His Royal Highness Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan chaired, Thursday at the OLM-Souissi space in Rabat, the opening of the 31st edition of the International Publishing and Book Fair (SIEL), organized from May 1 to 10, under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist him.
The opening by His Royal Highness of this international exhibition is a renewed illustration of the High Solicitude and Benevolence with which His Majesty the King, may God preserve Him, continues to surround the cultural domain and of the firm desire of the Sovereign to promote the various manifestations and expressions, with the main objective of building an open and prosperous knowledge society.
HRH Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan, on this occasion, visited several stands at the Show, including that of the French Republic, guest of honor of this 31st edition of SIEL, which celebrates the historical and cultural links which unite Morocco with this friendly country and reinforces the dynamic of multidimensional cooperation carried by the exceptional reinforced Partnership, established under the leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God glorify Him, and President Emmanuel Macron.
His Royal Highness also visited the stand of the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communization, the stand dedicated to the theme of this edition, namely “Ibn Battuta and the story of the journey”, as well as those of the National Observatory for Children’s Rights, the Mohammed VI Foundation for People with Disabilities, the “Dar El Amane” Publishing House and Palestine.
HRH Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan also visited the stands of the Alaouite Organization for the Promotion of the Blind in Morocco, the “Librairie des Ecoles” group, the Mohammed VI Foundation for Environmental Protection, the Foundation for the Safeguarding of the Cultural Heritage of Rabat and the “Le Petit Prince” space.
Organized by the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communization (Department of Culture) in partnership with the Wilaya of Rabat-Salé-Kénitra, the Region of Rabat-Salé-Kénitra and the Municipality of Rabat, the 31st edition of SIEL
coincides, this year, with the choice of Rabat by UNESCO as World Book Capital 2026 (April 2026-April 2027), a recognition of the rich historical heritage of this city and a realization of the enlightened Royal Vision aimed at consecrating Rabat City of Lights, Moroccan Capital of Culture.
This Show sees the participation of 891 exhibitors, divided between 321 direct and 570 indirect exhibitors, from Morocco and 60 Arab, African, European, Asian and American countries. A rich and varied documentary collection is presented there and covers all fields of knowledge and different forms of creation and knowledge, with more than 130,000 titles and more than 3 million copies.
Furthermore, this edition, which is held under the theme “Ibn Battuta and the story of the journey”, is distinguished by the celebration of Ibn Battuta, a man of knowledge and great Moroccan traveler of the 14th century who, through his timeless and exceptional journeys, brought a vision of the world based on mutual knowledge, understanding and peace, beyond borders, cultures and languages.
This edition, driven by the already established international appeal of the Salon, makes Rabat-Ville Lumière, Moroccan Capital of Culture – a privileged global destination for books and thought welcoming, for ten days, players in the sector, intellectuals and creators from various backgrounds to share a human experience where self-construction and knowledge of others combine.
The cultural program of this 31st edition will thus be marked by the contribution of a good number of Moroccan and foreign researchers and writers and the participation of hundreds of speakers, through several thematic symposia and conferences, poetic evenings, direct meetings, presentations of new publications. Tribute will also be paid to Moroccan literary figures who have left their mark on History since the 9th century.
Children are not left out, the “Le Petit Prince” Space, a universal work by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, offering immersive programming dedicated to young audiences, designed as an invitation to travel, discovery and imagination.
On his arrival at the International Publishing and Book Fair, HRH Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan reviewed a detachment of the Royal Guard which paid the honors, before being greeted by Mr. Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid, Minister of Youth, Culture and Communization, Ms. Catherine Pgard, Minister of Culture of the French Republic, country guest of honor of the Fair, and Mr. Christophe Lecourtier, Ambassador of the French Republic accredited to Flap.
His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was also greeted by Mr. Mohamed Yacoubi, Wali of the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra Region, governor of the Rabat prefecture, Mr. Rachid El Abdi, president of the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra Regional Council, Ms. Fatiha El Moudni, president of the Municipal Council, Mr. Abdelaziz Driouich, president of the Prefectural Council, Mr. Adil El Atrassi, president of the Council of Souissi district, Mr. Salah-Eddine Abkari, Acting Secretary General of the Culture Department of the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication, and Ms. Ghyslaine Derrous, General Commissioner of SIEL.
