UAE’s Ministry of Culture and Youth (MCY) is attending the 53rd Cairo International Book Fair under the slogan Egypt’s Identity: Culture and the Question of the Future, which will run until February 7, 2022.
The ministry’s three-member delegation, headed by Ali Al Shaali, Assistant Undersecretary for the Heritage and Arts sector at the MCY, also includes Dr. Basma Younes, Cultural Advisor to the ministry, and Afra Mahmoud, founding partner of Ghaf Publishing.
The delegation attended the book fair’s inauguration by Egypt’s Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and participated in Translating from Arabic: a Bridge between Civilizations, a conference organized by the General Egyptian Book Authority.
Al Shaali moderated the theme Arabic Language Creativity: Literature, Drama, and Music at the cultural retreat for Arabic language, organized by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre. The MCY representatives also attended a press conference held as a special tribute to Taha Hussein (1889-1973), one of the most influential 20th-century Egyptian writers and intellectuals, as a dedication for his achievements in the world of Arab literature and culture.
Pavilions of Emirati institutions from the public and private sectors were visited, including the Emirates Publishers Association (EPA), the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre, the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, the Abu Dhabi National Library and Archives (NLA), the Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF), and the Sharjah Institute for Heritage (SIH), besides a number of Emirati publishing houses.
They also met Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, President of the International Publishers Association (IPA) and Dr. Ali bin Tamim, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre where future prospects of the publishing industry were discussed along with the outcomes of the first session of the Arabic Language Summit 2021, and the rich and varied publications of Emirati publishers participating in the exhibition.
“Our participation in the Cairo International Book Fair demonstrates the UAE’s cultural richness and introduces Emirati writers to the world. The book fair highlights the contribution of the Emirati publishing industry. It also shows our country’s genuine interest to promote Arabic language and introduce strategic plans to preserve and protect it, and help support publishers, writers, and the translation movement,” stressed Al Shaali.
The trio also made time to visit various pavilions and meet their officials to learn about their efforts and future strategies for the publishing industry. They also discussed the book fair’s role in bringing the authors and readers closer to each other and how it helped them share some of the experiences and insights about their journey in the publishing industry.
