CIBF visitors this year is significantly higher than previous years

CAIRO – 26 January 2018: The exhibition manager at Egyptian General Book Organisation Islam Bayoumi revealed to Egypt Today that 155,000 visited Cairo International Book Fair on its third day.

Bayoumi admitted that CIBF visitors this year is significantly higher than previous years.
President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi inaugurated the Cairo International Book Fair''s 50th edition on Jan. 22. The fair will run until Feb. 5, 2019.

The book fair is held for the first time at the Egyptian International Exhibition Center (EIEC) at the Fifth Settlement district, coinciding with its 50th anniversary. The new venue covers 45,000 square metres, and houses 723 sections. Large numbers of people flock to CIBF since its first day.


The fair in its Golden Jubilee is keen to reflect the activities that took place in the last 50 years and provide in its headquarters various logistics including transportation, restaurants, and entertaining facilities for kids. The ticket’s price is reasonable at LE 3.


The Arab League was chosen as the guest of honor of the exhibition, while the Ministry of Culture chose late writer Tharwat Okasha and great writer Suhair al-Qalmawi as the festival’s personalities of the year.

Thirty-five countries, including 10 African countries, 16 Asian countries, seven European countries and two from the Americas are participating in CIBF.

The number of Egyptian participating publishing houses reached 579, 62 of which are first-time publishers and 517 participated in previous sessions.

The foreign publishing houses totalled up to 70 publishers, 24 of which are participating for the first time and 46 participated in previous editions, reaching a total number of 723 displays and sales outlets.

The total number of publishing houses participating in the current book fair is 749 publishing houses offering publications in different types of knowledge, with an increase of 53 houses compared to last year.

The Ministry of Culture has allocated a stand for books with reduced prices, which start from LE 1 to LE 5.

For Egyptian publishers, the prices of the book start from LE 1 to LE 10, so that books are affordable to everyone.



The General Egyptian Book Organization (GEBO) was keen to announce the different book sections in the fair. The sections include a wing specialized for Al-Azhar publications, children publications, and Ministry of Defense publications, among others.

The General Egyptian Book Organization launched a website to cover the activities and events of the golden jubilee of the Cairo International Book Fair.

The website provides all the information regarding the book fair, such as special coverage and events.

The website was designed and gifted to the book fair’s golden jubilee by a young volunteer who refused to get paid. The designer named the website “Fair 50”. The website is managed by a group of young volunteers.



The famed Egyptian star Ahmed Helmy promoted the Golden Jubilee of Cairo International Book Fair by presenting the fair’s official promo with his voice.

‘’Cairo International Book Fair celebrates its 50th anniversary, which includes 50 years of culture, 50 years of books, seminars, activities for children, theatre, cinema and writers from all over the world’’ recounted Helmy in his video.


‘’Le Progrès Egyptien’’ daily French newspaper organised a celebration entitled ‘’ Le Progrès ..125 years of Francophone culture’’ to celebrate its 125th anniversary at the Cairo International Boom Fair on Thursday, January 24.

‘’Le Progrès Egyptien’s’’ celebration will be attended by a notable group of Egyptian and international Francophone intellectuals.

The leading ‘’Le Progrès Egyptien’’ is the only French-language Egyptian daily newspaper. It was established on 1893 and owned by Al-Gomhuria governmental newspaper.
During this celebration the ancient French newspaper reviewed the vital role it played for 125 to promote the Francophone journalism in Egypt and the Middle East.

The attendees will explain how ‘’Le Progrès Egyptien’’ succeed since its launch to present innovative content that made it different from any other French newspaper in Egypt and the Middle East.
The distinguished publications and encyclopaedias of the Egyptian National Library and Archives are witnessing great success in Cairo International Book Fair's golden jubilee.



Furthermore, “Arab stories” for Mohamed Ahmed Gad is sold for LE 225, and “The wonders of Archaeology” for Abd al-Rahman al-Jabarti is presented in a series of four parts sold together for LE 220.

In addition, the encyclopaedia titled “Selections from the Egyptian History” for Ibn al-Khatib cis presented and sold for LE 23 and “Arab Days in medieval times” for Mohamed Ahmed is presented and priced at LE 65.

Egypt Air took part in the Golden Jubilee of Cairo International Book Fair. The ministry offered different kinds of services to guests and participants representing countries from around the World.

Also, General Directorate of Air Culture at the Ministry of Aviation set up an aircraft-shaped pavilion to get youths and children updated on the culture of travel and aviation.

A notable group of Arab and international writers were keen to participate in the Fair’s Golden Jubilee such as the Emirati commentator on Arab affairs the member of the Sharjah ruling family Sultan Sooud Al-Qassemi, Libyan writer Ibrahim Al-Koni, the veteran Moroccan writer Abdelfattah Kilito, the Jordanian-Palestinian Poker award laureate Ibrahim Nasrallah, the Emirati poet khulood al Mualla, the Saudi writer Abdo Khal, the Sudanese writer Hammour Ziada, the Lebanese writer Hoda Barakat among others.

Acclaimed Egyptian political and cultural figures will participate in the fair’s seminars such as Secretary-General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit, assistant Secretary-General of the Arab League Hossam Zaki, in addition to veteran Egyptian writers: Mohamed Salmawy, Abdel Moneim Saeed and Salah Montaser.


The National Center for Translation has invited 3 foreign authors, Colombian poet, Azerbaijani writer and Italian poet.

The cinema hall of Cairo International Book Fair will honour 3 artists who enriched the Egyptian cinema who are the Egyptian star Leila Elwi, the acclaimed Egyptian musician Rageh Daoud and the veteran script writer Waheed Hamed.

One of the most prominent Egyptian novels that participated in the 50th edition of CIBF is popular Omar Taher's novel "Kohl w Habhan" (Eyeliner and Cardamom) which was published by El-Karma publishing house.

Taher uses taste and smell to talk about the different stages of an ordinary man's life. The novel focuses on a set of themes such as adolescence, love, alienation, loneliness, marriage, friendship, failure and success, where the protagonist believes that each feeling has a different smell and taste.