SHARJAH – A landmark achievement was made by the recently concluded 35th Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) organised by Sharjah Book Authority (SBA), in which the 11-day fair dominated media coverage with more than 8,000 news clippings in over 20 languages, spanning local and international audio-visual and electronic media.
SIBF 2016, which concluded on a record-breaking note, attracted over 2.31 million visitors, the highest in the history of book fairs in the UAE. It garnered overwhelming global media attention as evidenced by the extensive media coverage in various news agencies and media houses, which extensively covered SIBF’s events and offered publications in various languages for its readers.
HE Ahmed Bin Rakkad Al Ameri, Chairman of Sharjah Book Authority (SBA), expressed his profound thanks and appreciation to all media professionals and journalists, including correspondents from various media and press agencies, top columnists and commentators in Arab and international newspapers and magazines, as well as social media celebrities who followed 2016 SIBF before and during its activities with great interest.
Al Ameri said: “Since its inception 35 years ago, the Sharjah International Book Fair, one of the leading regional and international cultural events launched by His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, has strongly proved that books still enjoy the greatest attention and interest of intellectuals, thinkers and journalists, as they form the cornerstone of the progress of communities and nations.”
He emphasised that the immense efforts and fantastic coverage provided by journalists in various media organisations and news networks contributed immensely to increasing the fair’s attractiveness, skyrocketing visitor turnout. The unprecedented number of visitors coupled with the volume of book sales reaching AED 176 million would not have been possible without the event’s close collaboration with the media.
Al Ameri revealed that in its upcoming editions, SIBF will further develop and expand its media centre with professional and technical support to facilitate journalists and media representatives to provide real time coverage and live broadcasts.
The 35th edition of SIBF held from 2 to 12 November was by far the biggest and most successful in the event’s history, hosting 1,681 publishing houses and hundreds of events that attracted various community segments from the UAE and abroad. Its hashtag, #SIBF2016, recorded more than 1 billion impressions on English and Arabic social media sites.
