Visitors talk at the Riyadh International Book Fair on Oct 2, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

RIYADH — This year's Riyadh International Book Fair, held from Oct 2 to 11, highlighted the growing cultural and literary exchanges between Chinese and Arab writers, translators and readers.

More than 10 Chinese publishers joined the event, presenting over 1,000 titles that drew strong interest from local readers.

A major highlight was the Arabic debut of Chinese novelist Mai Jia's Rensheng Haihai, which means "life is ocean-wide", translated by the Egyptian translator Yahya Mokhtar and published by Kuwait's Kalemat Publishing House.

Speaking at a ceremony held at the China Pavilion of the fair, Mai said, "The protagonist of Rensheng Haihai, the Colonel, was born and raised in China. Yet I believe his story resonates equally well in the Arab world, because Chinese and Arabs share a spirit of resilience — an ability to smile in the face of hardship and confront life with courage and humor."

Mai expressed his excitement at seeing his novel reach Arabic readers. He hopes that the Arabic edition will allow more readers across the Arab world to connect with Chinese literature, transcending language and geographic barriers, and fostering reflection on human destiny.

A series of cultural exchange activities was also held, including the Saudi-China Dialogue and Exchange on Modernization and the Saudi-China Literary Salon.

Guan Hong, deputy general manager of China Intercontinental Press, told Xinhua, "Through these diverse cultural displays and exchanges of ideas, we hope Arab readers can gain a deeper appreciation of China's cultural heritage and literary charm, and a more comprehensive understanding of the historical process and spiritual essence of Chinese modernization."

Arab publishers are also actively bringing in Chinese books. From classical masterpieces to contemporary literature, from history and philosophy to children's books, publishing houses from Arab countries, including Lebanon, Egypt and Kuwait, have brought a wide range of Arabic editions of Chinese works to this year's Riyadh fair.

Digital Future, a Lebanese publishing house, set up a special section dedicated to Chinese culture and literature in its exhibition area, showcasing the works it introduced from China and translated into Arabic.

Mohamad El Khatib, CEO of Digital Future, said that the cooperation with Chinese publishers began in 2009. "We have introduced Chinese works covering a wide range of fields, including culture, children's literature, language learning, and academic research."

El Khatib added that his publishing house participates every year in international book fairs held in Cairo, Abu Dhabi, Rabat and other cities, where it showcases and promotes Chinese books.