Doha: Held under the theme "Knowledge Builds Civilizations", the 33rd Doha International Book Fair (DIBF) concluded this evening at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center. The ten-day fair was a great cultural event. With its cultural program, the Ministry of Culture was keen to embody this year's theme through intellectual and cultural seminars and poetry evenings, where ideas and visions were exchanged, a matter that made Doha a cultural capital throughout the year and not just during the days of the DIBF. In a statement to Qatar News Agency , Director of the Libraries Department at the Ministry of Culture and Director of the DIBF Jassim Ahmed Al Buainain confirmed that this edition was a success at all levels in view of the large public turnout, which shows the eagerness of the public in Qatar to attend and participate in various events, adding that the figures, which will be announced later, indicate big sales of books by various Arab and local publishing houses. He said that the DIBF also succeede d at the cultural level in attracting many big names, including thinkers and writers, who took the stage in 47 events, including symposiums, evenings and discussion sessions. The Cultural Salon also hosted 234 events, including seminars, discussion sessions, and the launch of hundreds of new publications, whether at the Cultural Salon or at the sites of publishing houses. This confirms the writers' keenness to be present at this annual cultural forum in Doha. This year's fair witnessed the participation of 515 publishing houses from 42 countries. It also saw the launch of a number of new literary works by various writers, and the Qatari publishing houses participating in this edition displayed the works of 85 Qatari writers and authors in this edition, which were well received by readers and exhibition-goers. The Sultanate of Oman was the guest of honor at this session, presenting a diverse cultural program about Oman. The last day of the DIBF saw a large public turnout, a clear indication of the keenness of society in Qatar to acquire books, and many diverse publications by Qatari and resident writers were also launched. Source: Qatar News Agency