His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, has issued a new directive to fully exempt every Lebanese publisher exhibiting at the ongoing Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF 2020) from paying stand rental fees.
Valued at AED 640,000, these exemptions that follow His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Al Qasimi’s directive, are in line with Sharjah’s ongoing efforts to support and promote Lebanese publishing houses and libraries, which were directly or indirectly impacted by the devastating explosion that hit the Port of Beirut, earlier in August.
HE Ahmed bin Rakkad Al Ameri, Chairman of Sharjah Book Authority (SBA), said: “This new directive by His Highness The Ruler of Sharjah is a reinforcement of the emirate’s cultural and humanitarian message. We are dedicated to standing beside our brothers and sisters in their time of need. In fact, having offered similar privileges to publishers from Syria, Egypt and other nations in SIBF’s previous editions, this is a continuation of our tradition to support publishers in the Arab world who Sharjah views as the true guardians of Arabic language, literature and culture.”
“Within a day of announcing the AED 10 million grant for publishers as ordered by His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Al Qasimi, to boost the efforts of both regional and international publishers to overcome the challenges posed by Covid-19, this directive by His Highness is a re-emphasis that Sharjah is truly an incubator and a champion for book makers from around the world,” Al Ameri added.