This edition, which will bring together 311 direct and 464 indirect exhibitors, offers a vast selection of over 100,000 titles, covering all fields of knowledge and literary genres.
Presented at a press conference in Rabat on Monday, the 30th SIEL will see the participation of numerous Moroccan and international researchers, writers and creators, offering a dense daily program with an average of 26 activities per day led by over 762 speakers, through conferences, literary meetings, poetry evenings and book presentations.
Organized by the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication, in partnership with the Rabat-Salé-Kenitra region, the region’s wilaya and the commune of Rabat, this cultural gathering features tributes to emblematic figures of Moroccan creativity, whose works have left their mark on national culture and contributed to its prominence.
The program will also include tributes to leading figures in Arab culture, organized in partnership with ALECSO, as well as the presentation of literary prizes, including the Ibn Battuta Prize for Travel Literature and the National Reading Prize.
This year's edition will feature the Emirate of Sharjah (United Arab Emirates), reinforcing its position as a world cultural center, and its role in promoting Arab and Islamic culture.
In this respect, Sharjah offers a rich cultural, artistic and civilizational program, focusing on culture, literature, arts and publishing, expressing, through a delegation of Emirati writers, intellectuals and publishers, its vision of the future of Arab culture, and the role of publishers.
The Sharjah Book Authority will present events illustrating the dynamics of the Emirati literary and creative scene, with over 15 publishing houses taking part, and will also organize round tables to strengthen cultural exchanges with Morocco, children's workshops, heritage shows, and Arabic calligraphy sessions in collaboration with Moroccan calligraphers.
This year’s edition will celebrate the Moroccans of the World who contribute to the global prominence of Moroccan identity beyond borders. A tribute will be paid to four prominent figures in the history of Moroccan immigration, namely Abdellah Bounfour (an expert in Amazigh studies), the late Ahmed Ghazali (playwright and museologist), Lalla Khiti Amina Benhachem Alaoui (the first Moroccan journalist at the Belgian Radio and Television), and the late Driss Chraïbi, on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the publication of his novel Les boucs (The Butts) in Paris.
The literary program dedicated to the Moroccan diaspora will also feature a poetic evening with readings in Arabic, Amazigh, French, English, Italian, and Spanish and a retrospective of 10 pioneering Moroccan films on immigration/emigration.
Additionally, two special issues of journals will be published: the first issue of Diptyk (dedicated to Moroccan visual artists worldwide) and the second issue of Tel Quel (focused on immigrant women novelists).
Speaking on the occasion, Minister of Youth, Culture, and Communication Mohamed Mehdi Bensaïd emphasized that the choice of Sharjah as the guest of honor reflects the Fair’s commitment to promoting the values of Arab cultural cooperation and the importance of openness to others, highlighting the need to strengthen the bonds between Moroccans abroad and their homeland.
He further noted that his department is working alongside institutional, professional, and associative partners to make this 30th edition a major cultural event, helping to invigorate Morocco's cultural scene and enhance Rabat's standing as a cultural destination both nationally and internationally, especially as the city prepares to assume the title of World Book Capital in 2026.