Kuwait International Book Fair opens 18 November, with Qatar as guest of honour
Edition 49 runs to the 28th: 441 stands, 34 countries and a children's culture wing.
The 49th Kuwait International Book Fair opens on Wednesday 18 November 2026 at 10am and runs until 28 November. This year’s slogan is “We read, we rise”, and the fair is held under the patronage of the Prime Minister, Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah.
Qatar is the guest of honour, the fair’s director Khalifa Al-Rabah said, and is bringing a dedicated pavilion on children’s culture as well as taking part in the cultural programme that runs alongside the fair.
What to expect
- Exhibitors from 34 countries, including France, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia and Spain, alongside Arab publishers.
- 592 participants accepted, out of roughly 960 applications from publishers, associations and private and government bodies.
- 441 stands, up from 433 last year.
- 32 organisations taking part for the first time.
Daily visiting hours beyond the opening morning were not part of the announcement.
Photo: Kuwait One card with the State of Kuwait emblem and the name of the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters, over a blurred photograph of book stalls at the Juliaca Book Fair, Peru, by H.dav.are, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
Source: fair director Khalifa Al-Rabah, as reported by Al-Jarida, 20 October 2026.
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