Sharjah International Book Fair is continuing participation in Kuwait International Book Fair The Sharjah International Book Fair is continuing its successful participation in the 38th Kuwait International Book Fair, an important international event witnessing the participation of 350 publishers from 25 Arab and non-Arab countries around the world, concluding its activities on the 30th of November.
Representing the Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) is Mr Fadhil Hussein, Deputy Coordinator-General of SIBF. The SIBF pavilion at Kuwait International Book Fair has become a meeting hub for publishers, as well as cultural and media figures, owing to the great reputation it has developed over the years as one of the most important platforms in the regional and international cultural scene. Visitors inquired about the next SIBF, participation procedures, as well as other cultural events set to be held soon. This interaction helps SIBF improve its future events, especially when considering that it has become one of the four most important book fairs worldwide.
Commenting on this event, SIBF Director Mr Ahmed Al Ameri confirmed that SIBF is keen on being present in all important regional, pan-Arab, and international book fairs. This comes in line with the directions of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, who continually emphasises the importance of Sharjah's prestigious presence in leading cultural platforms, especially those related to publishing, in line with the intellectual and cognitive leadership role this Emirate plays in Arab-Islamic culture.
"The Kuwait International Book Fair is one of the oldest book fairs in the GCC region, attended by a large number of publishers and authors, with whom we wish to communicate, discussing issues pertaining to books and publishing, and listening to their valued feedback on SIBF. We also use this opportunity to exchange expertise with our counterparts at Kuwait International Book Fair, and get acquainted with the best international practices in book fair management, via our meetings with representatives of Arab and international fairs present at the Fair," he added.
Al Ameri noted that a few days prior to the launch of Kuwait International Book Fair, SIBF concluded one of its most successful fairs, attracting nearly a million visitors from the UAE and other countries, of which around 150 thousand visitors were students. These numbers represented a 40% growth rate compared to SIBF 2012 event. "This great growth in numbers of visitors dictates a great responsibility on SIBF management to enhance this success, especially by communicating with new publishers and publishers who have never participated in SIBF before, to encourage them to be present at the 2014 fair, which coincides with Sharjah being the Captial of Islamic Culture. We also work on being introduced to important cultural, intellectual, and media figures, to invite them to attend the fair and participate in its events." he concluded.
The 32nd Sharjah International Book Fair was concluded on November 16. This year's fair saw the participation of 1010 publishing houses from the UAE, the Arab World, and all over the world. Over 400 thousand titles were on display at the fair, in addition to over 500 parallel cultural and intellectual events, including seminars, lectures, and poetry evenings. The fair also witnessed large media presence, from newspapers and magazines to Arabic and international TV stations, as a testimony of SIBF's great success in delivering on its mission in promoting reading among all age categories.