Al-Amiri to 'Al-Anba': Kuwait International Book Fair is the Oldest in the Gulf... Kuwait Has Been and Remains a Beacon of Culture and Knowledge

Ahmed bin Rakad Al Ameri, CEO of the Sharjah Book Authority, told Al-Anbaa the importance of the Kuwait International Book Fair, especially since it is the oldest Gulf book fair. Kuwait has always been, and remains, a beacon of Arab culture and a source of knowledge, thanks to its diverse cultural and intellectual publications that remain firmly embedded in the Arab cultural landscape, particularly in the Gulf. He also highlighted the Emirati presence and the participation of the Sharjah Book Authority at the Kuwait fair, which will launch on November 18.

Al Ameri explained that despite the geopolitical challenges facing the world and the region, the Sharjah Book Fair was held with the participation and presence of 126 countries, with more than 3,400 publishing houses presenting their diverse publications, either directly, through agents, or by participating in the Publishers and Distributors Conference. This demonstrates that Sharjah and the UAE have made culture a bridge to connect the world’s cultures in one place.

Al Ameri noted that the Sharjah International Book Fair has remained the world’s leading fair in the sale and purchase of publishing rights for six consecutive years. More than 8,000 meetings were held during the fair to buy and sell publishing rights, an achievement that adds to Arab culture. The success of the Sharjah International Book Fair is a success for every Arab book fair and every global book fair.

The CEO of the Sharjah Book Authority said that attendance at the fair was high, and book sales saw an increase. Preliminary indicators show that the average spending per visitor was more than 185 dirhams. Even many countries whose regions are classified as unsafe had their authors and publishing company CEOs participate. The number of registered participants in the Publishers Conference rose from approximately 1,440 publishers to 1,888 during the fair days.

Al Ameri praised the integrated efforts of the fair’s work teams and their role in preparing surveys for the public to understand their preferences and suggestions for the next fair, as well as in preparing the accompanying cultural program, which included 1,500 events this year. Sharjah ensured diversity, reflecting the 200 nationalities living in the UAE.

Regarding the spread of Arab culture, Al Ameri pointed out that over the past 13 years, more than 1,500 books have been translated at a rate of 100 books annually from Arabic into various world languages, indicating that Arab culture is now attracting global interest. Major international publishing houses are producing 150 new titles in Arabic. Additionally, Amazon’s Audible launched its audiobook platform on November 2, coinciding with the Publishers Conference, to serve the markets of the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and the Middle East. We are also working to expand the reach of Arabic books globally. With services like Lightning Source in Sharjah, Arab expatriates can obtain locally printed copies in the US and elsewhere. He noted that Sharjah is preparing to be the guest of honor at next year’s Colombia Book Fair, where about 3 million people of Arab origin live, allowing our message and culture to reach them, representing all of Arab and Islamic culture. We will also soon see branches of famous global publishing companies in our Arab cities.

Regarding the fair’s alignment with technological developments and social media, Al Ameri noted that the Sharjah International Book Fair has always been a pioneer. It was the first book fair in the Arab world to create platforms and workshops for social media such as Facebook and Twitter in 2013.

Regarding the exhibition’s cultural program and its role in bringing countries and peoples closer, Khawla Al-Majaini, the General Coordinator of the Sharjah Book Fair, explained that the approach to designing the cultural program is itself rooted in intellectual and cultural proximity. They strive to organize sessions that, for example, bring together writers from the United Arab Emirates and Canada or Jordan, giving participants and attendees the opportunity to discuss specific topics and benefit from the exchange of successful experiences and practices. This diversity fosters intellectual closeness, as participants share their ideas and proposals, thereby achieving the desired intellectual rapprochement among attendees from different countries and cultures.

Al-Majaini also spoke about workshops and the emphasis on various art forms, which constitute different facets of culture, such as theater, cinema, screenwriting, and painting. Accordingly, a theater workshop was held this year, led by artist Khaled El-Sawy. Additionally, a thriller and suspense festival was organized as part of the fair’s events, reflecting the strong public interest in crime literature. Books remain an inseparable part of the human landscape and of life in general.