The recent Riyadh Book Fair has come in for criticism from intellectuals who claim that the books were too expensive, the activities were not well thought out, and the overall organization was ineffective. They asked the organizing committee to take note of their complaints when planning for next year's fair. During its ten days, the fair received a large number of visitors, both men and women. “I visited this year's Book Fair and I was happy with the changes I saw. I was able to find a number of important books, and I also noted the presence of books which were not allowed in the past,” said Mus'ad Al-Atawi, head of the Tabuk Literary Society. “Most people I met were satisfied with the fair and felt that the Ministry of Culture and Information did a great job in inviting a number of Arab intellectuals. I only wish that these men could have visited some of the regions of the country to give lectures,” Al-Atawi added. Saleh Bogari, a writer, said that the Book Fair was a success on many levels, but he urged the organizers to be more careful in selecting a ‘guest of honor' next year. “Brazil's participation in the fair did not meet our expectations. Their stand only included some brochures and a few books which did not reflect Brazilian heritage and culture,” he said.
