Damascus, Feb. 6 (SANA) Syria’s Minister of Culture, Mohammad Yassin Saleh, and Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Culture, Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan Al Saud, on Thursday discussed expanding cooperation across various cultural fields, emphasizing the strong cultural ties between the two countries.
During the meeting, Prince Badr congratulated Minister Saleh on hosting the Damascus International Book Fair and expressed hopes for Syria’s continued cultural development and prosperity.
Prince Badr, who is visiting Syria to lead a Saudi delegation to the Book Fair—where the Kingdom is Guest of Honor—also toured the Syrian National Museum with Minister Saleh. The museum houses rare artifacts spanning prehistoric periods, ancient Syrian civilizations, classical eras, Islamic heritage, traditional arts, and modern art, with a focus on the Arab-Islamic wing, including Umayyad-era pieces from Qasr al-Hayr al-Gharbi.
The Book Fair, inaugurated later in the evening at the Damascus Conference Center under the patronage of President Ahmad al-Sharaa, features over 500 publishing houses from more than 35 countries. Tens of thousands of titles in literature, philosophy, science, and children’s books are on display, marking one of the largest editions of the fair in terms of both participation and content.
