Sharjah: Eminent writers, intellectuals and officials from the UAE and the Arab world have lauded the decision of His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, to set up the permanent headquarters of the General Union of Arab Writers at the Sharjah Book Authority.
Speaking to the Sharjah Government Media Bureau, they said Sharjah has always accorded cultural development top priority, in accordance with the outlook and intellectual temperament of Dr Shaikh Sultan, who himself is a distinguished intellectual, author, playwright and historian.
Habib Al Sayegh, secretary-general of the General Union of Arab Writers, said: “The decision of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah comes at the right time as the UAE is currently the headquarters of the General Secretariat. The Sharjah Book Authority is a unique complex that includes everything related to publishing and writing, which gives it numerous advantages that writers from all over the Arab world can avail.”
Ahmad Eisa Al Asm, vice-chairman of the Emirates Writers Union, said: “The establishment of the permanent headquarters for Arab writers in Sharjah gives us [writers] a sense of stability. The time has come to unify efforts on this front in order to achieve positive results, benefiting intellectuals and society alike.”
Al Hanoof Mohammad, member of the board of directors of Emirates Writers Union, said: “This is great news! From the moment His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah issued the decision, we have been exchanging congratulations and expressing our great joy and sincere thanks to him. This is hardly surprising for Sharjah, which has become the emirate of such historic initiatives in the fields of culture and literature.”
Khalid Omar Bin Qaqah, writer and media adviser to the General Union of Arab Writers, said: “This move is a major leap forward in the march of the union and can only be made by an intellectual who recognises the important role of culture. We appreciate this step for the numerous benefits it is set to deliver. We look at it as a lasting endowment and gift for culture and thought in the region crowning the outstanding initiatives contributed by Sharjah to Arab and global culture.”
