Culture & Education | Tuesday 1 January, 2019 11:35 am |

 

Sharjah Publishing City (SPC), the world’s first publishing and printing Free Zone, shall be participating at the 48thedition of New Delhi World Book Fair (NDWBF), slated from January 5-13, 2019. NDWBF is India's oldest book fair after the Kolkata Book Fair, and has honoured the Emirate of Sharjah to be their guest of honour.

 

SPC, a subsidiary of Sharjah Book Authority (SBA), will be hosting series of networking meetings with Indian publishers, publishing experts and the Business community from the subcontinent. These meetings are planned to attract Indian investments into the Emirates of Sharjah - UAE , by offering them a world-class base and operating facilities at SPC Free Zone. 

 

Sharjah’s business-friendly environment, strategic location and several business advantages like the first dual trading licence that SPC has launched recently, which allow businesses based in the SPC Free Zone to also operate on the UAE mainland, are all expected to strengthen collaborations and boost the presence of Indian publishers in the UAE and Gulf.

 

Salim Omar Salim, Director of SPC said: “The UAE and India have enjoyed a great friendship since historical times, which is reflected in growing bilateral trade, and political and cultural relations even before the formation of the UAE in 1971. While the economic aspect of India–UAE relations are of great importance to both parties, intercultural exchange between us has gained unrivalled significance, especially in recent years.”

 

“India is one of the fastest growing book markets, internationally. It is the world’s sixth largest book publishing country, and third largest in the production of English language books, after the UK and US. Each year, more than 80,000 titles in 24 of India’s local languages are published by160,000 publishers. Through our participation at NDWBF, we look forward to showcasing leading investment opportunities in the UAE and the region, which can be leveraged by publishers in India and the subcontinent through SPC,” he added.

 

Since its inception in 2017, SPC has been keen to participate in international book fairs to introduce publishers from around the world to its attractive environment and highlight its efforts aimed at enhancing investment and ensuring the prosperity of the publishing and printing sectors in the UAE and the world. 

 

The SPC was established under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah. Covering an area of 42,000 sqm, it accommodates many institutions and entities related to the publishing sector, including translation, linguistic and literary editing offices, as well as graphic design companies. Apart from its array of advantages such as completing the process trade licenses and issuing them in 24 hours, SPC provides cutting-edge technologies in the printing and publishing field, as well as a data centre that features 16 million books in many languages.