The 44th Sharjah International Book Fair attracted over 1.4 million visitors from 206 nationalities, with more than 2350 publishers and exhibitors participating from 118 countries. The organizing committee revealed that the fair, which concluded its activities yesterday, has achieved for the fifth consecutive year a global ranking as the world's largest book fair in terms of copyright sales and purchasing.
Under the directives of Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Authority's Board of Directors, the Authority adopts a clear mission: the fair is a space where knowledge meets culture, and the word meets experience, where the reader finds what nourishes their mind and strengthens their connection with the world around them.
Men constituted 51% of the fair's visitors, while women made up 49% of the total visitors. The fair achieved high satisfaction rates among various visitor and participant categories, with 96.3% of visitors expressing satisfaction with their experience, and 90.91% of exhibitors expressing satisfaction with the level of organization and participation. The satisfaction rate at the Sharjah Publishers Conference reached 97.14%, reflecting the growing trust in the content and opportunities the fair provides annually.
In a scene that embodies the vision of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, to empower knowledge and support the Arab publishing industry, His Highness directed an allocation of 4.5 million dirhams to supply the public and government libraries of Sharjah with publications from fair participants. This aims to enhance their content and enrich their resources with recent and diverse Arabic and foreign publications, alongside supporting publishers in the region and various countries worldwide.
The CEO of the Sharjah Book Authority, Ahmed bin Rakad Al Ameri, said: "The 44th Sharjah International Book Fair presented an experience focused on the reader as the central pillar of knowledge. Through the slogan 'Between You and the Book,' visitors experienced a personal journey with reading, where each reader found a vibrant space to interact in their own way and discovered what expresses their identity and feeds their intellectual curiosity."
He added: "The cultural diversity witnessed at the fair by hosting visitors from 206 nationalities has cemented Sharjah's firm position as a global center for human dialogue, reflecting the vision of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, who believed that the book is the foundation for building a person intellectually and socially."
