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Saudi Arabia has a rich literary tradition. The Riyadh International Book Fair attracts participants from all over the world. The Saudi Center for Opinion Polling (SCOP) is committed to the importance of a reading culture. A SCOP team participated in the fair’s programme. They presented and led a seminar titled “Have Saudis Abandoned Books?” at King Saud University. The seminar aimed to raise awareness of the importance of books and reading, general reading behaviour in the Kingdom and included a comparison with global trends.
During the seminar, the team presented a detailed analysis of reading habits in Saudi society. The study found that readings books constituted the favourite pastime activity for 11% of Saudis over 18 years of age, this in line with many European countries. 34% of Saudis read books in various fields, regardless of demographic factors. The analysis also found that 33% of readers in the sample considered themselves as ‘intellectuals’. Overall it was interesting to see that many of the international trends in book reading were mirrored in the Kingdom.
