During his official visit to Madrid, His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, visited on Tuesday Casa Arabe, The Arabian House, which operates as the strategic centre for Spain’s relations with the Arab world.

His Highness was received by Pedro Martinez — Avial, General Director of Casa Arabe and several representatives of cultural and academic Spanish entities.

The Ruler of Sharjah wrote in the VIP log of Casa Arabe: “We are happy to visit this Arabian house as it is a gateway to foster cultural relations between Spain and the Arab world. Today we are establishing an important connection between our cultures through an agreement that is signed with mutual respect and appreciation. We hope that this agreement raises to the ambitions of both Arabs and Spaniards.” His Highness later witnessed the signing of a collaboration agreement between Sharjah Book Authority and Casa Arabe represented by Ahmed Bin Rakad Al Amiri and Pedro Martinez — Avial, respectively.

The agreement aims to strengthen the collaborative efforts between Sharjah and Spain in several strategic aspects through their regional and international networks as well as opening the door to cultural exchange through mutually beneficial programmes.

The agreement also states that Casa Arabe is to highlight the Arabian and Emirati culture and introduce Emirati publishers and authors through its two branches in Madrid and Cordoba.

The Ruler of Sharjah also toured the institute and watched a documentary of the history of Casa Arabe in Cordoba and its cultural, architectural and artistic treasures. At the end of the tour, His Highness and his accompanying delegation took a photo with the representatives of Casa Arabe.

Accompanying Sheikh Sultan in his visit to Casa Arabe were Majid Al Suwaidi, UAE Ambassador to Spain; Abdullah Mohammed Al Owais, Chairman of Sharjah Department of Culture; Engineer Ali bin Shaheen Al Suwaidi, Chairman of Sharjah Directorate of Public Works; Ahmed bin Rakad Al Ameri, Chairman of Sharjah Book Authority; Abdulaziz Abdulrahman Al Musallam, Chairman of Sharjah Institute for Heritage; Ali Ibrahim Al Marri, Head of Dr Sultan Al Qasimi Centre for Gulf Studies, Al Darah,; Mohammed Hasan Khalaf, Director General of Sharjah Media Corporation; Dr Amr Abdulhamid, Director of the Sharjah Research Academy; Tariq Saeed Allay, Director of Sharjah Government Media Bureau; and Rashid Mohammed Al Kous, Executive Director of the Emirates Publishers Association.

Sharjah is gearing up to participate in the 37th edition of the LIBER International Book Fair-Madrid 2019, where the emirate will celebrate its “Guest of Honour” status with a grand show to introduce the best of Emirati and Arab culture to Spanish and European audiences.

Taking place at Feria de Madrid from 9th to 11th, October, the event will host 11,200 professional guests, 458 companies and more than 300 journalists and media outlets from 51 countries.

A packed itinerary of literary events and art-related activities has been planned to enable Spanish and international visitors to gain a deeper insight into the rich Emirati cultural heritage.

Throughout its three-day programme, Sharjah will tell the story of the shared history binding the Arabs with Spain, through a series of cultural sessions and seminars highlighting their deep historical and cultural ties.

An elite group of Emirati and Spanish intellectuals, literati and historians who will engage in panel discussions and interactive sessions on poetry, intellect and the arts. The sessions will be held at the Arab House of Madrid, LIBER Exhibition’s Conference Hall, the Spanish National Library and Complutense University of Madrid.

The Sharjah pavilion at LIBER 2019 will showcase a collection of 70 books written by Emirati and Arab authors and novelists translated to Spanish under the supervision of the Sharjah Book Authority, SBA.

LIBER’s visitors will also get the opportunity to enjoy a slice of Emirati folklore through a range of heritage activities and traditional rituals that reflect the authentic Emirati identity. The Sharjah National Band will perform folk music featuring traditional Emirati songs and dances that exemplify the Emirati people’s relationship with the desert, their life on the coast and diving trips.

WAM