RABAT, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- The 24th Casablanca's International Book Fair closed on Sunday with a record attendance of some 520,000 visitors.

Held since Feb. 8, Morocco's flagship book fair registered an increase of over 50.7 percent compared to the previous edition, according to a statement from the Moroccan Ministry of Culture and Communication.

This edition also brought together over 700 exhibitors representing 45 countries. These exhibitors showcased more than 125,000 books, 52 percent of them published in the last three years.

Egypt was this year's guest of honor and was represented by an official delegation, led by the Egyptian culture minister and composed of several writers, creators and representatives of academic and research institutions.

In addition to book exhibition, the fair was marked by the organization of 791 cultural events, including seminars, meetings and signing ceremonies as well as workshops to develop and encourage children to read.