What does a visitor find in the Saudi pavilion in Algiers this week? Rare manuscripts and archaeological replicas, traditional dress and musical instruments, and a book that travels through the food of all 13 regions. The Kingdom is Guest of Honor at the Algiers International Book Fair 2026, which opened on Wednesday, 28 October, and runs until 7 November at the Pins Maritimes exhibition grounds.
The Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission opened the pavilion with Azouz Nasri, speaker of Algeria's Council of the Nation, and Malika Bendouda, Algeria's minister of culture and arts. Saudi Ambassador Abdullah Al-Busairi and the commission's CEO, Abdulatif Alwasel, also attended. Alwasel called the invitation an "exceptional opportunity to introduce Algerian audiences" to Saudi culture, and paid tribute to the support of His Highness Prince Bader bin Abdullah bin Farhan, Minister of Culture and chairman of the commission's board.
The delegation is broad, with bodies covering heritage, fashion, culinary arts, architecture and design, film, calligraphy, libraries and translation. Their programme mixes panel discussions, poetry evenings and meetings with writers, alongside folk performance, film screenings and traditional hospitality. The Ministry of Islamic Affairs is also there, with publications from the King Fahd Complex for Printing the Holy Quran, manuscripts from the Makkah Library and virtual tours of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet's Mosque.
Food may be the surprise for many readers. The Culinary Arts Commission is showing Sufra: Saudi Feast, a survey of food traditions that won two Gourmand Awards in 2024, for best hospitality book and best Arab cuisine cookbook. Beside it sits Buraidah, on the dishes and heritage of the Qassim Region.
The next date for Saudi readers is closer to home: the Riyadh International Book Fair runs from 10 to 19 December.
