His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, motivated thousands present at the opening ceremony of the 37th Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF 2018) with an emotional message of heartfelt appreciation and gratitude to recognise the towering contributions of his wife, Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Supreme Council of Family Affairs (SCFA), and presented her the ‘Sharjah Coronet’ for dedicated services to society.

“Welcome to the Sharjah International Book Fair, an event that gathers us every year to celebrate the true word. I extend a special welcome to Japan, our guest of honour. In 1979, I launched an appeal to stop building concrete structures and build knowledge and culture. In 2019, it’ll be 40 years since the appeal. When we look back, we can see that we have built a 40-year legacy of giving and exceptional cultural achievements. I can never take the sole credit for this; I say ‘we’ have achieved everything together, and I would like to once again thank you all for your contribution to the fair’s 40-year journey and success in enlightening the human mind.

“We have utilised all our resources and efforts to develop our emirate, our culture and our people – the building blocks of our society. Cherishing humanity is the way we develop ourselves here in Sharjah,” His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan Al Qasimi noted.  

The Ruler of Sharjah concluded with an impactful remark about mindful reading, saying, “People do not always seek the truth, but side with what they like to believe in, which may not be the truth always. This way, the truth is often neglected. I say to such people – look carefully and the truth is right there. The books I write are always a quest for the truth. We have taught our sons and daughters to always love reading and search for the truth.”