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Beni Mellal – Morocco has been designated as the guest of honor at the upcoming Sharjah International Book Fair, scheduled to take place from November 6-17, 2024.
The announcement came as the Moroccan Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication and the Sharjah Book Authority signed an agreement in Rabat on June 11.
The signing ceremony was co-chaired by Mohammed Mehdi Bensaid, Morocco’s Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication, and Ahmed bin Rakkad Al-Ameri, Executive Chairman of the Sharjah Book Authority. Khoula Al-Mujaini, the Fair’s General Coordinator, represented the Emirati side, while Latifa Moftaqir, Director of Books, Libraries and Archives, represented Morocco.
According to the Moroccan News Agency (MAP), Bensaid emphasized that this invitation comes at a crucial juncture in Morocco-UAE relations, which are experiencing a qualitative leap under the leadership of both countries.
He expressed hope that the cultural sector would align itself with other fields of cooperation, highlighting the importance of developing mechanisms to elevate cultural relations to the level of political and economic ties between the two nations.
“The participation of the Kingdom of Morocco as guest of honor at the Sharjah International Book Fair represents the beginning of an advanced stage of coordination and cooperation, exchange of experiences and operationalization of any initiative favoring the broadening of prospects for joint action,” MAP reported Bensaid as stating.
Read also: UAE Celebrates Morocco’s Cultural Heritage and Moroccan Women
On the Emirati side, Al-Ameri stressed that the choice of Morocco as the 2024 guest of honor reflects Sharjah’s vision of strengthening cultural dialogue and understanding between peoples. He described Morocco as “a pioneering Arab model of positive interaction with diversity and cultural pluralism, and of blending different influences to form a singular cultural identity.”
The Sharjah International Book Fair, which welcomed over 2.17 million visitors during its 12-day run last year, is one of the world’s leading gateways to Arabic literature and culture.
The fair’s slightly later start date this year is likely to accommodate trade visitors attending the Frankfurt Book Fair (October 16-20) and the preceding Sharjah Publishers Conference.
The Moroccan pavilion will feature a diverse program, including documentary offerings, cultural events attended by prominent intellectuals and literary figures, musical performances, and artistic workshops related to Moroccan cultural heritage.
