UAE’s Bodour Al Qasimi becomes first Arab woman to serve on International Publishers Association’s Executive Committee

SHARJAH // Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi has become the first Arab women to serve on the International Publishers Association’s Executive Committee since its founding in 1896.

The Association’s General Assembly voted Sheikha Bodour, the founder and former President of the Emirates Publishing Association, into the committee by a majority in Frankfurt, Germany on Friday coinciding with the Frankfurt Book Fair which continues until October 12.

“I am extremely pleased to accept this appointment to serve on the IPA Executive Committee which I consider an achievement for the Arab World, the UAE and its people,” said Sheikha Bodour.

Mentioning some of the challenges the publishing industry faced such as the digital revolution, Sheikha Bodour said she looked forward to the challenge of reducing these difficulties and advancing the publishing industry with the IPA.

Some of Bodour Al Qasimi’s accomplishments include establishing Kalimat Publishing, the first publishing house dedicated to the production of quality original Arabic children’s titles in 2007 as well as heading the Emirates Publsihers Asspcioation when it became the first publishers association to obtained Affiliate IPA Membership within the first year of its existence.