Sharjah Ruler announces SIBF fee exemption for publishers from Palestine, Lebanon, Sudan

Publishers from Palestine, Lebanon and Sudan will be exempt from participation fees at the 43rd edition of the Sharjah International Book Fair, the Sharjah Book Authority announced on Friday.

This decision was taken under the directive of Sheikh Dr Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, and the guidance of Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA).

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Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi stressed that Arab publishers in the region are facing unprecedented challenges, and there is an urgent and critical need to unite efforts to abate the severe hit the industry has taken in the past year.

She added that Arab culture is directly shaped by the strength, efficiency and resilience of its publishing sector. So, the SBA Chairperson has called for all possible support to enable the industry to overcome its current challenges.

The exemption is part of Sharjah's central role in enhancing the resilience and efficiency of the Arab publishing sector, ensuring its continuity in uplifting communities, and promoting knowledge and awareness, particularly in light of the targeting, restrictions and blockades faced by publishers, libraries, and cultural institutions, isolating them from their Arab and global counterparts.

According to the Palestinian Ministry of Culture, 76 cultural centres, three theatres, five museums, 15 publishing houses and bookshops, and 80 public libraries in Gaza have suffered either partial or complete destruction due to direct attacks. Similar damages have affected publishing houses, libraries, and cultural centres in the occupied West Bank.