Chinese Books Featured at Riyadh International Book Fair in Saudi Arabia

The 2024 Riyadh International Book Fair was recently held at King Saud University in Riyadh， Saudi Arabia. Chinese books， publishers， writers， and translators made notable appearances at various events during the book fair. The presence of Chinese elements brought new energy to the cultural exchange between China and Saudi Arabia， receiving widespread praise and attention from the Saudi side.

Publishing Institutions’ Careful Planning Makes China’s Pavilion Stand Out

As one of the most influential book fairs in the Arab world， with the highest book sales， this year’s fair was themed “Riyadh Reading”. It attracted over 2，000 publishers from more than 30 countries and regions， making it the largest edition to date. Chinese publishing houses， such as China Intercontinental Communication Center and Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press， participated together， bringing over 1，000 books and cultural products in Arabic， English， and Chinese. The Chinese pavilion， carefully curated with various literary exchange activities， added a strong Chinese flavor to the fair. The pavilion was divided into three special exhibition areas： a Chinese-themed book display， a Chinese-Arabic translation section， and a Chinese cultural experience zone. These areas showcased books that reflected China’s contemporary social achievements， celebrated traditional Chinese culture， and highlighted the results of Chinese-Arabic book exchange and cooperation. With the growing interest in learning Chinese in Saudi Arabia， many local readers visited the pavilion， browsing and purchasing books， and inquiring about Chinese books and language learning resources. Guan Hong， Deputy General Manager of China Intercontinental Communication Center， a main participating organization， stated that the center has long been dedicated to deepening exchanges and cooperation between China and Saudi Arabia in the field of book publishing， using books as a medium to build a bridge for cultural exchange and mutual learning between the two nations， contributing to the development of a shared China-Arab future.

Cultural Symphonies Strengthen Literary Dialogue and People-to-People Exchange Between China and Saudi Arabia

In recent years， China and Saudi Arabia have strengthened cooperation in the humanities. In addition to the diverse array of books， Chinese exhibitors also organized cultural exchange activities such as the “China-Saudi Literary Salon” and “Dialogue with Chinese Novelist Xu Zechen，” further advancing the outcomes of the China-Saudi Classics Translation Program and promoting cultural exchange between the two nations. During the book fair， the China-Saudi Literary Salon， titled “Cultural Symphonies： A Literary Fusion，” was held at Prince Sultan University. Ibrahim Oumras， the Saudi director of the Confucius Institute at the university， expressed his hope that through diverse cultural exchange activities， the power of culture and literature could strengthen mutual understanding and ties between the people of both nations. China Petrochemical Corporation （Sinopec）， which has long been committed to promoting cultural exchange between China and Saudi Arabia， has sponsored the establishment of “China Bookshelves” in institutions such as King Fahd National Library. Liu Yang， deputy representative of Sinopec’s Middle East Office， stated that Sinopec， as the organizer of this event， aims to deepen cultural understanding and respect through various cultural exchange initiatives， injecting new energy into the development of China-Saudi relations. Several of Xu Zechen’s works have been translated into Arabic. During the event， Xu said， “Literary works carry a powerful cultural force， able to transcend borders and evoke common resonance. The dialogue and exchange between Chinese and Saudi writers will undoubtedly deepen our mutual understanding and friendship.” Emirah Zaharani， a professor of comparative literature at Prince Sultan University， noted that “both China and Saudi Arabia have rich literary traditions and cultural heritages. Through literary dialogue， we can better understand each other’s cultures， fostering friendship and mutual trust.”

During the “Dialogue with Chinese Novelist Xu Zechen” event， prominent scholars and writers from institutions such as King Saud University and the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies engaged in deep academic exchanges with Xu， further enhancing the Saudi academic community’s understanding and recognition of Chinese literature.

Launch of New Chinese-Arabic Bilingual Books in the Sino-Arab Cultural Library

During the book fair， a series of events were held to promote books from the “Sino-Arab Cultural Exchange and Mutual Learning Bilingual Library，” a collaborative project between China and the Gulf Cooperation Council （GCC） countries. Books such as The Book of Songs， Fifteen Lectures on the Civilization of the Silk Road， and The Image of China in Contemporary Arab Culture were well-received by readers from various backgrounds. A reader meet-and-greet event was also held， where translators and readers engaged in interactive discussions about the cultural significance of books like This Landscape and The Silk Road and Civilizational Exchange， which were enthusiastically welcomed by Saudi readers.

（Reporters： Wang Haizhou， Luo Chen）