The Secretary-General of the National Council for Culture, Arts and Literature, Dr. Issa Al-Ansari, announced that all publishing houses will be exempted from participation fees in the 45th Kuwait International Book Fair, an Arab daily reported. The instruction was issued by the Minister of Information and Culture, Minister of State for Youth Affairs, and Chairman of the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters, Abdul Rahman Al-Mutairi. Dr. Al-Ansari said in a statement that the Minister is keen on supporting writers and cultural activities at the Kuwait International Book Fair taking place on 16-26 November.
Al-Ansari added that the initiative is in support of efforts aimed at the publishing industry, particularly to promote reading and culture in society, as well as support publishing houses owners following the challenges brought about by the coronavirus crisis. He said that the exemption strengthens the interest in the cultural and knowledge sector. The move is a renewed commitment to support publishing houses in order to ease their burden and enable them to participate in the exhibition, which is one of the most important international cultural forums that nurtures the publishing and printing sectors, as well as enhances Kuwait’s cultural backdrop