Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan chaired on Thursday in Rabat the opening of the 31st edition of the International Book and Publishing Fair (SIEL), held May 1-10 under the high patronage King Mohammed VI.
The opening of this international fair by the Crown Prince is yet another illustration of the solicitude and care that the King tirelessly shows to the cultural sphere, as well as the Sovereign’s firm will to promote its various manifestations and expressions, with the primary objective of building a knowledge-based, open, and prosperous society.
Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan toured several booths at the Fair, including the booth of France, the guest of honor at this 31st edition of SIEL, which celebrates the historical and cultural ties between Morocco and France and bolsters the momentum of multidimensional cooperation fostered by the exceptional partnership, established under the leadership of King Mohammed VI and President Emmanuel Macron. French Minister of Culture Catherine Pégard and French Ambassador to Rabat Christophe Lecourtier were present during this visit.
The Crown Prince also visited the booth of the Ministry of Youth & Culture, as well as those of the National Observatory for the Rights of the Child, the Mohammed VI Foundation for People with Disabilities, the “Dar El Amane” publishing house, and Palestine.
Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan also visited the booths of the Alawite Organization for the Promotion of the Blind in Morocco, the “Librairie des Ecoles” group, the Mohammed VI Foundation for the Protection of the Environment, the Foundation for the Safeguarding of the Cultural Heritage of Rabat, and the “Little Prince” area.
SIEL’s 31st edition coincides, this year, with UNESCO’s selection of Rabat as the World Book Capital 2026 (April 2026-April 2027), a recognition of the rich historical heritage of this City of Light and a testament to the enlightened royal vision aimed at making the Kingdom’s capital a crossroads of cultures.
This Fair features 891 exhibitors, including 321 direct exhibitors and 570 indirect exhibitors, from Morocco and 60 Arab, African, European, Asian, and American countries. A rich and varied collection of publications is on display, covering all fields of knowledge and various forms of creativity and learning, with over 130,000 titles and more than 3 million copies.
This 31st edition, held under the theme “Ibn Battuta and the Travel Narrative,” celebrates Ibn Battuta, a man of learning and a great 14th-century Moroccan traveler who, through his timeless and exceptional journeys, conveyed a vision of the world based on mutual knowledge, understanding, and peace, transcending borders, cultures, and languages.
This edition transforms Rabat into a premier global destination for books and thought, welcoming, over the course of ten days, industry professionals, intellectuals, and creators from diverse backgrounds to share a human experience that combines self-discovery with understanding of others.
The cultural program for this 31st edition features contributions from many Moroccan and international researchers and writers, as well as the participation of hundreds of lecturers, through a series of symposia and thematic conferences, poetry evenings, meet-and-greets, and presentations of new publications. A tribute will also be paid to Moroccan literary figures who have left their mark on History since the 9th century.
Children will not be left out, as the “The Little Prince” area—based on Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s timeless classic—will offer an immersive program dedicated to young audiences, an invitation to travel, discovery, and imagination.
