Sharja­h aims to become true torch for scienc­e and knowle­dge, says Sheikh Sultan bin Mohamm­ed al-Qasimi­SHARJAH: The UAE city of Sharjah took up the mantle as UNESCO’s World Book Capital for 2019 late on Tuesday, launching a series of cultural programmes aimed at both locals and expatriates. https://t.co/MjMQG6JGxW #WorldBookDay pic.twitter.com/N0ZCyzheNd — UNESCO (@UNESCO) April 24, 2019Sharjah was named this year’s World Book Capital by the UN’s cultural agency under the recommendation of The International Publishers Associations (IPA) and The International Federation of Library Association and Institutions (IFLA). A string of conferences, exhibits and book fairs are set to take place throughout the year, according to the official website. The city of Sharjah is the capital of an emirate by the same name, one of seven that make up the United Arab Emirates. The neighbouring emirate of Dubai is the cultural centre of the UAE, with year-round museum exhibits and regular book fairs.

Source: The Express Tribune April 24, 2019 15:51 UTC