International Prize for Arabic Fiction winner Saud Al Sanousi, British historian Peter Frankopan and Pakistani cricketer Wasim Akram are among the names announced for upcoming the Sharjah International Book Fair.
The world’s third-largest book fair will run from November 1 to 11 at the Expo Centre Sharjah and is set to host up to 1,650 exhibitors spanning 60 countries.
The fair will also see the debut of publishers from South Korea, Bangladesh and Denmark.
The United Kingdom has also been announced as the country of honour, which will result in a range of festival activities celebrating English literature and cultural ties between the UAE and the UK.
With the overarching theme of “A World Inside My Book”, the 36th edition of the fair is expected to hold more than 1.5 million book titles in various languages, in addition to hosting events ranging from panel discussions and book signings to performance and cooking demonstrations.
On the regional front, a strong list of cultural personalities will attend the festival, such as Syrian artist Ghassan Massoud, Algerian novelist Waciny Laredj, Saudi writer Abdo Khal and Palestinian poet and novelist Ibrahim Nasrallah.
The international guest list also includes American young-adult-fiction author and novelist Peter Lerangis and compatriot Victoria Christopher, French writer Julien Columeau, Indian photographer and filmmaker Ryan Lobo, Filipino poet and novelist Edgar Samar, Pakistani journalist and author Mohammed Hanif and Jamaican poet Lorna Goodison.
The fair will also see the return of its popular event streams such as the Intellectual Programme of discussions; the Culture Cafe, which will see select international authors discussing their work; and a bumper children's programme, featuring 44 authors from 20 countries.
The Cooking Corner will also make a comeback, with 72 demonstrations featuring 12 guests from countries including India, the UK, Morocco, Sweden and Thailand.
The fair will take on a more technological bent this year, with the launch a new pavilion called The Future Zone, where 10 digital book publishers will showcase their latest publications. A new mobile app will be available to allow visitors and exhibitors to keep track of events, schedules and the location of exhibitors.
“The Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) has turned into an all-inclusive cultural project, with books and associated initiatives constituting its primary focus,” says the fair’s chairman Ahmed Al Ameri.
“SIBF serves as a beacon of knowledge that brings together publishers, authors, book enthusiasts and internationally acclaimed guests in a shared passion for literature and culture.”
For more information, visit www.sibf.com
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
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Final: England v South Africa, Saturday, 1pm
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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On Women's Day
Dr Nawal Al-Hosany: Why more women should be on the frontlines of climate action
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The National Editorial: Is there much to celebrate on International Women's Day 2021?
2021 World Triathlon Championship Series
May 15: Yokohama, Japan
June 5: Leeds, UK
June 24: Montreal, Canada
July 10: Hamburg, Germany
Aug 17-22: Edmonton, Canada (World Triathlon Championship Final)
Nov 5-6 : Abu Dhabi, UAE
Date TBC: Chengdu, China
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Sinopharm vaccine explained
The Sinopharm vaccine was created using techniques that have been around for decades.
“This is an inactivated vaccine. Simply what it means is that the virus is taken, cultured and inactivated," said Dr Nawal Al Kaabi, chair of the UAE's National Covid-19 Clinical Management Committee.
"What is left is a skeleton of the virus so it looks like a virus, but it is not live."
This is then injected into the body.
"The body will recognise it and form antibodies but because it is inactive, we will need more than one dose. The body will not develop immunity with one dose," she said.
"You have to be exposed more than one time to what we call the antigen."
The vaccine should offer protection for at least months, but no one knows how long beyond that.
Dr Al Kaabi said early vaccine volunteers in China were given shots last spring and still have antibodies today.
“Since it is inactivated, it will not last forever," she said.
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Bert van Marwijk factfile
Born: May 19 1952
Place of birth: Deventer, Netherlands
Playing position: Midfielder
Teams managed:
1998-2000 Fortuna Sittard
2000-2004 Feyenoord
2004-2006 Borussia Dortmund
2007-2008 Feyenoord
2008-2012 Netherlands
2013-2014 Hamburg
2015-2017 Saudi Arabia
2018 Australia
Major honours (manager):
2001/02 Uefa Cup, Feyenoord
2007/08 KNVB Cup, Feyenoord
World Cup runner-up, Netherlands
HEADLINE HERE
- I would recommend writing out the text in the body
- And then copy into this box
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- But I recommend you use the bullet point function (see red square)
- Or try to keep the word count down
- Be wary of other embeds lengthy fact boxes could crash into
- That's about it
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Uefa Champions League final:
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Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
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A list of the animal rescue organisations in the UAE
Looking for a new family pet? Here are the links to visit when it comes to adopting...
Arabian Saluki Center of Dubai (Ascod)
Emirates Animal Welfare Society
Rescue Animals in Need United Arab Emirates
Sniff - Strays Needing Interim of Furever Friends
PARA UAE - Protection of Animal Rights Association
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Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Rating: 4.5/5
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UAE players with central contracts
Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Rameez Shahzad, Shaiman Anwar, Adnan Mufti, Mohammed Usman, Ghulam Shabbir, Ahmed Raza, Qadeer Ahmed, Amir Hayat, Mohammed Naveed and Imran Haider.
Top 5 concerns globally:
1. Unemployment
2. Spread of infectious diseases
3. Fiscal crises
4. Cyber attacks
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Teachers' pay - what you need to know
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
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Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
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Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
