FILDAK 2026 opens in Senegal with Egypt as guest of honor

The 18th edition of the Dakar International Book and Didactic Materials Fair (FILDAK 2026) has launched at the Senegal International Exhibition and Conference Centre (CICES). This edition marks a relaunch of the event following an eight-year hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Egypt is the guest of honor for this year's fair, selected due to its significant cultural heritage and long-standing diplomatic ties with Senegal. Ibrahima Lo, Director of Books and Reading Promotion, noted that the choice also reciprocates an honor previously extended to Senegal by the Cairo Book Fair.

The fair, themed ‘Library, Transmission, Sovereignty,’ aims to emphasize the role of books in intellectual development and cultural preservation. Minister of Culture Alpha Thiam highlighted the book as a tool for social emancipation and cultural sovereignty. The event is scheduled to run from October 15 to 19, 2026.