SHARJAH, 16th June, 2022 (WAM) — Ahmed bin Rakkad Al Ameri, Chairman of Sharjah Book Authority (SBA), welcomed a delegation from the Republic of Colombia headed by Andres Ossa, Director of the Regional Centre for the Promotion of Books in Latin America and the Caribbean, and his deputy, Juanita Escallón Vicariate, Publications Coordinator.
At a meeting held at the SBA headquarters recently, the two parties discussed the strengthening of cultural relations between the two sides and explored ways to further translations of works between the two cultures. They also discussed opportunities to organise joint activities, including book fairs and children’s festivals, to facilitate expertise and knowledge exchange between Sharjah and Colombia.
During the meeting, Al Ameri highlighted the pivotal role played by the Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF), which serves as a gateway into the Arab publishing market, and outlined the goals of the Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival (SCRF), which provide publishers with an opportunity to expand and market their works to 950 million readers in the wider Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
The SBA Chairman gifted the Colombian delegation copies of the Spanish translations of books authored by H.H. Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, including ”My Early Life”, ”Bibi Fatima” and the ”King’s Sons”.
The visiting delegation was led on a tour of the Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone (SPC Free Zone), and was briefed on the myriad benefits offered to its investors and publishers.
For his part, Andres Ossa stated that Colombia views Sharjah as a destination that fosters cross-cultural communication with nations across the world, while SIBF is a perfect international cultural platform to shine a light on the Emirati and Arab culture. “Our participation at SIBF was an opportunity to introduce the Republic’s culture and its creative efforts to audiences in the Arab region,” he added.