Culture & Education | Tuesday 3 March, 2015 12:02 am |

Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF), a subsidiary of the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA), has been a great success at the Muscat International Book Fair taking place at Muscat International Exhibition Centre from 25 February to 7 March.

The stand became a favoured destination of senior Omani officials and intellectuals who came to enquire about SIBF’s upcoming events and programmes as well as about participation in its awards and grants for authors, illustrators and publishers.

HE Ahmed bin Rakkad Al Ameri, Chairman of Sharjah Book Authority, said: “The Authority’s participation in regional and international book fairs adheres to the directives of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah to attract intellectuals, authors and publisher to the emirate of Sharjah.

Al Ameri added that the great response they received from intellectuals, publishers, authors and readers who visited the stand truly reflects the deep rooted ties between the two countries, as well as the eagerness of intellectual elites to strengthen these relations further.

Officials who attended the stand include Oman’s Minister of Heritage and Culture, His Highness Sayyid Haitham bin Tariq Al Said and the UAE’s Ambassador of Oman, His Excellency Mohammed Sultan Saif Al Suwaidi who were received by Fadil Hussain, Deputy General-Coordinator of SIBF.

H.H. Sayyid Haitham bin Tariq Al Said was presented with a copy of the book “Under the Flag of the Occupation” written by His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah. The Minister expressed his delight at the participation of Sharjah International Book Fair and Sharjah Book Authority in the Muscat International Book Fair and praised Sharjah’s internationally acclaimed cultural reputation and its ongoing support for the book industry.

Visitors to the stand were provided information on the next edition of the Sharjah International Book Fair and the Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival, as well as the Professional Programme for publishers. It also informed librarians how to register for the joint ALA/SIBF conference, organised by the SIBF in collaboration with the American Library Association.

At the stand authors and illustrators were able to find out more about the SIBF Awards for the best books, as well as for the Sharjah Exhibition for Children’s Book Illustrations. The stand also introduced publishers and translation agencies to the Translation Grant offered by SIBF as part of the Translation Grant Fund, supported by the Sharjah Government, to develop the translation movement and enhance Arabic culture throughout the world.

The SBA Chairman, HE Ahmed bin Rakkad Al Ameri said, “We are delighted to bring the Sharjah Book Authority to its first presence in the Sultanate of Oman and to establish long-term, fruitful cooperation between stakeholders and all those concerned with the book and publishing industry the world over.”

The Muscat Book Fair runs until March the 7th and has seen participation from 24 countries and 633 publishing houses.