Ahmad Bin Rakkad Al Ameri, the Director of Sharjah International Book Fair, asserted that the fair is one of the most important cultural events in the world that provides a change for all contributors to share their expertise and knowledge.
In statements to MENA, Ameri said the fair, which kicked off in 1982 under the auspices of Member of Sharjah Governing Council Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Al-Qawasemi, has become a lighthouse for culture and literature at the Arab and international levels.
He said the fair aims mainly at encouraging people, especially youths, to read and increase their knowledge.
More than 465,000 book lovers visited the Book Fair from November 5 to 7 — a record in the fair’s 33-year history, said Ahmad Bin Rakkad Al Ameri, Director of Sharjah International Book Fair.
Al Ameri said the unprecedented number of visitors was due to the number and variety of events organized for the fair. The number of participating publishing houses this year — 1,256 from 59 countries — was also a crowd-puller.
Nearly 200,000 visitors came to the fair on the third day alone, Al Ameri said, adding that the overall expected number of visitors for the 11-day event is 25 per cent higher than last year.
Another highlight of this year’s fair is the joint conference between the fair and the American Library Association that will be held for the first time in the region from November 11 to 13. The three-day conference and its parallel workshops will zoom in on issues related to librarians, academics, schools, government, and private libraries