Qindeel Printing, Publishing, and Distribution, a subsidiary of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation (MBRF) is taking part in the 35th Sharjah International Book Fair, taking place at the Sharjah Expo Centre until November 12, 2016.

Qindeel is holding a number of events at its pavilion in the Fair. One such event, titled Translated Books: Attracting Readers, was organised by Esteraht Sayedat and moderated by translator Ahmed Ali. Meanwhile, The Book My Child Wants explored childrens reading preferences, realistic Arabic content and its compatibility with the nature of Arab families.

In collaboration with the Bil Arabi initiative, the Impact of Reading on Social Networking event brought together a group of authors to explore the benefits that reading can have on social networking.

Saif Al Mansouri, Corporate Affairs Advisor to Managing Director of MBRF, said: The Sharjah International Book Fair is a premier cultural affair that seeks, through its events and activities, to instil the concepts of creativity, innovation, and the dissemination of knowledge in society. It offers cultural and intellectual content for all its visitors.

Mr. Al Mansouri affirmed that the Fair offers an ideal platform for Qindeel Printing, Publishing, and Distribution to display its literary productions both original Arabic and translated books as it allows Qindeel to organise events that grab fairgoers attention. The exhibition also provides Qindeel with an opportunity to communicate directly and effectively with Arab and international authors and publishing houses in order to build fruitful partnerships in the future.

The pavilion also held a book signing to launch a new book by Dr. Abdullah Ibrahim titled Arabic Narrative Encyclopaedia, and welcomed author Ibrahim Nasrallah, recent winner of the Katara Award for Arabic Novel. Elsewhere, Qindeel organised a debate exploring e-books and their effects on paper books in the Arab world, as compared with the West.

Additionally, the pavilion hosted the signing of Beyond Excellence Corporate Happiness, a book by Dr. Saleh Al Hammouri and Rola Al-Maaitah, as well as a debate titled Emirati Personal Experiences, where the subject of personal libraries was tackled i.e. how to choose the first book, and how many titles a library must provide.

The Sharjah International Book Fair receives more than 1.4 million visitors from all around the world every year. In April 2015, the Fair won the London Book Fair Excellence Award, a nod to the leading role that the Fair and Sharjah as a whole plays in culture and publishing, espousing collaboration from Arab countries and the world in cultural and intellectual fields.