If you haven’t been to the Cairo International Book Fair yet – held annually at the Nasr City but since 2019 are moved into Egypt International Exhibition Center (EIEC) in El Tagamo’ Al-Khames (Fifth District) in New Cairo during the last week of January and spilling into the first week of February – you should check it out. 

CIBF is the Arab world’s oldest and largest book fair, and in recent years it has drawn over one million visitors each year. The aims of the fair are to provide a large, well-stocked market of books to an Egyptian audience, but you don't have to surprised because of you may also have meet many Malaysian and Indonesian students there were, all carrying bags of recently purchased books for their studies, most likely students from the Al-Azhar university like me. 

This fair are to facilitate cultural exchange and discussion, and ease relations between authors, publishers, and readers, and the fair is just that, complete with plenty of families and a relaxed atmosphere. A visit on your own or with friends is an excellent way to spend a morning, afternoon, or evening.

While there you can wander through the many halls of Egyptian and foreign bookstalls, stop by the guest of honor’s tent to see which country is being featured this year, swing by the Cultural Cafe for some lively discussion and often heated debates, check out signing events and readings by prominent and up-and-coming authors, or take a break at one of the many food stalls/restaurants. 

This is the best and sometimes the only place to get many books that are published outside of Egypt and also a good time to stock up on titles put out by Egyptian publishers (both private and government-run), as most houses offer significant discounts both at their stalls at the fair and at their regular locations in the city. You can visit CIBF’s website for a searchable directory of publishers, a map of the fairgrounds, and a schedule of events. Admission is very reasonable, about 5 L.E for adults.