During its participation in New Delhi World Book Fair

Sharjah, 17 February 2015

The Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) is participating in the New Delhi World Book Fair - the oldest and biggest book event in India - which is being held from February 14th - 22nd, with the involvement of over 1,000 publishers from 30 countries.

The Guest of Honour at this year's edition is Singapore, and the Korean Publishers Association has also been selected by the book fair organisers as a special honorary guest.

The SBA delegation is being led by HE Ahmed Bin Rakkad Al Ameri, Chairman of Sharjah Book Authority, and includes Mohan Kumar, External Affairs Executive at SBA, as well as Faisal Al Naboodah, Sales Officer - International. In collaboration with Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF), Sharjah Book Authority have a single comprehensive stand on display at the 2015 New Delhi World Book Fair.

Speaking on the occasion, Ahmed Bin Rakkad Al Ameri, said: "SBA's participation in the 2015 New Delhi World Book Fair is in line with the vision and directives of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, to promote Sharjah's cultural projects and humanitarian message throughout the world. The UAE and India enjoy strong bonds of friendship founded on millennia-old cultural, social and economic interaction between the two countries. Bilateral political, economic and cultural ties have developed even more, given the long history of cooperation between the two friendly countries. Our participation aims to further strengthen the long-standing relations, especially in the cultural sphere, and push them to higher levels."

Al Ameri stressed that the SBA Stand has received major attention from a broad spectrum of visitors to the fair, especially publishers and writers with queries regarding SBA's tasks and services provided to publishers and authors.

He went on to add that Sharjah is well known among Indian intellectuals and visitors, who lauded the emirate's landmark cultural projects and initiatives, expressing their willingness to cooperate with the emirate in various fields in a manner that would help enrich cultural activities and further augment the UAE-India relations in particular, and the affiliations between the Arabian Gulf region and the Indian subcontinent in general.

The SBA Stand received many officials and prominent cultural figures and media personalities, most notably Smriti Zubin Irani, Minister for Human Resource Development, who praised the efforts by His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, in promoting culture among all residents in the emirate of Sharjah and the UAE. She said the cultural projects and initiatives adopted by Sharjah covering various domains of culture, arts and literature, serve all segments and groups of the society, specifically workers and employees.

Al Ameri held a meeting with Dr. Ashok Gupta, President of the Federation of Indian publishers, during which he highlighted the tasks and duties of the Sharjah Book Authority and the premier projects undertaken and supervised by the authority, most notably the Sharjah International Book Fair and Sharjah Children's Reading Festival. The discussion also touched on the Sharjah Publishing City venture, which will be a sought after destination for publishers from the region and the entire world.

Dr. Ashok Gupta paid special tributes to Sharjah for its interest in the book- and publishing industry, and reaffirmed that the establishment of a free zone publishing city in the emirate will help develop the publishing industry in the region and promote the culture of dialogue and literature among world nations. He stressed that the upcoming participation of Indian publishers in the Sharjah International Book Fair will be the largest of its kind, due to the Fair's regional and worldwide popularity.

-Ends-

About Sharjah Book Authority (SBA)
The Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) was established in December 2014 through an Emiri decree issued by His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah.

SBA is tasked with encouraging investment in creative industries and offering a platform for the exchange of knowledge and ideas between peoples from different civilizations and cultures. It is also entrusted with emphasizing the significant role of writers and their influence in spreading awareness in society in light of technological advancement and the availability of various sources of knowledge.

The authority assumes the responsibility of enhancing the Emirate's status on the local, regional and international level to attract relevant bodies and figures operating in the cultural sector in general, and the publishing, printing, translation, documentation and children's book sector in particular.

For any inquiry or for more information please do not hesitate to contact us on the below.
Yousef Al Taweel
National Network Communications (NNC)
Mob: +971 55 50 66 111

© Press Release 2015