Tag Archives: HE Ahmed Bin Rakkad Al Ameri

Record turnout at SIBF 2019

The 38th edition of the Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) concluded after a record turnout of 2.52 million visitors through the 11-day event, organised by Sharjah Book Authority (SBA). The event witnessed the participation of Nobel laureates, Booker Prize and Oscar winners, along with 2,000 publishers from 81 countries. On November 7, 2019, SIBF set a Guinness World Record for successfully hosting the world’s largest simultaneous book signing ceremony in one location with 1,502 authors from the UAE and beyond signing their own books. To further expand the reach of books in the Middle East and African continents, SBA partnered with Big Bad Wolf Ventures Sdn. Bhd. (BBW) to set-up a regional branch at Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone. Under this new agreement, 1 billion books will be circulated across MEA countries over the next five years to widely introduce the literary products of individual nations to promote cultural exchange and appreciation. Sharjah Ruler allocates AED 4.5 million for purchase of books at SIBF 2019; His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah allocated AED 4.5 million for the acquisition of a selection of titles, brought in by publishers participating in SIBF 2019, to continuously update the emirate’s libraries with valuable reading materials and resources in history, literature, politics, arts, science, technology in Arabic and international languages. HE Ahmed bin Rakkad Al Ameri, Chairman of SBA, said, “SIBF has grown to become one of the top three book fairs in the world, an event that publishers, authors, book lovers, and children wait a whole year to participate in. This 11-day cultural celebration is born out of the vision of HE Sheikh Dr. …

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Sharjah Ruler signs MOU to promote Emirati culture in Spain

His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, is currently on a cultural visit to the Spanish capital. On October 8, he was at Casa Árabe Madrid, which has been operating as the strategic centre for Spain’s relations with the Arab world since 2006. The Sharjah Ruler was received by Pedro Martínez-Avial, General Director, Casa Árabe, and senior representatives of Spanish cultural and academic institutions. The Sharjah Ruler witnessed the signing of a MoU between Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) and Casa Árabe, to promote Emirati and Arab cultures in Spain. It was signed by HE Ahmed Bin Rakkad Al Ameri, Chairman of SBA and Pedro Martínez, in the presence of heads and senior officials of both Emirati and Spanish cultural entities. The MoU seeks to achieve the goal of building bridges and strengthening bilateral relations to promote cooperation in key cultural sectors leveraged by Casa Árabe’s strong regional and international network. Under the agreement, the two entities will also work on executing agreed-upon programmes targeted at enhancing cultural exchange. They will develop a programme to promote cooperation between cultural entities in Spain, Sharjah and the UAE, and steer Spanish cultural experts to devising and applying effective tools to enhance dialogue and exchange between Sharjah, Spain and the world.

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