More than 500 publishing houses will take part in the annual Muscat International Book Fair from February 28 to March 9 at the Oman International Exhibition Centre in Seeb. Addressing the local media on Tuesday, Shaikh Hamad Bin Hilal Al Maamari, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Heritage and Culture, said that 23 countries have confirmed participation in the 17th edition of the book fair. \"We have Arab as well as other foreign countries taking part in this annual event,\" he added. The exhibition will be open from 10am to 10pm everyday except on Fridays when it will open at 4pm and close at 10pm.