SBA concludes its participation in Casablanca International Book Fair

The Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) concludes its participation today (Sunday) in the 22nd edition of the Casablanca International Book Fair (CIBF) where the UAE was chosen as the guest of honour by the fair’s organisers, The Moroccan Ministry of Culture. 

The UAE was chosen as the guest of honour to strengthen the cultural and historical ties between the Kingdom of Morocco and the UAE and also in recognition of the UAE’s leading role in publishing in the Arab world and globally. 

HE Ahmed bin Rakkad Al Ameri, Chairman of SBA, said, “We organized a number of special programs, events and activities at the Casablanca International Book Fair to celebrate the UAE being selected as the Guest of Honour at its 22nd edition and to highlight Sharjah's achievements in the publishing and book industry. These programs also presented as a good opportunity for visitors to learn more about the UAE’s cultural and literary heritage.”

 Al Ameri added, “We want to strengthen the presence of Sharjah in the Arab and international cultural and literary sector in line with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah. By encouraging reading, supporting the publishing sector and through spreading the love of books, we want to produce generations of educated and intellectual individuals in the Arab world.”

A huge number of people visited the SBA stand including the Palestinian Minister of Culture, Ehab Bseiso and President of the Moroccan Writer’s Union, Abdul Rahim Al Allam, visited the stand in addition to Moroccan, Arab and international cultural and intellectual elites.

The participating delegation discussed SBA's preparations for the launch of the 8th edition of the Sharjah Children's Reading Festival, which will take place from April 20th -30th, and received inquiries from a number of publishing houses for participation in the 35th edition of SIBF, which will be held in November 2016.

During CIBF, SBA delegation visited the Moroccan National Library in Casablanca where they met its Chairman, Idress Harouz, who lauded the strong relations between the two countries, especially their cultural ties, and welcomed future collaborations with SBA. 

Established in 2014, Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) is dedicated to encouraging investment in creative industries and offering a platform for the exchange of knowledge and ideas between people from different countries and cultures. It is also entrusted with emphasizing the significant role of writers and their influence in spreading awareness of technological advancement and the availability of various sources of knowledge. SBA also aims to attract relevant bodies and figures operating in the cultural sector in general, and the publishing, printing, translation, documentation and children’s books in particular.