Sharjah revives the cultural and creative spirit

After being named the World Book Capital by Unesco, Sharjah has been designated as a creative city of crafts and folk art by the agency.
The Unesco's choice of Sharjah is unquestionable, simply because the Emirate places culture at the heart of its development strategy.
Sharjah has become synonymous, not only with Arab and Islamic culture but also with global culture.
This was evident in the statement of His Highness Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, as he accepted the Unesco World Book Capital title. "This title will encourage us to continue supporting initiatives aimed at spreading knowledge and building civilisations, thus making Sharjah a cradle of the Arab and Islamic cultural and intellectual renaissance," he said.
When selecting a city for such a prestigious title, Unesco usually takes into account several rigorous criteria which Sharjah met.
Sharjah is not only about titles, but about a cultural journey started by Dr. Sheikh Sultan to enable the Arab and Islamic nation to regain its cultural glory.
The emirate is determined to have an ambitious cultural plan that is visible all over the Arab world, the Sharjah Narration Forum and the theatre festivals, just to name a few.
Yet, there is so much more to accomplish as Dr. Sheikh Sultan says. "The production of knowledge never stops, and the development of life continues."
For four decades, Sharjah has carried the message of Arab culture and civilisation under it visionary Ruler.
We are witnessing the fruits of that approach as we celebrate the Sharjah International Book Fair, one of the top four books fairs globally. Importantly, we witness the creativity that blends traditions with modernism to make Sharjah a truly creative city of crafts, folk art and humanity.
- The author is Executive Director of Emirates News Agency