DUBAI: The 27th Sharjah Book Fair, one of the biggest and most popular cultural activities in the United Arab Emirates, kicked off yesterday.
The event, which ends on Nov. 7, was inaugurated by Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al-Qassimi, supreme council member and ruler of Sharjah.
More than 490 Arab and 272 foreign publishers from 23 countries are exhibiting more than 100,000 titles — 28,698 in Arabic — at the event. There will be 57,927 new books on display. Books on exhibition cover a range of subjects and categories, such as electronics, Islam and children’s books.
The event this year is being held one month earlier than usual after complaints from participants last year that the event coincided with school examinations, which resulted in a plunge in sales.
All books at the fair would be sold at a 25 percent reduction of the cover price, said Yousuf Aydabi, general coordinator of the fair.
He added that last year, more than 40,000 students participated in the book fair with over 400,000 visitors in attendance.
