📰 In an official statement, Ahmed Maghied, Executive Director of the Cairo International Book Fair, denied claims by renowned author Youssef Ziedan that his novel «Safar Al-Azhar» was removed from the fair.

💬 Maghied wrote on Facebook:
“On my personal responsibility, this is a photo of Dr. Youssef Ziedan’s novel at the book fair today. If anyone from the authority asked the publisher to remove it, please let me know.”

📌 He added:
“The signing event is not part of the fair’s official program anyway, the program is available on all websites, and we have no information regarding this matter.”

✨ These remarks came to address the social media controversy, after Ziedan posted that his publisher had received instructions from “security authorities” to withdraw the novel, and that the signing event scheduled for Thursday was canceled.

📚 The 57th Cairo International Book Fair runs until February 3, 2026, hosting dozens of literary and cultural events, ensuring a safe space for all books and authors to showcase their work.

🔍 This clarification reassures the public and Youssef Ziedan’s fans that the novel remains available at the fair without any official restrictions.