SIBF Entices Leading Publishing Houses with Amenities

Sharjah Media Centre-Sharjah-UAE: November 14, 2013

Having hosted many initiatives, events and fairs, Sharjah boasts an affluent cultural life and great intellectual activity. The name of the emirate, which has become a global cultural destination, is always linked to culture and knowledge, given the numerous talents it embraces - be it in the field of writing, theater, poetry and art. One of the events that set Sharjah apart from many other cultural destinations is Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF), which is a fount of knowledge and an attraction for writers and intellectuals from all over the world.

Through SIBF, Sharjah aims to draw well-known Arab and non-Arab exhibitors, authors and publishers from around the globe. It seeks to know about other cultures and promote its cultural legacy, based on the vision of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, UAE Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah.

SIBF, which is ranked the fourth largest book fair globally, helps strengthen the status of Sharjah and place it on the map of leading cultural capitals in the Arab world. It does this through supporting the emirate's objectives and ambitions and highlighting its cultural and scientific heritage, as well as hosting seminal events and activities.

According to reliable sources, the fair provides all kinds of facilities for Arab and non-Arab participating publishers. In addition to the exceptional amenities offered to publishers coming from politically challenged countries, the SIBF committee observes the shipping of the displayed books and facilitates the publishers' entry to the UAE. Moreover, the fair's management protects the intellectual rights of publishers and authors to maintain the international status of SIBF and guarantee the yearly participation of all publishing houses.

In this regard, Ahmed bin Rakkad Al Ameri, Director of SIBF, said: "Since its inaugural edition, SIBF has undertaken to support cultural life, in line with the directives of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, UAE Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah. In all of its editions, SIBF has included a wide variety of cultural activities and programs, which have been growing quantitatively and qualitatively on a yearly basis."

Al Ameri described SIBF, as a place for exchanging knowledge and expertise and a wide platform for  a large readership. For the purpose of disseminating the culture of reading among the society, SIBF was founded by His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah in 1981. His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan has always sought to encourage reading and publishing in the Arab world. He has also aspired to establish a solid base for Arab cultural diversity, and to convey that diversity to the Western world.

He pointed out that fans from all over the world wait for SIBF impatiently each year, stressing that the fair will continue its quest for the advancement of human culture, the consolidation of knowledge at both the Arab and global levels, and the embrace of cultures that contribute to the upgrading of Eastern and Western societies alike.

Attracting World's Leading Publishers
Al Ameri asserted that the SIBF management possesses a profound experience in dealing and communicating with publishing houses, not only at the local level, but also at the international level. Based on the reputation the fair has earned with its development, the SIBF management has built strong ties and it intends to carry on with this approach by focusing on contacting publishers all around the globe.

Al Ameri added: "SIBF is keen to be present at all major regional fairs, and to promote itself, its objectives, including the dissemination of culture and the initiation of knowledge based dialogue between people, and the opportunities it offers to publishers for the purpose of facilitating their access to the public. These moves have resulted in a steady increase in the number of countries and publishing houses joining the fair." SIBF Director indicated that the next edition of the fair would see the participation of major international companies whose presence in any exhibition is considered a huge success.

He went on to say: "Through expanding participation in SIBF, we aim to meet the need of the UAE and Arab society to gain access to all sources of knowledge and to come into contact with cultures of other  societies. We also seek to meet the cultural requirements of the various communities living in the UAE. We believe that the wider the scope of participation, the better for the Arab culture and Arab authors, since the fair is a place for signing translation agreements."

Pointing to the various events that are associated with SIBF, Al Ameri cited the Professional Program, which is held for the third year in a row to develop the expertise of Emirati and Arab publishers, in collaboration with internationally-known academic experts.

Facilities Offered to Publishers
Emad Abdul Hamid, General Manager of Lebanon's Jadawel for Publishing, Translation & Distribution, said: "The expansion of this year's SIBF is proof of its success. Our participation in the fair dates back to 1993, thanks to the collaboration between SIBF management and publishing houses." He affirmed that communication with the public, institutions and the SIBF management is a real gain of this fair, not the financial gain sought by everyone. He expressed his wish that Sharjah would continue to be a beacon of Arab culture.

Ghiath Maktabi, Manager of Al Maktabi and Baraem Al Maktabi Publishing Houses in Syria and Sharjah, expressed his gratitude to His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah for exempting Syrian publishing houses from participation fees in SIBF for the second successive year, indicating that the exemption would encourage Syrian publishing houses to participate despite the current situation in Syria.

Maktabi extended his thanks to SIBF management for helping Syrian publishers store their books and offering them the Professional Program Grant, which helps boost cooperation in the field of translation and develop the skills of publishers, pointing out that the grant had encouraged several publishing houses to translate their books from Arabic into other languages.

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© Press Release 2013