Meanwhile, Sudanese politicians and intellectuals representing all political trends called on Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak to open in Khartoum a book fair as part of the "Reading for All Festival" she had been sponsoring for years with a view to spreading culture and knowledge in Sudan.

This came during the inauguration of the first Khartoum International Book Fair, which turned into an event signaling appreciation and recognition of Egypt's educational and cultural role in the Arab world in general and in Sudan in particular.