It’s just great to see the DIBF up and running again.

The Damascus International Book Fair kicks off 5 February, after a six-year hiatus, staging a twelve-day showcase at the Damascus Exhibition City under the slogan “A History We Write… A History We Read”.

More than 500 publishing houses from 35 countries will present over 100,000 titles across 18,000 m² of floor space, making the fair Syria’s largest cultural gathering since 2019.

Qatar’s appointment as guest of honour frames the event’s diplomatic sub-text. The Qatari Ministry of Culture has erected a 400 m² pavilion stocked with 1,200 Arabic and translated titles, 50 digital titles and a parallel programme of six literary seminars, three children’s workshops and daily poetry readings.

Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Hamad Al-Thani, the Ministry’s assistant under-secretary, said the presence “underscores Qatar’s commitment to strengthening cultural presence at Arab and international levels” while signalling Doha’s re-engagement with Damascus after years of strained relations.

A Bridge To Gulf Markets

Syrian publishers view the Qatari involvement as a bridge to Gulf markets. “Rights sales to Doha have already been agreed for 35 Syrian titles before the gates open,” reported Hala Shamma, director of the state-run Syrian General Book Organisation.

Industry insiders say Qatari distributor Dar Al-Sharq has pre-bought print-run co-financing rights for three Damascus-based children’s imprints, a first since 2010.

Fair organisers have reinstated the “Best Syrian Publisher” award and introduced a new “International Publishing Award” judged by a tripartite panel from the Arab Publishers’ Union, the Union of Syrian Publishers and IPA affiliate Al-Khan.

Entry criteria require at least 20% of a house’s 2025 output to be translations, a nod to post-war diversification efforts.

Advisory

Security: EU and US sanctions remain; cash payments in Syrian pounds only – no international card clearing.

The View From The Beach

It’s just great to see the DIBF up and running again. The combined Arab and foreign presence offers a rare rights-buying window into the Levant market. Expect crowded aisles, modest hospitality and – if Qatar’s soft-power bet pays off – renewed Gulf investment in Syrian print and translation.

This post first appeared in the TNPS LinkedIn newsfeed.