The 11th edition of the Istanbul International Arabic Book Fair in Turkey will open on 15 August, featuring 300 publishing houses from 30 Arab and foreign countries. Running through 23 August, the fair will feature a daily cultural programme comprising three to four events, including seminars, lectures and intellectual discussions, as well as book-signing sessions, poetry evenings and artistic activities. The first edition of the Istanbul International Arabic Book Fair was held in 2016, with the participation of 170 publishing houses from 15 Arab countries, as well as Turkey, Iran and Italy. In the years that followed, the fair developed into an annual event for the Arabic publishing industry in Turkey and a platform for interaction among Arab and Turkish publishers, readers and cultural institutions. The fair targets the millions of Arabs living in Turkey, as well as people of Arab origin and Arabic speakers, seeking to promote the Arabic language in Turkey and strengthen cultural ties between Arabs and Turks.