Rabat, April 14 (QNA) – The activities for Rabat, the "World Book Capital 2026," were announced Tuesday.

The city will launch its activities on April 24, featuring 342 different events.

Latifa Mouftakir, Commissioner General of the "Rabat, World Book Capital" program, said that the city is launching an ambitious and unique year-long cultural program that places people at the heart of the cultural landscape and makes interaction with cultural products a catalyst for human development.

She outlined a range of planned activities distributed across 12 strategic themes, including open reading events, literary cafes, awareness campaigns on the importance of reading in public spaces, exhibitions, mobile libraries, literary residencies, conferences for book professionals, training courses, and workshops.

Mouftakir stated that Rabat's designation as World Book Capital by UNESCO was based on a comprehensive examination of historical, intellectual, and cultural criteria.

These criteria stemmed from the city's centuries-long connection to books and the transmission of knowledge, evidenced by its mosques and libraries, which bear the hallmarks of a vibrant cultural tradition.

This tradition has been enriched by modern institutions, including universities, institutes, cultural centers, and a dynamic network of associations.

Furthermore, the events are characterized by a dynamic approach to books, extending their reach beyond the traditional confines of libraries,and exhibitions.

They are now reaching citizens in hospitals, correctional facilities, orphanages, youth centers, and throughout their daily lives in bus stations, public transportation hubs, squares, and parks.

It is worth noting that Rabat was declared the World Book Capital for 2026, following Rio de Janeiro in 2025.

UNESCO recognized the Moroccan capital as a cultural hub for the exchange of knowledge and the arts, and noted that the growing local book industry plays a significant role in advancing education, in line with UNESCO's objectives, in addition to hosting 54 publishing houses and a growing number of libraries. (QNA)