The Kingdom of Morocco is set to host a cultural event, marking the official launch of the ‘Rabat World Book Capital 2026’ programme on 24 April 2026, and the 31st edition of the International Book Fair (SIEL) on 1 to 10 May 2026, under the auspices of His Majesty King Mohammed VI.
The capital of Morocco thus affirms its role as a cultural crossroads and world hub of culture and the knowledge industry.
This is a recognition of Rabat’s long history of a thousand years, its dedication to culture and education and the dynamism of its book sector.
Rabat has now become an important player in the democratisation of knowledge, with over 54 publishing houses and an increasingly large number of bookshops.
SIEL, a flagship event organised by the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication, is one of the most important book fairs on the African continent.
It is an integral component of this huge annual event. The Ministry is responsible for coordinating and implementing a rich annual programme of 342 activities and 12 thematic programmes in cooperation with its national partners and with the support of the UNESCO bodies.
These projects focus on bringing books outside of the library environment – to citizens in hospitals, correctional centres, orphanages, public spaces and on public transport.
This will be complemented by the 31st edition of SIEL, which will be the focus of the extensive cultural programme with 890 exhibitors (320 direct, 570 indirect) from 60 countries, and more than 130,000 titles.
France is this year’s guest of honour. This edition will also feature the Moroccan explorer Ibn Battuta, from the 14th century, as the focus will be on travel literature.
A rich cultural programme will be offered, with more than 204 events, including 720 thinkers and creators who will discuss current topics on reading and innovations in the cultural and creative industries.
Cities that have been selected by UNESCO’s Director-General to be World Book Capitals, on the basis of the recommendation of the Advisory Committee, commit to organising a programme of activities for the year, promoting books and reading for all age groups, and promoting reading activities beyond national borders.
The twenty-sixth city to hold this title since 2001, Rabat succeeds Madrid (2001), Alexandria (2002), New Delhi (2003), Antwerp (2004), Montreal (2005), Turin (2006), Bogotá (2007), Amsterdam (2008), Beirut (2009), Ljubljana (2010), Buenos Aires (2011), Yerevan (2012), Bangkok (2013), Port Harcourt (2014), Incheon (2015), Wrocław (2016), Conakry (2017), Athens (2018), Sharjah (2019), Kuala Lumpur (2020), Tbilisi (2021), Guadalajara (2022), Accra (2023), Strasbourg (2024) and Rio de Janeiro (2025).
The Advisory Committee for the ‘World Book Capital’ is composed of representatives from the European and International Booksellers Federation (EIBF), the International Authors Forum (IAF), the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), the International Publishers Association (UIE) and UNESCO. This year, Rabat World Book will be launched at the 31st International Book Fair.
