His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, has visited the ongoing 40thedition of the Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF), taking place until November 13 in Expo Centre Sharjah.
His Highness the Deputy Ruler of Sharjah went on a detailed tour of the book fair, visiting a number of pavilions representing publishers and cultural entities, during which the officials representing their respective pavilions spoke about the highlights of their participation encompassing the titles, rare manuscripts and cultural programmes they are showcasing at the milestone edition of SIBF.
During a visit to the Sharjah Broadcasting Authority (SBA)’s pavilion, His Highness was offered an insight into the efforts of the SBA officials and teams who are handling various duties to successfully air the book fair’s activities on SBA’s TV, radio and digital channels, as well as the programmes, interviews and live coverage that have been designed exclusively to bring SIBF to Sharjah and the UAE.
His Highness visited the Canadian pavilion and was briefed on the details of Canada’s participation in the event, and the opportunity that the SIBF offers to Canadian publishers to boost the outreach of Canada’s books in Sharjah and the region.
During the tour, His Highness also visited the Emirates Publishers Association (EPA)’s pavilion, exploring the entity’s initiatives and programmes dedicated to raising the profile of Emirati publishers globally, in addition to its local activities and efforts to further the publishing industry at the national level.
His Highness the Deputy Ruler of Sharjah continued the tour, visiting the pavilions of several entities including the Sharjah Police, Sharjah Documentation and Archive Authority, Arabic Language Academy, Sharjah Department of Culture, Ministry of Education, Supreme Council for Family Affairs, the Judicial Department, National Archives at the Ministry Of Presidential Affairs, and Al Qasimia University.
HH Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi was accompanied by HE Ahmed bin Rakkad Al Ameri, Chairman of the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) on the tour, which also included other officials, namely, HE Mohammed Hasan Khalaf, Director General of the Sharjah Broadcasting Authority; HE Tariq Saeed Allay, Director General of the Sharjah Government Media Bureau; HE Hassan Yaqoub Al Mansouri, Director General of the Sharjah Media Council, other officials and members of the press.