Sharjah Book Fair Director Ahmed bin Rakad Al Ameri confirmed that there is no censorship of any book in the exhibition, and does not tolerate any publishing house that proves its monopoly on intellectual property rights. He pointed out that the management of the exhibition, which starts its 37th session today , Take immediate action to close the wing that proves its piracy, and prevent the House from participating in future sessions.

Al Ameri stressed in his dialogue with «Emirates Today» that «the Sharjah exhibition is keen to offer books at discounted prices for visitors, publishing houses that do not abide by the decision to exclude them», describing the exhibition as «a beacon Emirati sent lights of Arab culture to all parts of the world, The three most important bookstores in the world, and one of the intellectual projects of Sharjah, which wants to instill the love of reading and knowledge among UAE citizens and residents on its soil, and to direct an Arab cultural discourse from the capital of Arab culture to the world.

The language of numbers

"The Emirate of Sharjah is witnessing the largest annual cultural event, with an activity of 1,800 cultural, artistic and recreational activities by 472 guests from around the world over the course of 11 days. The course hosts approximately 1,774 publishing houses from 77 countries with 1.6 million titles, 80,000 new titles, and we expect that this course will succeed in surpassing its predecessors in terms of numbers of visitors, bringing the number of guests of the (Khair Jlis) to more than two million guests ».

"When we talk in terms of figures about the exhibition, we do not mean the numbers as much as we point out that we are on the right path, which was drawn by His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, a member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, And intellectual and literary rights, but an exhibition and a cultural festival literary, scientific and communicative for professionals and the masses, academics and artists, and the whole family ».

He added: "We have been keen to be this session, which starts today, the most unique and unique, so that all activities are new in terms of thought and content, as well as decorations that were relied upon, and also attend some countries for the first time in the history of the exhibition, including South Africa, Cameroon, Uganda , Ghana, and Kenya ».

Al-Amiri also considered the continuous increase in the number of visitors and participants as an indication of "the positive impact of the exhibition on the employees of the book industry on the one hand, and the UAE and Arab society on the other. In recent years we have started to receive visitors from Gulf and Arab countries, In this cultural wedding ».

Satisfy all categories

"The organizing committees of the event ensured that the exhibition sections were suitable for all segments of the society, especially the owners and the senior citizens. During the design of the pavilions, we considered that each of them provides their entrances and corridors for their ease of movement in the exhibition, In addition, some of the participating associations published books and publications in Braille for people with visual disabilities.

On the impact of electronic publishing in the present and future of paper book exhibitions, Ameri confirmed that «the printed book still maintains its brilliance, and is the first choice among readers, despite the development of electronic publishing methods, the e-book did not pull the rug from the paper, as some think, All exhibitions dedicated to intellectual and literary creations are an arena for the reader to browse the book and touch his papers, creating a spiritual link. "

"We do not have any censorship of any book in the exhibition, and our follow-up is limited to intellectual property rights and prices. At Sharjah International Book Fair, we do not allow piracy or theft of property rights. And also commit the whole role to granting discounts between 20-25% on the books. Here too, the price controls will be monitored during the exhibition days, and penalties are imposed on the publishers who are not committed. Participation in future sessions ».

"The Sharjah Book Authority pursues a policy of communication and dialogue with various publishing houses, intellectuals and writers, not only at the local and Arab levels, but also globally. We have strong relations based on the status of the emirate of Sharjah and the Sharjah Book Fair and its reputation throughout Past years, we are continuing this approach ».

The Japanese Experience

"The hosting of the Sharjah International Book Fair for Japan is a new addition to the cultural project of the exhibition, which is to review the outstanding experiences of the peoples and how, through its literary and artistic production, it has been able to promote harmony in its culture between modernity and originality, And historical ethics, and this choice is not only an opportunity to learn about the Japanese creative experience, but is a new bridge towards the culture of East Asia, with all the content, history and experiences that formed in addition to the human march ».

Ahmed bin Rakad Al Ameri:

• "We are keen to be the session that starts today the most unique and unique."

• "The printed book still maintains its brilliance, and is the first choice among readers."

• 1.6 million titles in the new exhibition.