The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) launched the sixth edition of the Children's Book Fair, held at the center's headquarters in Dhahran from July 20 to 25, 2026, with the participation of 52 local and international publishers specialized in children's literature, with the Syrian Arab Republic as the guest of honor for this edition.

The fair is part of the Ithra Little Festival, extending the center's mission to inspire minds and create knowledge through innovative cultural and educational programs that contribute to developing children's and youth skills, enhancing their creative thinking abilities, and active participation in shaping the future.

The Chargé d'Affaires of the Syrian Arab Republic Embassy in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Mohsen Mahbash, opened the Syrian pavilion at the fair, which includes more than 250 titles in the field of children's literature.

The Syrian embassy explained that choosing Syria as the guest of honor is an appreciation of the status of Syrian children's literature and its pioneering contributions to establishing and developing modern Arab children's literature, and enriching the cultural and educational content directed at children.

The Syrian pavilion showcases successful examples of cooperation between Syrian and Saudi publishers in producing children's books and stories, reflecting the depth of the cultural partnership between the two countries, and contributing to enhancing intellectual and social rapprochement through children's literature as an important tool for building awareness and instilling values.

A number of Syrian authors also participate in the dialogue sessions and cultural programs accompanying the fair, along with a display of their publications, many of which have been published through Saudi publishing houses and cultural institutions.

The acting head of Ithra's Library, Ghadeer Yamani, stressed that the fair is part of the center's ongoing efforts to promote a reading culture among children, provide distinguished educational content that meets the needs of new generations, and offer an interactive cultural environment that helps refine children's skills and develop their cognitive and creative abilities.

The fair constitutes an integrated cultural platform targeting children aged 4 to 14, offering more than 23 diverse activities including workshops, interactive storytelling sessions, and intellectual meetings with elite specialists in children's literature, in addition to four platforms for signing children's and young adult books.

Several entities participate in this edition, including the Quality of Life Program and the King Abdulaziz Public Library, as part of the fair's efforts to instill the importance of reading in children from an early age and support the publishing sector specialized in children's literature.

In previous editions, the fair hosted a number of guest countries, starting with Belgium in 2021, then Sweden in 2022, France in 2023, Egypt in 2024, South Korea in 2025, and finally Syria in the sixth edition in 2026.