His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, officially inaugurated the 44th Sharjah International Book Fair this morning, Wednesday. The event was attended by His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, in addition to Her Highness Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Sharjah Book Authority. This year's fair, themed "Between You and a Book," will take place from November 5 to November 16 at the Expo Sharjah Centre.

His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi addressed attendees during the opening ceremony of the exhibition, extending a warm welcome to all present, particularly to the delegation from the Republic of Greece, which serves as the guest of honor for this edition of the exhibition. In his opening remarks, His Highness stated, “I express my gratitude to God Almighty and seek His forgiveness, as well as His guidance and strength to enable us to pursue initiatives that are beneficial and valuable to our esteemed Arab and Islamic nation.”

His Highness remarked on the cultural initiatives currently being undertaken in the Emirate of Sharjah, to which he has devoted his efforts and lifelong commitment. He emphasized the importance of promoting knowledge, literacy, and culture among the citizens of our nation, spanning both the eastern and western regions of the globe. In this context, it is pertinent to recognize a significant milestone: the establishment of Sharjah's first library in 1925. This year marks the centenary of this foundational institution, as Sharjah celebrates the 100th anniversary of its library's inception.

His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah has announced the successful completion of the initial phase of the Comprehensive Arabic Encyclopedia. During the 44th Sharjah International Book Fair, he stated, "Today, I am pleased to share significant cultural and scholarly news—the completion of the first phase of the Comprehensive Arabic Encyclopedia. This work, which we have entitled ‘The Comprehensive Arabic Encyclopedia of Sciences, Literature, Arts, and Figures,’ seeks to elucidate the sciences and literature, as well as all scholarly branches relevant to the Arabic language, Islamic studies, and the humanities. It encompasses biographies and accounts of all scholars, philosophers, writers, poets, linguists, interpreters, caliphs, kings, and other notable figures from the inception of Arab history through the trajectory of Islamic civilization and its intellectuals who have significantly contributed to the repository of human knowledge across various domains of expertise."

Concerning the details of the initial phase of the encyclopedia, His Highness stated: “We are grateful to God for the successful completion of the first phase of the encyclopedia. The working team, under the guidance of the Arabic Language Academy in Sharjah, has finalized all aspects related to linguistic and legal sciences, resulting in a total of 44 volumes. Within these volumes, distinguished scholars have meticulously delineated the various sciences and specified the terminology pertinent to each discipline, including grammar, morphology, rhetoric, prosody, linguistics, lexicography, phonetics, and others. Additionally, the encyclopedia addresses legal sciences encompassing creed, Qur’anic studies, jurisprudence and its principles, the objectives of Sharia, as well as criticism and authentication in Hadith, Islamic economics, and other significant scholarly fields.”

His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad indicated the forthcoming phases of the encyclopedia and their anticipated completion dates, stating: “We are pleased to announce that next year, God willing, on this date, we shall reveal the completion of the second phase, which pertains to the humanities and features a selection of distinguished poets, linguists, interpreters, and scholars of hadith, scheduled for November 2026. Research efforts will persist until the conclusion of the third phase in November 2027. Furthermore, the fourth phase is expected to be finalized in November 2028. With divine assistance, we aim to complete the most extensive scientific and cultural encyclopedia, which will encompass an introduction to various sciences, arts, and terminologies, as well as biographies of esteemed figures in each discipline.”

His Highness concluded his address with the following statement: “We undertake these initiatives with a commitment to bridging the present of our nation with its historical legacy. It is imperative that we enlighten the contemporary generation regarding the contributions of their ancestors, including scholars, writers, poets, and cultural figures. Furthermore, we aim to provide scholars and individuals in the realm of culture with a comprehensive, documented scientific encyclopedia that serves as a valuable resource for learning and knowledge acquisition.”