Sharjah: His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, on Tuesday chaired an extraordinary Cabinet meeting at the Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF).
Following the meeting, Shaikh Mohammad, accompanied by Shaikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, toured SIBF.
“Amid 1.5 million titles on display at Sharjah International Book Fair, I have presided over the Cabinet meeting during which we approved a Federal Budget of Dh201 billion for 2018-2021,” said Shaikh Mohammad.
This was the first Cabinet meeting following the recent reshuffle, and was held in the presence of Lieutenant-General Shaikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, and Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs.
Shaikh Mohammad expressed his happiness for being present among the readers and students. Addressing the ministers, Shaikh Mohammad underlined the importance of the symbolism of this meeting to be held at one of the most important cultural extravaganzas in the UAE, and one of the world’s largest book fairs.
“Today, we hold our meeting among books, readers and intellectuals to emphasise our commitment to culture and to encourage everyone to read and turn knowledge and science into practical applications that serve our aspirations. A book is a source of culture, knowledge, literature and art, and a tool that enables us to forge our success story and a promising future for our citizens,” said Shaikh Mohammad.
Shaikh Mohammad praised the vision and initiatives of His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, who has perfectly made culture and knowledge a lifestyle in the UAE.
“My brother, Dr Shaikh Sultan, has established one of the largest and most important book fairs and publishing events in the world, and with his dedicated efforts and initiatives, he has opened a window into the entire world and made us gain an insight into its knowledge and history,” said Shaikh Mohammad.
Shaikh Mohammad toured the fair’s various halls and the stands of various participating publishing houses showcasing their recent publications and titles. He was briefed by Ahmad Al Ameri, chairman of the Sharjah Book Authority, on SIBF, its history and the number of participating countries and publishing houses, as well as the number of visitors.
On the second leg of his tour, Shaikh Mohammad visited the pavilion of the UK, which is the guest of honour at SIBF 2017. He acquainted himself with the exhibits and publications, most notably the oldest Quran manuscript, which was one of the rare collections at the University of Birmingham.
Shaikh Mohammad was also accompanied by Mohammad Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and the Future, and Shaikha Budoor Bint Sultan Al Qasimi, president of the Emirates Publishers Association (EPA) and founder and CEO of Kalimat Group.
Shaikh Mohammad visited the EPA stand where he was briefed on its initiatives launched throughout the year to support the publishing industry in the country.
He then visited the stands of the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development and Al Qasimi Publications.
