The event was organized by Akhbar Al-Youm Foundation in cooperation with over 70 publishing houses and the General Egyptian Book Authority.
In addition, there were pavilions on both Al-Moez Street and Azbakeya Market. The fair began with a tour of the university's landmarks, and then the ribbon was cut by Prof. Dr/ Khairy Abdel Hamid, the president of MSA University, His Excellency Ambassador/ Reda Al-Taifi - Director of the Egypt Public Libraries Fund, The ambassadors of Indonesia and Malaysia.
After the opening, there was a folk art performance: Indonesian presented by the Indonesian embassy and Egyptian folk art troupe.
The opening session was attended by Prof. Dr/ Nawal El-Degwi, President of the Board of Trustees of MSA University, who gave a welcoming speech to the guests. Then, Ambassador/ Reda Al-Taifi expressed his pleasure for the event and thanked Dr Nawal and the university for their outstanding cultural work. Malaysian Ambassador/ Zaman Ismail also spoke about the depth of Egyptian-Malaysian relations and the role of Al-Azhar in strengthening this relationship.
Next, Indonesian Ambassador/ Latif Rauf spoke about the historical relations between Egypt and Indonesia. Then, Mr. Hassan Abu El-Ela, deputy of Mr. Ahmed Galal, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Akhbar Al-Youm, spoke. Prof. Dr/ Amany Fahmy, Dean of the Faculty of Mass Communication, emphasized the power of culture to bring change and the importance of the MSA Book Club in promoting culture, awareness, and belonging among students. The ceremony also included documentaries that promote tourism in Malaysia and Indonesia, as well as the distribution of prizes for Mama Nawal's Cultural Competition, which was judged by Dr. Ayedi Ali Gomaa and Dr. Sherine El-Adawy.
Competition Honorary Board:
- First place: Hanan Mohamed Haron for the poem Satisfied People in a Moving World
- Second place: Hossam Mahdi Salah for the poem My Old Soul
- Third place: Esraa Mahmoud Mohamed for the poem My Mother's Spirit Visited Me and I Remembered Her Soul
- Third place: Marvi Mahab Wafi for the poem Hand Me His Cane
Short Story:
- First place: Youssef Mustafa Safwat for the story Uncle Shalan
- Second place: Khaled Ahmed Badawy for the story Voices
- Third place: Sara Osama Sayed for the story St. Catherine: The Door to the World
The opening session was followed by an open dialogue with the Indonesian ambassador and the honorees this year at the opening ceremony. The honorees were recognized for their overall work and contribution to the cultural movement in Egypt.
They are Mr. Mohsen Abdelaziz, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Al-Ahram Newspaper, Ms. Hala El Badry, the renowned novelist and owner of the Cultural Salon and Editor-in-Chief of Radio and Television magazine, and Mr. Adel Saad, the renowned novelist who won the Tayeb Salih Award this year and the head of the Heritage Center of Dar Al-Hilal. University students, Dr. Eman Mosharafa, and Dr. Saber Abdeldayem participated in this dialogue.