The Sharjah Publishing City (SPC), the Arab world’ first free zone for publishing, and a subsidiary of the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA), hosted a delegation of the Italian Board on Books for Young People (IBBY Italy), which was the UAE Board on Books for Young People (UAEBBY)’ guest of honour at the Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival (SCRF 2018).  

The delegates were acquainted to SPC’s state-of-the art facilities and the world-class services the city offers to publishing professionals, both individuals and institutions. This was followed by a discussion between the SPC Management and their Italian guests on possible avenues of cooperation in the Arabic and Italian children’s book industry.

The delegation included Dr Marcella Terrusi, a representative of the IBBY Italy; Elena Pasoli, Director of the Bologna Children’s Book Fair; children’s book author Beatrice Masini; internationally acclaimed illustrator Andrea Antinori; and children’s book expert, Grazia Gotti.

Received upon arrival by Salim Omar Salim, Director of SPC, the visitors toured the SPC facility spanning an area of over 20,000 sqmt. They gave the SPC management keen insights on ways to attract Italian publishers specialised in children’s literature, and in return the SPC officials shed light on how the publishing free zone can act as a multi-amenity base from which to expand the Italian book market into the Middle East and Asia.

The delegation was also introduced to the translation services offered at SPC, which encompassing Arabic, English and other languages.

Highlighting the importance of this exchange, Salim Omar said: “SPC opens its doors to publishing institutions and organisations from around the world, with the aim to form new and lasting partnerships in the book industry. We offer some of the best solutions to publishing professionals in the region and the world, who can capitalise on the UAE’s strategic position and Sharjah’s unrivalled infrastructure to expand their businesses in the Asian and Middle Eastern markets.”

SPC offers a wide range of services and facilities for institutions and agencies involved in the book industry. The free zone offers advanced infrastructure and services for companies operating in the fields of printing, publishing, distribution, proofreading, translation, editing, packaging design and shipping among other other operations required by publishers, locally, regionally and globally, under one roof, saves time, effort and cost.

SPC is strategically located in Muwaileh area, close to main roads like the University City Road and Sheikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Road, offering easy access not only from Sharjah but from other emirates. Adjacent to air and seaports in Sharjah, Dubai and Ajman, SPC allows companies to easy and quickly transport their products by air, sea and land.