The General Authority for Books (GAB), a government body, has extended an invitation to Yemeni, Arab, and international publishers to participate in the Hadhramout International Book Fair, scheduled to take place in Mukalla from December 18th to 28th.

According to the official Yemeni News Agency (Saba), the GAB has pledged to provide all possible facilities for publishers, intellectuals, librarians, and industry professionals attending the fair.

The GAB has also announced that renowned Yemeni novelist and writer Ali Ahmed Bakthir has been chosen as the personality of the year, in recognition of his significant contributions to literature and culture through his works in novels, plays, short stories, translations, and poetry.

Applications for participation are open from today, August 19th, until September 5th, through the fair's online platform: https://hadhrmoutfair.geboye.com.

Yahya Al-Thalaia, head of the GAB, stated that the fair is being organized in partnership with the Hadhramout Foundation for Culture, and is expected to be the largest cultural event in Yemen in over a decade and a half.

Al-Thalaia highlighted that this will be the first book fair in Yemen since the Sana'a International Book Fair was last held in 2013. The event will feature a diverse program of activities and events.

He also mentioned an agreement with the Arab Publishers Union to offer exceptional discounts and benefits to participating publishers, in appreciation of the union's efforts and to support publishing institutions and the book industry.