SHARJAH: H. H. Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council member and ruler of Sharjah, today opened the 31st Sharjah International Book Fair today with a message to value authors and welcome the digital book as a way of spreading the work of talented writers to as many readers as possible.

Sheikh Sultan, in opening remarks at Sharjah Expo Centre, told guests: "Despite the participation of hundreds of publishers and hundreds of thousands of valuable books in our fair this year, we should not ignore some of the challenges faced by the book and written material in general in these times." Speaking of the new multi-media landscape which digital publishing and social media have brought, the Ruler of Sharjah said: "We believe that each has his own role and scope, and all of us as authors, publishers and intellectuals have to think of the best ways to maintain the balance of these roles and implement them quickly."In his speech, Sheikh Sultan said: "We believe that the publishing houses in the UAE and our region should keep up with this new revolution and innovate attractive ways to display "paper" books and "digital" books to encourage readers to buy books and read them in whichever way they prefer."The Ruler?s speech was delivered in the presence of Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah and Sheikh Abdullah bin Salem Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah. The ceremony was organized by the Sharjah Department of Culture and Information.

The ceremony opened with the UAE National Anthem, followed by the recitation of verses from the Holy Quran and a short documentary film about the history of Sharjah International Book Fair and the role the Ruler of Sharjah plays in the successes achieved by the fair which has become an internationally recognized event.

Chairman of Sharjah's Department of Culture and Information Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Owais welcomed guests and publishers to "the capital of Islamic culture. We are still sowing seeds and we are delighted with the harvest that is coming now."General Manager of Etisalat in the Northern Emirates Region Abdul Aziz Hamad Taryam said: "Our sponsorship for the children?s book award reflects the care of Etisalat to create awareness for the coming generation."The speech of the Egyptian delegation, the guest of honor at the 31st SIBF, was delivered by HE Dr Mohammed Saber Arab, Egypt?s Minister of Culture. He said: "Visitors to Sharjah every year can see new cultural achievements, it is now the focus of all the arts in the Arab world.

"H.H Sheikh Sultan has always been on our side, in times of sorrow and of happiness. If Egypt is healthy, the entire Arab world is healthy. It was a gloomy day when some ignorant people set fire to our books in the research academy, it was as if the heart of Egypt was burning."Later, Sheikh Sultan was invited to present the winners of 31st edition of Sharjah International Book Fair with their awards.

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Copyright Emirates News Agency (WAM) 2012.