Paris - October 8, 2024 - (MAP) - The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) announced on Thursday that Rabat has been named World Book Capital for 2026.

UNESCO’s Director-General, Audrey Azoulay, quoted in a press release, announced that Rabat has been named World Book Capital for 2026, on the recommendation of the World Book Capital Advisory Committee.

“Rabat is an important cultural hub where literature contributes to the transmission of knowledge and arts in all their diversity,” Azoulay states in the press release.

The soaring local book industry also plays a crucial role in improving education, she added.

With 54 publishing houses, the 3rd biggest book and editing fair in Africa and an increasing number of libraries, the book industry is not only a key element of the city’s creative economy, but also a powerful driving force behind the democratization of knowledge, the press release notes.

UNESCO and the World Book Capital’s Advisory Committee recognized Rabat for its “clear commitment” to developing literature, the empowerment of women and youth through reading, and the fight against illiteracy, particularly in disadvantaged communities.

As World Book Capital for 2026, Rabat will lead a series of actions to provide access to books and support the local publishing industry. It will also launch a major initiative to strengthen access to literacy for all its citizens. These actions will contribute to sustainable economic growth and social progress in the city, according to UNESCO.

The celebration year is starting on April 23, 2026, on World Book and Copyright Day, notes the same source.