The Agency for Cultural Affairs in the Ministry of Culture and Information has started forming working committees for the next Riyadh International Book Fair, set for March 2011, and approved India's request to be the guest of honor, said Dr. Abdullah Al-Jasser, Undersecretary at the ministry. India will contribute to the cultural program accompanying the book fair with activities, lectures and seminars that boost cultural ties between Saudi Arabia and India, he said. Formation of committees will be based on studies conducted by the Agency for Cultural Affairs to review the last book fair and other exhibitions, Dr. Al-Jasser said. The ministry is working to make every book fair better than the last one by making observations and evaluating suggestions from intellectuals and those with experience in cultural affairs, he added. Al-Jasser said attention being given to activities in the cultural program will ensure that they are effective and that the program runs smoothly. He said Saudi cultural institutions and societies, including literary clubs and arts and cultural societies, would participate. Al-Jasser said the ministry would extend invitations to a number of Arab and Islamic cultural elites from other countries to boost the book fair's global dimension. Al-Jasser said that in line with the directives of the minister of culture and information, the ministry always strives to benefit from suggestions and views that bolster Riyadh International Book Fair as a cultural forum that highlights the level of cultural advancement and growth in this country.
