Sharjah: Her Highness Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA), presided over the Authority’s fifth Board of Directors meeting at the SBA headquarters, which brought together members of the Board and senior executives to review SBA’s strategic achievements in 2025 and outline its key objectives for 2026.

The meeting was attended by H.E. Ahmed bin Rakkad Al Ameri, CEO of SBA; Youngsuk ‘YS’ Chi, Chairman of Elsevier; John Ingram, Chairman of Ingram Content Group; Markus Dohle, Executive Vice President of the PEN America Board of Trustees (online); Gaurav Shrinagesh, CEO India and South East Asia and Member Global Executive Committee, Penguin Random House; H.E. Abdullah Mohammed AlOwais, Chairman of the Department of Culture; H.E. Dr. Sultan Al Ameemi, Chairman of Emirates Writers Union; H.E. Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Musallam, Chairman of the Sharjah Institute for Heritage; Fahad Al Mamari, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Emirates Library; H.E. Marwa Al Aqroubi, Executive Director of the House of Wisdom and President of the UAE Board on Books for Young People (UAEBBY); H.E. Rashid Al Kous, Executive Director of the Emirates Publishers Association (EPA); Majd Al Shehhi, Director of Emirates Reprographic Rights Association (ERRA); and  H.E. Abdulaziz Taryam.

Opening the meeting, Her Highness Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi commended the dedication and insight of the Board, highlighting SBA’s continued role in shaping Sharjah’s global reputation as a leading hub for knowledge, culture, and creativity. “This year has been transformative for the Sharjah Book Authority and for Arab publishing as a whole. From our landmark agreement with UNESCO to digitise its global archives—preserving millions of pages of human history—to strengthening our cultural bridges through partnerships with leading universities in Portugal and Italy, Sharjah continues to redefine what cultural leadership looks like”, she noted.

“The Sharjah International Publishers Conference has grown into one of the world’s most influential platforms for rights exchange and collaboration, while initiatives like Onshur’s Disrupt Track are shaping the future of publishing technology. These achievements are a reflection of our collective commitment to empower knowledge, elevate the Arabic voice, and ensure that Sharjah remains a catalyst for innovation and cultural exchange worldwide,” Her Highness further added.

2025 achievements and innovation highlights

Following Her Highness’s address, H.E. Ahmed bin Rakkad Al Ameri presented a comprehensive overview of SBA’s 2025 milestones and shared the Authority’s strategic vision for 2026. His presentation reflected the authority’s ongoing efforts to strengthen international partnerships, advance publishing technologies, and enhance institutional efficiency through data-driven systems and digital tools. Additionally, he presented updates from the Sharjah Literary Agency that showed significant international success, with more than 30 rights deals concluded in 10 languages. The Agency’s new Rights Management System (RMS) and online platform have streamlined rights transactions and strengthened author representation globally.

Among the year’s landmark achievements was the Sharjah–UNESCO digitisation agreement, to digitise UNESCO’s global archives and integrate them into the Sharjah Public Libraries system. This project reinforces Sharjah’s leadership in knowledge preservation and its role as a key contributor to global cultural heritage. SBA also inaugurated the Centre for Arabic Studies at the University of Coimbra in Portugal and oversaw the digitisation of the historic Joanina Library, expanding academic and cultural collaboration between Sharjah and Europe.

The Sharjah International Publishers Conference 2025 recorded its most successful edition to date, hosting 1,599 publishers and literary agents from 116 countries. The event served as a key platform for international rights exchange and cross-sector collaboration, consolidating Sharjah’s reputation as a global publishing capital. The 44th Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) underway at the Expo Center until November 16 has maintained its position as the world’s leading fair for the publishing rights, further strengthening Sharjah’s cultural and industry leadership.

The meeting also reviewed performance updates from SBA’s subsidiaries and departments. Saif Al Zari, Executive Director of Digital Transformation at Sharjah Book Authority presented progress on the Authority’s Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system and Key Performance Indicator (KPI) framework, both of which have enhanced SBA’s operational performance, audience engagement, and data management capabilities.

Iman Ben Chaibah, Director of strategic initiatives and global markets at SBA, shared developments under Onshur’s Disrupt Track, a first-of-its-kind investment platform connecting technology innovators with the publishing industry. The initiative’s upcoming 2026 cycle will focus on AI-driven solutions across editing, translation, marketing, and animation, solidifying Sharjah’s position as a centre for publishing innovation.

The meeting further highlighted the growth of the Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone, which now houses more than 3,400 active companies, including over 500 engaged in publishing-related activities.

SBA’s 2026 roadmap

Looking ahead, the Board endorsed SBA’s 2026 action plan, which features a dynamic calendar of events and initiatives. In Q1, these will include the Sharjah Festival of African Literature, Sharjah Literature Festival, and Sharjah Animation Conference, among other forthcoming projects that will be officially announced soon.

SBA will also broaden its international engagement through participation in global book fairs and collaborative digitisation projects.

Concluding the meeting, Her Highness Sheikha Bodour commended the Board’s collective vision and the SBA team’s dedication, affirming that the authority’s mission for 2026 is to strengthen Sharjah’s position as a global leader in publishing, technology, and cultural exchange.

Sharjah Libraries – A Century of Knowledge, published by Sarab Imprint -recently launched by Kalimat Group- was presented to the members of the Board. Following the meeting, the Board toured the newly completed “Sheen” studios at the Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone. The facility includes two dedicated rooms for narration, recording voice-overs, and dubbing, and a third white-label podcast suite equipped with sound isolation and full technical support for content creators.

Video: https://we.tl/t-dsmrodYFtU