Directed at the Lipper International Book Fair in the Spanish capital, Madrid, His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, delivered the UAE's inclusive tolerant speech against darkness and intolerance. With a gathering of intellectuals, writers, and local newspaper editors-in-chief, His Highness attracted the attention of Spanish and European elites to the effectiveness of the Emirati soft power. Which has turned into a strong and gentle foundation around the world that believes in the legitimacy of the words, rightfulness of stances, and the transparency of vision. This is not the first time in which His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Al Qasimi puts the cultural experience of the Emirates in general, and Sharjah in particular, under the gaze of those who are interested in the world. And presents it to them as a model to follow. Since decades, Sharjah has become, thanks to what His Highness represents, a present and a celebrated guest at weddings of culture and literature. From London and Paris to Frankfurt, Italy, Mexico and others. It is achieved thanks to two inseparable and complementary qualities in the person of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah, namely: the characteristic of the ruler responsible for a concrete reality. And the character of the intellectual busy with matters that stem from reality but soar in the skies of pure thought and the space of imagination. This has been a central issue in Arabian political thought, since the establishment of an authority that brings people together, representing the citizens or deciding for them. Many intellectuals have written about what they called a difficult equation, and theorists saw that it is a duality in which the power of governance overpowers the spaciousness and liberty of thought 

However, the experience of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Al Qasimi, along with the unique experience that Sharjah offers to Emirati, Arab and humanitarian culture, rid the difficult equation of its obstacles. And brought the duality to balance. His Highness, who is the observant ruler, the researcher in the affairs of history and heritage, the creative writer of theater and novel, has succeeded in gathering around him generations of serious intellectuals whose creativity represented radiant additions

Throughout the year, we follow Sharjah’s presence in more than 40 international cultural forums around the world. During which, His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Al Qasimi was able to frame the Emirati intellect in the most influential pages. Whilst making the Emirates’ discourse on tolerance and understanding more audible. With the addition of digging Sharjah a distinguished position in the international cultural map. This was crowned when Sharjah was chosen as the World Book Capital.

The Sharjah Cultural Project is no longer a project specific to the emirate alone. Henceforth, its impact is not limited to the United Arab Emirates only and its scope is not narrowed to the Arab context. Rather, it is a humanistic project with broad visions. Since it takes care of the individual and society in terms of rights in existence, dignity and life. This is indeed what His Highness summarizes by saying, that «there are hidden hands that spreads dark ideas which play with the minds of our children and makes them empty of science, thought and culture.  In addition to threatening our Islamic faith, beliefs, culture and heritage. Moreover, this darkness that they spread is only confronted with the light of a sincere word and luminous knowledge”