Thousands of Koreans and other nationals visited the Saudi pavilion at Seoul International Book Fair, which concluded in the South Korean capital yesterday.
Saudi Arabia participated in the fair as a guest of honor with a large pavilion, displaying more than 2,000 titles in Arabic, English and Korean and showcasing models of the Two Holy Mosques in Makkah and Madinah.
The pavilion also included a special tent where Arabic coffee (gahwa) and dates were served to visitors. Deputy Higher Education Minister Dr. Ahmed Al-Saif opened the Saudi pavilion at the five-day event.
The pavilion was jointly organized by the Higher Education Ministry, the Culture and Information Ministry, the Islamic Affairs Ministry, King Fahd Qur’an Printing Complex, King Abdul Aziz Public Library, King Fahd National Library, King Saud University, Madinah Islamic University and Umm Al-Qura University.
The Kingdom’s participation in the Seoul Fair marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two Asian economic giants. Recently Saudi Arabia hosted South Korea as a guest of honor at Janadriyah Heritage and Culture show in Riyadh.
There were seven sections at the Saudi pavilion and the most important among them were the children’s corner, Arabic calligraphy section and a Bedouin tent.
A number of diplomats from Arab and Islamic countries visited the pavilion and expressed their admiration of its excellent organization.
“The participation of Saudi Arabia in this international book fair as a guest of honor reflects the two countries’ desire to strengthen their relations,” said Saudi Ambassador Ahmed Al-Barrak.
He said the summit talks between Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah and South Korean President Lee Myung-bak were instrumental in taking Saudi-Korean ties to greater heights. The two leaders met recently in Riyadh.