WAM London-UK/Sharjah, Apr 17th, 2012 (WAM)--H. H. Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qassimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, today attended the opening ceremony of London International Book Fair 2012.

Held at the Earls Court Conference Centre in downtown London, the opening was attended by H. H. Sheikha Budoor bint Sultan Al Qassimi, Chairperson of Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) and President of Emirates Publishers Association, and Sheikh Mohammed bin Maktoum Al Maktoum, First Secretary at the Embassy of the UAE in the UK.

The Ruler of Sharjah was received by Nigel Newton, Chairman and Founder of Bloomsbury Publication and Distribution in Britain, and David Welch, Head of the London International Book Fair.

Upon his arrival, Sheikh Sultan attended a breakfast that organised by Sharjah International Book Fair as part of its sponsorship activities for London International Book Fair.

He also participated in a seminar presented by Lee Benny, Chairman of Public Education in China. Benny highlighted the realities of publishing and translation in the Republic of China and the country's objectives of participating in London International Book Fair. Emphasising that the world, even amidst the fast paced technological progress, cannot do without the printed word, he said books are a basic reference for research projects and a permanent documentation of important events in human history.

The Ruler of Sharjah and the accompanying delegation later visited the pavilion of Sharjah International Book Fair. Organised by Sharjah Department of Culture and Information, the stand features a number of publishing houses and government departments from the emirate.

Sheikh Sultan signed the English translation of his book Hadeeth Al Thakera meaning �Taking the Reins'. Released in Arabic during the 29th Sharjah International Book Fair in 2010, the English edition was recently launched in a special ceremony in London.

The Ruler of Sharjah also signed English copies of his book "Sharjah Air Station between East and West". Published in Arabic in January 2009, the book narrates the events surrounding the construction of the Sharjah air base and provides a comprehensive study on the transfer from the Persian to the Arabian coast while spotlighting the challenges that were encountered.

The English translations of the body of work produced by the Ruler of Sharjah generated wide interest from visitors to London International Book Fair.

Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Owais, Chairman of the Department of Culture and Information in Sharjah, said: "Sharjah's participation at the international exhibition comes from its importance as a platform that gathers renowned international publishing houses and works towards conveying the universal human cultural message." "Sharjah's presence this year is in line with the directives and aspirations of the Ruler of Sharjah and devoted to delivering the message of Arab culture across the world. As part of this objective, Sharjah has undertaken a series of translation projects and consistently carried forward its integrated cultural initiative Heritage Days around the world." Ahmed bin Rakadh Al Amri, Director of Sharjah International Book Fair, said: "Sharjah is keen to participate in international cultural events, particularly London International Book Fair. The event allows Sharjah to highlight its co-operative spirit and engage in cultural exchange and communication. Sharjah also seeks to define the culture of the UAE and Sharjah highlighting the role of Sharjah International Book Fair in developing and supporting this culture." As part of its activities at London International Book Fair 2012, Sharjah International Book Fair organised a high-profile symposium that hosted Emirati writer Hareb Al Dhaheri. Elaborating on the UAE's culture in story writing, Al Dhaheri outlined ways of writing a story, spotlighted famous writers and the different schools of writing that they practice. He also discussed the stages of development in writing, while highlighting the topics during each phase, and the evolving patterns in the conceptualising and selection of topics during the last century and now.

WAM/MN