Sharjah: H.H. Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA), chaired the fifth meeting of the SBA Board of Directors at its headquarters in Sharjah. The meeting was attended by board members and senior executives to discuss SBA’s significant achievements in 2025 and review its strategic plan for 2026.
According to Emirates News Agency, the meeting was attended by Ahmed bin Rakkad Al Ameri, CEO of the SBA; Youngsuk Chi, Chairman of Elsevier; John Ingram, Chairman of Ingram Content; Marcus Doll, Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees of PEN America (via video conference); and Gaurav Shrinagesh, CEO for India and Southeast Asia and a member of the Global Executive Committee at Penguin Random House. Other attendees included Abdullah Al Owais, Chairman of the Sharjah Department of Culture; Dr. Sultan Al Amimi, Chairman of the Emirates Writers Union; Abdulaziz Al Musallam, Chairman of the Sharjah Institute for Heritage; Fahad Al Maamari, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Emirates Library; Marwa Al Aqroubi, Executive Director of the House of Wisdom and President of the UAE Board on Books for Young People; Rashid Al Kous, Executive Director of the Emirates Publishers Association and Director of the Emirates Rights Management Association; and Abdulaziz Taryam.
In her opening remarks, H.H. Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi highlighted the efforts of the Board members and the team in enhancing Sharjah’s global standing as a center for knowledge, culture, and creativity. She emphasized a pivotal moment in the Authority’s journey and the Arab publishing industry, noting Sharjah’s leadership in global cultural communication, partnerships with UNESCO, and collaboration with universities in Portugal and Italy.
Sheikha Bodour mentioned the Sharjah International Publishers Conference as a key platform for rights exchange and professional collaboration. She discussed the ‘Innovation Track’ of the Sharjah Fund for Sustainable Publishing, aimed at shaping digital publishing’s future. These initiatives reflect a commitment to empowering knowledge, enhancing Arab presence, and reinforcing Sharjah as a driver of innovation and cultural exchange.
Ahmed bin Rakkad Al Ameri presented an overview of SBA’s achievements for the year and its vision for the future. Notable milestones included a digital agreement with UNESCO to document global archives and integrate them into the Sharjah Public Libraries system. He also discussed the achievements of the Sharjah Literature Agency, which included over 30 translation rights agreements and a new rights management system.
The year saw the opening of the Centre for Arabic Studies at the University of Coimbra in Portugal and the digitization of the historic Joanina Library. These efforts strengthened cultural and academic cooperation between Sharjah and Europe. The Sharjah International Publishers Conference featured 1,599 publishers and literary rights agents from 116 countries, reinforcing Sharjah’s global publishing capital status. The Sharjah International Book Fair continued its status as the world’s largest fair for buying and selling publishing rights.
The meeting reviewed performance updates across SBA’s departments and entities. Saif Al Zari, Executive Director of Digital Transformation, presented on customer relationship management systems and performance indicators. Iman Bin Shaiba, Director of Strategic Initiatives and Global Markets, reported on the Innovation Track of the ‘Anshur’ Fund, focusing on AI-powered solutions for editing, translation, marketing, and animation.
The Council reviewed performance indicators for the Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone, now housing over 3,400 entities, including 500 companies in publishing and book sectors. The Council approved the 2026 Action Plan, featuring new events and projects like the Sharjah African Literature Festival, Sharjah Literature Festival, and Sharjah Animation Conference.
H.H. Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi concluded the meeting by underscoring the importance of teamwork in achieving the new plan’s goals. She stated that the ambition for 2026 is to establish Sharjah as a global hub for publishing and to lead cultural and technological innovation.
At the meeting’s end, council members received copies of “Sharjah Libraries – A Century of Knowledge,” published by Sarab Publishing House. This was followed by a tour of the new Shine Studios at Sharjah Publishing City, featuring recording, voiceover, and dubbing rooms, and a podcast production room equipped with the latest technology.