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Saudi Arabia Concludes Participation in Beijing International Book Fair 2024

The Kingdom's pavilion was widely visited by the Chinese public - SPA
The Kingdom's pavilion was widely visited by the Chinese public - SPA
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Saudi Arabia Concludes Participation in Beijing International Book Fair 2024

The Kingdom's pavilion was widely visited by the Chinese public - SPA
The Kingdom's pavilion was widely visited by the Chinese public - SPA

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia concluded its participation in the Beijing International Book Fair, where it was the guest of honor this year, which was held from June 19 to 23.
The Kingdom's pavilion was widely visited by the Chinese public, being the highlight of the exhibition. Visitors would learn about Saudi culture, arts, and heritage through an integrated cultural experience, SPa reported.
The Literature, Publishing, and Translation Commission led the effort; various other cultural entities took part, like the Heritage Commission, the Culinary Arts Commission, the Fashion Commission, the King Abdulaziz Foundation for Research and Archives (Darah), the King Salman Global Academy for the Arabic Language, the King Abdulaziz Public Library, the Saudi Publishing Association, and the Ministry of Investment.
The Saudi pavilion played a significant role in fostering cultural dialogue and introducing the Saudi culture to the Chinese public through a cultural program that included 15 dialogue sessions.
The Prince Mohammed bin Salman Award for Cultural Cooperation between Saudi Arabia and China had a special pavilion at the exhibition, to emphasize the importance of cultural exchange and cooperation between the two countries.
Moreover, several agreements were signed between Saudi and Chinese book publishers, including a cooperation agreement that is part of the Tarjem Translation initiative, entailing translating into Arabic the books "The Forbidden City: A History of China Since the Fifteenth Century" and "Historical Tales of the Great Wall of China".

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Nepal Plans to Restrict Everest Permits to Experienced Climbers

FILE PHOTO: A mountaineer holds on to the rope during an ice climbing session at Everest base camp, Nepal April 15, 2025. REUTERS/Purnima Shrestha
FILE PHOTO: A mountaineer holds on to the rope during an ice climbing session at Everest base camp, Nepal April 15, 2025. REUTERS/Purnima Shrestha
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Nepal Plans to Restrict Everest Permits to Experienced Climbers

FILE PHOTO: A mountaineer holds on to the rope during an ice climbing session at Everest base camp, Nepal April 15, 2025. REUTERS/Purnima Shrestha
FILE PHOTO: A mountaineer holds on to the rope during an ice climbing session at Everest base camp, Nepal April 15, 2025. REUTERS/Purnima Shrestha

Nepal will issue Everest permits only to climbers with experience of scaling at least one of the Himalayan nation's 7,000-meter (22,965 ft) peaks, according to the draft of a new law aimed at reducing overcrowding and improving safety.
Nepal, which is heavily reliant on climbing, trekking and tourism for foreign exchange, has faced criticism for permitting too many climbers, including inexperienced ones, to try to ascend the 8,849-meter (29,032 ft) peak, Reuters reported.
This often results in long queues of climbers in the 'death Zone', an area below the summit with insufficient natural oxygen for survival.
Overcrowding has been blamed for the high number of deaths on the mountain. At least 12 climbers died, and another five went missing on Everest's slopes in 2023 when Nepal issued 478 permits. Eight climbers died last year.
Under the proposed law, an Everest permit would be issued only after a climber provides evidence of having climbed at least one 7,000-meter mountain in Nepal.
The sardar, or the head of local staff, and the mountain guide accompanying climbers must also be Nepali citizens.
The draft law has been registered at the National Assembly, the upper house of parliament, where the ruling alliance holds a majority required to pass the bill.
International expedition operators have urged Nepal to allow any 7,000-meter peak, not just those in the Himalayan nation, for the Everest permit.
"That wouldn't make any sense. And I would also add mountains that are close to 7,000 meters to that list and that are widely used as preparation, like Ama Dablam, Aconcagua, Denali and others," said Lukas Furtenbach of Austria-based expedition organizer, Furtenbach Adventures.
Furtenbach, currently leading an expedition on Everest, said mountain guides from other countries must also be allowed to work on Everest, as there are not enough qualified Nepali mountain guides.
"It is important that mountain guides have a qualification like IFMGA (International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations), no matter what nationality they are. We do also welcome Nepali IFMGA guides to work in the Alps in Europe," he told Reuters.
Garrett Madison of the US-based Madison Mountaineering also said a 6,500-meter peak anywhere in the world would be a better idea.
"It's too difficult to find a reasonable 7,000-meter plus peak in Nepal," Madison said.