Saudi Arabia boosts cultural ties with China at Beijing book fair

Saudi Arabia turned the 32nd Beijing International Book Fair into a pitch for deeper cultural and commercial ties with China, using its pavilion to sell more than books. The kingdom’s Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission said the goal was to raise the profile of Saudi writers, widen publishing links and build lasting partnerships in translation rights and content creation.

The fair gave that message a large stage. Held at the China National Convention Center from June 17 to 21, the event covered 60,000 square meters and brought together more than 1,700 exhibitors from 82 countries and regions. Organizers said it featured 220,000 premium Chinese and international titles, underscoring why Beijing has become a key meeting point for publishers looking to reach new markets. BIBF, founded in 1986, describes itself as the second-largest book fair in the world and the most international in Asia.

Commission chief executive Abdullatif Al-Wasel said the Saudi participation achieved its objectives by promoting Saudi literature and culture and strengthening the presence of Saudi publishers in global markets. He also cast the pavilion as part of a wider cultural bridge with China, where books, translation and intellectual exchange can do the work of diplomacy as well as commerce. The pavilion’s accompanying program included panel discussions and poetry evenings with Saudi writers and intellectuals, adding a live cultural dimension to the business of rights, publishing and exchange.

The King Abdulaziz Public Library added another layer to that strategy. It presented Arabic and translated scientific, cultural and intellectual publications alongside digital services, manuscripts, historical documents and specialized-library projects. The display linked preservation with modernization, projecting Saudi Arabia not only as a consumer of global publishing but as a producer and curator of knowledge.

Saudi participation in the Beijing fair also built on the kingdom’s cultural calendar with China. Earlier Saudi reporting said the 2025 Beijing International Book Fair formed part of the Saudi-Chinese Cultural Year 2025, signaling that the book fair has become a recurring venue for building ties that extend beyond the exhibition hall. In Beijing, the kingdom used the language of literature to advance a broader geopolitical message: Saudi culture is being positioned as a bridge into China and as a pillar of the kingdom’s expanding global influence.