Salé-Kénitra, the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra Region, and the Commune of Rabat, the 31st edition of SIEL coincides, this year, with UNESCO’s selection of Rabat as the World Book Capital 2026 (April 2026-April 2027), a recognition of the rich historical heritage of this City of Light and a testament to the enlightened Royal Vision aimed at making the Kingdom’s capital a crossroads of cultures.

This Fair features 891 exhibitors, including 321 direct exhibitors and 570 indirect exhibitors, from Morocco and 60 Arab, African, European, Asian, and American countries. A rich and varied collection of publications is on display, covering all fields of knowledge and various forms of creativity and learning, with over 130,000 titles and more than 3 million copies.

Furthermore, this edition, held under the theme “Ibn Battuta and the Travel Narrative,” celebrates Ibn Battuta, a man of learning and a great 14th-century Moroccan traveler who, through his timeless and exceptional journeys, conveyed a vision of the world based on mutual knowledge, understanding, and peace, transcending borders, cultures, and languages.

This edition, driven by the Fair’s already established international appeal, transforms Rabat—City of Light, Morocco’s Capital of Culture—into a premier global destination for books and thought, welcoming, over the course of ten days, industry professionals, intellectuals, and creators from diverse backgrounds to share a human experience that combines self-discovery with understanding of others.

The cultural program for this 31st edition will feature contributions from many Moroccan and international researchers and writers, as well as the participation of hundreds of speakers, through a series of symposia and thematic conferences, poetry evenings, meet-and-greets, and presentations of new publications. A tribute will also be paid to Moroccan literary figures who have left their mark on History since the 9th century.

Children will not be left out, as the “The Little Prince” area—based on Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s timeless classic—will offer an immersive program dedicated to young audiences, an invitation to travel, discovery, and imagination.

Upon his arrival at the International Book Fair, HRH Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan reviewed a detachment of the Royal Guard that were performing the honors, before being greeted by Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid, Minister of Youth, Culture, and Communication; Catherine Pégard, Minister of Culture of the French Republic, the Fair’s guest of honor; and Christophe Lecourtier, Ambassador of the French Republic accredited to Rabat.

His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was also greeted by Mohamed Yacoubi, Wali of the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra Region and Governor of the Prefecture of Rabat; Rachid El Abdi, President of the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra Regional Council; Fatiha El Moudni, President of the Communal Council; Abdelaziz Driouich, President of the Prefectural Council; Adil El Atrassi, President of the Souissi District Council; Salah-Eddine Abkari, Acting Secretary General of the Department of Culture at the Ministry of Youth, Culture, and Communication; and Ghyslaine Derrous, General Commissioner of SIEL.

• Source: MAP