20 January 2022

By Ashraf Siddiqui

More than 7,000 books of different genre by renowned American authors – from children’s books to bestsellers – are on sale at discounted prices at the US Embassy booth at the 31st Doha International Book Fair being held at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center.

At the conclusion of the “Qatar-USA 2021 Year of Culture”, US Air Forces (AFCENT) Doha based periodical band members and Qatari artists left visitors impressed with their superb joint performance in the evening of Sunday, January 16.

As many as 10 AFCENT members and four Qatari artists presented joint and solo performances with traditional Qatari and Western instruments recently. As they played all-time famous Western songs, including icon country song ‘Take Me Home’ Country Roads, the audience were left spellbound. Samantha Jackson, Public Diplomacy Officer  at the USA embassy Qatar paid vote of thanks to the all concerned organizations joined hands and cooperated in organizing the event as well as US embassy booth at the 31st Doha International Book Fair and the participating artists

The US embassy in Qatar joined the 31st Annual Doha international Book Fair in a unique and innovative style with its message underlining the importance of reading books. The embassy joined this year’s theme ‘Knowledge is Light’ initiated by the Ministry of Culture of the State of Qatar.

The US embassy’s participation in the book fair this year coincides with the conclusion of the “Qatar-USA 2021 Year of Culture” and the celebrations of 50 years of bilateral relations between the US and Qatar.

According to the US embassy Qatar website, the US booth boasts a record inventory of more than 7,000 books being offered at discounted prices.
Natalie A. Baker, Charge d’ Affaires at the US embassy Qatar, said, “As we join the people of Qatar over the next week to celebrate literacy and learning, our goal during the 31st Doha International Book Fair is to encourage literacy, professional development, and academic exchange between our two nations.”

In addition, the US embassy is holding a variety of activities including film showcasing, English language learning, advice on education in the US, as well as consular information sessions.

The Qatar-USA 2021 Year of Culture was officially inaugurated at the Katara Cultural Village Opera House on January 15, 2021 with a special concert by Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra (QPO) and US Air Force Central Band (AFCENT). The event was hosted by Qatar Museums and the US embassy in Qatar. Those present on the occasion included Chairperson of Qatar Museums Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad Al Thani; then Minister of Culture and Sports Salah bin Ghanem Al Ali; Ambassador of Qatar to the US, Sheikh Meshal bin Hamad Al Thani; and then Charge d’Affaires of United States Embassy in Qatar Greta C. Holtz.

The Qatar-USA 2021 Year of Culture aims to enhance cultural and artistic exchanges and exemplifies the renewed commitment of the two countries to foster mutual understanding and promote intercultural dialogue.

For latest information on activities at the Doha Book Fair, interested people may follow its social media platforms on Twitter @USEmbassyDoha, Facebook @USEmbassyQatar, and Instagram @USEmbassyDoha.