KEYNOTE ADDRESS

Her Highness Bodour Al Qasimi is a global leader in the publishing and cultural industries and a passionate advocate for reading and literacy. As Chairperson of the Sharjah Book Authority, she oversees the Sharjah International Book Fair, the world›s largest book fair. She has founded several organizations that have strengthened the UAE›s publishing ecosystem, including the Emirates Publishers Association, the UAE Board on Books for Young People, and Knowledge Without Borders. She is also the founder of Kalimat Group, an award-winning global publishing group known for its innovation in Arabic publishing and its contribution to literature, literacy, and cross-cultural exchange. She chaired the Sharjah World Book Capital 2019 Committee and led efforts to establish the Emirates Reprographic Rights Management Association. A UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Education and Book Culture, Her Highness Bodour Al Qasimi served as the International Publishers Association’s second ever female and first-ever Arab President and is the founder of PublisHer, a global community of more than 1,000 female publishing leaders. A tireless advocate of cultural diversity and inclusion, her work advances Sharjah’s vision as a global cultural hub. An accomplished author, her book The House of Wisdom won a prestigious BolognaRagazzi Award, making her the first woman from her region to receive this honor. Her latest book, Let Them Know She Is Here: Searching for the Queen of Mleiha, reclaims the legacies and narratives of women rulers across the Arab region, weaving together ancestry, landscape, and cultural memory.