The event coincides with the first anniversary of Sharjah’s attainment of the title of World Book Capital in 2019, as the first city in the Gulf region and third in the Arab world to achieve this honour.
Sharjah’s achievement is also a recognition of its continuous efforts to support books and culture, reinforcing its cultural stature to become the centre of the publishing sector in the region.
The emirate’s related overall initiative presented to the World Book Capital Programme has contributed to strengthening its position in this area and includes leading events that attracted the attention of various segments of the community, as well as the book sector and the youth.
Due to the exceptional circumstances facing the world caused by the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, UNESCO called on everyone to benefit from the potential of books to strengthen human ties and motivate mental and innovative capacities, to limit the repercussions of the closure of schools and universities and social distancing measures.
In the UAE, many authorities have taken action following these changes and Emirati organisations have launched initiatives that offer significant knowledge content online that are available to everyone.
During reading month in March 2020, the UAE Federation Library of the Emirates Centre for Strategic Studies and Research, ECSSR, launched a package of services that enable researchers and interested people to access information remotely through on its e-library, which contains over 5 million digital sources on various topics.
The Sharjah Library of the Sharjah Book Authority also made its e-library available to everyone around the world for three months.
The UAE’s book and publishing industry has witnessed many milestones over the past decades, reflected by its consecutive successes in this field and its growing cultural presence. Both the Sharjah International Book Fair and the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair have enhanced their global stature, along with many other leading national and international cultural projects.