Saleh Fareed

Saudi Gazette

SHARJAH —  Dr. Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, opened on Wednesday the 33th edition of Sharjah International  Book Fair (SIBF) at EXPO Sharjah Center.



The 10-day annual event which is organized by Sharjah Department of Culture & Information is hosting a total of 1,256 publishers from 59 countries , displaying around 1.4 million books in various domains and organizing 780 activities, that will include intellectual programs, children’s activities, cooking corner, a social media platform, and other categories as well.



In his opening remarks Al Qasimi expressed his concerns and worries of the current Arab situation.  He said: “The situation in the Middle East has rarely been as bad as today and we all hope things will get better.”



Shaikh Sultan called on the Arab world to focus on culture, literature and  knowledge and move away from what he called a shameful state of intolerance and inhumanity that does give Islam a bad name.



He said, “It is really annoying to see what is happening around the Arab world and some Muslims misrepresent Islam.”



He also stressed the importance of reading and knowledge for young Arabs.



The opening ceremony which witnessed the attendance of ministers, diplomats, intellectuals, and presidents of non-governmental organizations also included honoring the cultural personality, Arab publishing houses, local titles, Arabic titles, foreign titles in the fields of sales, commerce, economics and children .



Director-General  of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (ISESCO), Dr Abdul Aziz Bin Othman Al Tuwaijri, was awarded and selected by Shaikh Sulatn as this year’s Cultural Figure.



In his speech, Chairman of Sharjah’s Department of Culture and Information Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Owais welcomed guests and publishers to “the capital of Islamic culture”.



Al Owais mentioned a number of invited Arabic and international figures who will be present at the fair, which include former Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ahmad Abu Al Ghait, renowned actor Adil Imam, novelist and poet Ahlam Mustaghanmi, TV anchor Hamdi Kandil, former president of Al Azhar University Dr Ahmed Omar Hashim, and Algerian writer Yasmina Khadra, in addition to 13 of the winners and nominees for the international Booker Award.