UAE Sharjah Emphasizes Books with 'Doseocheong'... "An Opportunity for People from Over 200 Countries to Understand Each Other"

"Books allow us to understand each other. Through communication, they provide an opportunity to understand different cultures."

This was the response from Ahmed Bi Rakad Al Ameri, Director of the Sharjah Book Authority, when asked why Sharjah has made publishing a national priority. Sharjah is the third largest of the seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates, following Abu Dhabi and Dubai, and has an overwhelmingly high proportion of foreigners. This is why communication through books is emphasized. Director Ameri explained, "In Sharjah, where people from over 200 nationalities live, cultural understanding is essential. I believe the book fair is a great opportunity. Last year, participating as the guest of honor at the Seoul International Book Fair was also a valuable opportunity. It was a precious time to talk about culture beyond politics and religion."

Ahmed Bin Rakkad Al Ameri, Director of Sharjah Library Authority, is answering questions from Korean reporters at the Sharjah International Book Fair on the 1st.
[Photo by Korea Publishers Association]

The Sharjah International Book Fair, held since 1982, is currently the largest of its kind in the Middle East. This year, the fair hosted publishers from 108 countries, totaling over 2,000 participants. The average number of general visitors each year reaches approximately 2.5 million. Sharjah was designated by UNESCO in 1998 as the "Cultural Capital of the Arab World" and was named the "World Book Capital" by UNESCO in 2019. Since 2014, the Sharjah Book Authority, an independent organization, has overseen reading and publishing activities.

The Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone is part of this initiative. It offers tax exemptions and allows 100% foreign ownership. According to Director Ameri, around 1,000 companies currently operate within the publishing free zone. Although Sharjah enforces strict Islamic laws, including a ban on alcohol, there are no significant restrictions on publishing. Ameri stated, "Any book that is difficult to publish in its home country for any reason can be published in Sharjah." He even explained that books by Salman Rushdie, who has been attacked for allegedly depicting the Islamic prophet Muhammad irreverently, can be published there. The free zone plans to produce books at a speed that can create a single book within minutes upon request and distribute them worldwide through global networks.

Director Ameri emphasized, "Sharjah serves as a hub for the import and export of the publishing industry," and predicted, "The publishing market size is expected to grow to $650 billion by 2030."

He also mentioned the popularity of Korean books in Sharjah. Referring to the popularity of Korean language textbooks and other Korean books, Ameri noted that in Sharjah, the fast-food chain name 'KFC' is humorously interpreted as "Korean Fight Chicken," illustrating the significant popularity of Korean culture there.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.