{
  "id": 19143274,
  "title": "Sharjah Ruler allocates Dh4.5 million to buy books at Sharjah book fair",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/09/sharjah-ruler-allocates-dh4-5-million-to-buy-books-at-sharjah-book",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-09T11:01:43.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Gulf News",
    "slug": "gulf-news",
    "url": "https://gulfnews.com/uae/government/sharjah-ruler-allocates-dh45-million-to-buy-books-at-sharjah-book-fair-1.500741152"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, supreme ruler of Sharjah, has committed Dh4.5 million to purchase new books at the 45th Sharjah International Book Fair. The allocated funds will be utilized to expand the inventory of public and government libraries across the emirate, granting readers, students, and researchers access to an expanded selection of literature. The Sharjah International Book Fair, unfolding at Expo Centre Sharjah from November 4 to 15, has convened 3,212 publishers and exhibitors hailing from 126 countries. They have showcased more than 1.7 million titles spanning fields like science, literature, and the arts. This initiative epitomizes Sheikh Sultan's enduring backing for the publishing sector and his dedication to enhancing book accessibility. By directly purchasing books from participating publishers, the grant will also bolster the industry while ensuring libraries maintain up-to-date collections. This measure is part of Sharjah's broader endeavors to champion reading, writing, translation, and publishing, encouraging individuals of all ages to delve into diverse areas of knowledge. The grant is also in line with Sharjah's conviction that books should be readily accessible to readers and remain available through libraries, schools, and cultural institutions. Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Sharjah Book Authority, emphasized that the funding would enable libraries to acquire titles from various cultures, languages, and disciplines, while simultaneously providing publishers with direct support. This move aims to further strengthen libraries as community learning hubs and bolster Sharjah's ambitions to establish a knowledge-based society.",
  "summary": "Sharjah: His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, has allocated Dh4.5 million to buy new books from publishers taking part in the 45th Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF). The funds will be used to add the latest publications to public and government libraries across the emirate, giving readers, students and researchers access to a…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}