'A valuable new beginning': Damascus Book Fair returns under President al Sharaa
Syria's flagship literary event reopens under new leadership, with President Ahmed al Sharaa casting the fair as a symbol of renewal and knowledge-led rebuilding
The 57th Damascus International Book Fair officially opened on Thursday in Syria’s capital, marking its first edition since the fall of the Assad regime.
Syrian President Ahmed al Sharaa, who attended the opening ceremony at the Conference Palace, described the fair as a “” after what he called the full liberation of Syria.
“Humanity has long sought truth,” al Sharaa said in his remarks. “The more knowledge increases, the greater awareness becomes, and with it the need for continued learning.”
He argued that societies lacking knowledge are bound to weakness, while those that acquire and apply it gain strength, adding that Damascus has historically been a beacon of scholarship whose influence once stretched both east and west.
‘A history we write… a history we read’
The Damascus International Book Fair is among the Arab world’s oldest and largest cultural exhibitions and will open to the public on Friday.
This year’s edition runs from February 6 to February 16 under the slogan “A history we write… a history we read.”
Organised by the Syrian Ministry of Culture, the fair is being held for the first time since the Assad regime’s collapse.
Saudi Arabia and Qatar are participating as guests of honour, underscoring a broader regional engagement with Syria’s cultural reopening.