The first Dubai International Children’s Book Fair, set for February 3-10, 2010, has been postponed indefinitely, according to a brief statement issued by the organizer, the Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation. No official reason was given for the cancellation, although financial problems there are believed to have played a role. It was also unclear how many publishers had signed up to attend the event.
When the fair was first announced this spring, the foundation said its goal was to promote children’s reading and literature both in the Arab world and internationally, and said the event had drawn interest from more than 200 international publishers. The release notes that any party looking for the status on contracts and payments should send an e-mail to Fin.DICBF@mbrfoundation.ae.
