Riyadh Int’l Book Fair Kicks Off with Participation from 30 Countries

Riyadh International Book Fair 2022 at its opening (SPA)
Riyadh International Book Fair 2022 at its opening (SPA)
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Riyadh Int’l Book Fair Kicks Off with Participation from 30 Countries

Riyadh International Book Fair 2022 at its opening (SPA)
Riyadh International Book Fair 2022 at its opening (SPA)

The Riyadh International Book Fair (RIBF) 2022 kicked off on Thursday amid a wide turnout of visitors looking to discover the latest publications and titles of participating publishing houses from over 30 countries.

RIBF, which is considered the most important book festival in the Arab world, will last for 10 days.

Around 1,200 publishing houses are showcasing their titles at the grand fair, with the theme of “Cultural Chapters.”

Moreover, the fair will feature seminars and cultural and artistic events.

As a “guest of honor,” Tunisia is attending with a group of its intellectuals and artists.

In honor of Tunisia, RIBF theaters were named “Carthage,” “Green Tunisia” and “Kairouan.”

RIBF is classified as the largest book market in the region, and one of the most important destinations for selling and distributing Arabic books. The fair is known for attracting many visitors and a high volume of sales.

Tunisia’s participation at the RIBF will cover several enrichment seminars.

A session on “Tunisian Architecture” had already shed light on the legacy of ten centuries of Tunisian civilizations.

On the sidelines of the exhibition, Tunisian artist Ziad Gharsa, one of the most prominent singers of Tunisian musical heritage, will perform for three nights at the Green Tunisia theater.

At the concerts, Gharsa will play many musical instruments, such as the oud, violin, and piano.

There will also be the Tunisian Night at the al-Ahmar Theater at Princess Nourah University in Riyadh, where Saber al-Rubai, Latifa, and Olfa bin Ramadan will be in concert on Oct. 1.

On Oct. 6, visitors will get to enjoy Andalusian poems performed at the Green Tunisia theater.



South Atlantic Whale Sanctuary Plan Blocked at Int’l Meeting

A juvenile pygmy blue whale swims, following a rescue operation by members of the Department of Conservation New Zealand in Kawau Island, New Zealand, September 16, 2024. Department Of Conservation New Zealand/Handout via REUTERS
A juvenile pygmy blue whale swims, following a rescue operation by members of the Department of Conservation New Zealand in Kawau Island, New Zealand, September 16, 2024. Department Of Conservation New Zealand/Handout via REUTERS
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South Atlantic Whale Sanctuary Plan Blocked at Int’l Meeting

A juvenile pygmy blue whale swims, following a rescue operation by members of the Department of Conservation New Zealand in Kawau Island, New Zealand, September 16, 2024. Department Of Conservation New Zealand/Handout via REUTERS
A juvenile pygmy blue whale swims, following a rescue operation by members of the Department of Conservation New Zealand in Kawau Island, New Zealand, September 16, 2024. Department Of Conservation New Zealand/Handout via REUTERS

A proposal to establish a sanctuary for whales and other cetacean species in the southern Atlantic Ocean was rejected at a meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) on Thursday, disappointing animal conservationists, Reuters reported.
At the IWC's annual session in Lima, Peru, 40 countries backed a plan to create a safe haven that would ban commercial whale hunting from West Africa to the coasts of Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil, extending a protected area already in place in the Southern Ocean.
However, 14 countries opposed the plan, meaning it narrowly failed to get the 75% of votes required.
Among the opponents were Norway, one of the three countries that still engage in commercial whaling, along with Iceland and Japan. Iceland abstained, while Japan left the IWC in 2019.
Petter Meier, head of the Norwegian delegation, told the meeting that the proposal "represents all that is wrong" about the IWC, adding that a sanctuary was "completely unnecessary".
Norway, Japan and Iceland made 825 whale catches worldwide last year, according to data submitted to the IWC.
Whaling fleets "foreign to the region" have engaged in "severe exploitation" of most species of large whales in the South Atlantic, and a sanctuary would help maintain current populations, the proposal said.
The South Atlantic is home to 53 species of whales and other cetaceans, such as dolphins, with many facing extinction risks, said the proposal. It also included a plan to protect cetaceans from accidental "bycatch" by fishing fleets.
"It's a bitter disappointment that the proposal ... has yet again been narrowly defeated by nations with a vested interest in killing whales for profit," said Grettel Delgadillo, Latin America deputy director at Humane Society International, an animal conservation group.
An effort by Antigua and Barbuda to declare whaling a source of "food security" did not gain support, and the IWC instead backed a proposal to maintain a global moratorium on commercial whaling in place since 1986.
"Considering the persistent attempts by pro-whaling nations to dismantle the 40-year-old ban, the message behind this proposal is much needed," said Delgadillo.