Emirati publisher Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi has been made the Vice President of the International Publisher's Association, becoming the first Arab woman to hold the position in its 120-year history.
Receiving recognition for her contribution to the publishing industry in the UAE, Sheikha Bodour praised the universality of the publishing industry.
"This nomination is a proud moment for our nation's history," she told The National at the Frankfurt International Book Fair, where her appointment was announced.
Sheikh Bodour said the move was "a recognition of the great efforts put forth by the UAE and Sharjah to intensify our cultural presence on the world stage".
"Here in UAE, we are uniquely positioned at a vantage point of big trends that are transforming our industry," said Sheikha Bodour, the daughter of the Ruler of Sharjah.
"I look forward to engaging in the international publishing movement through this post, and bring the UAE’s leading publishing experience to global markets."
Sheikha Bodour is the founder of Kalimat Group - the UAE's first publishing house solely for publishing children's Arabic books - and founder and president of the Emirates Publishers Association.
"For these reasons, I am extremely proud to take this great responsibility and will do my utmost to add to the IPA’s portfolio of achievements for whom my esteemed colleagues, who have assumed the IPA’s leadership positions until today, are responsible," she said.
The UAE’s publishing industry has made strides in the professional work related to intellectual property rights and the rights of publishers and authors.
"The work policy of this position will reflect positively on the Arab and international publishing experience. This entails me along with all publishers and world’s cultural bodies and institutions to take on new responsibilities that require cooperation to create a safe and thriving business environment on the local, Arab and global fronts," she said.
"Although the publishing Industry is facing a lot of challenges, most of these can be surpassed by promoting opportunities for constructive dialogue and building bridges of joint action to achieve our aspirations."
Sheikha Bodour, the second ever woman to take up a top IPA position, will begin her new role on January 1.
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