SHARJAH — Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, Emir of Makkah region and adviser to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman, has been named the Cultural Personality of the Year by the Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF). The SIBF has bestowed the title in recognition of Prince Khaled's cultural, humanitarian and charitable contributions. The 34th edition of the SIBF, which is a subsidiary of the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA), will be held from Nov. 4-14 at the Expo Center and will host a ceremony to honor Prince Khaled for his constant pursuit in consolidating the values of tolerance and moderation by encouraging intercultural dialogue and interaction. The Cultural Personality of the Year ceremony will be held as part of the opening ceremony in the presence of intellectuals, writers, dignitaries and celebrities from across the world. Ahmed Bin Rakkad Al-Ameri, Chairman of SBA and Director of the Sharjah International Book Fair, said, "We are proud to bestow this title on Prince Khaled for his numerous cultural achievements, which were not limited to poetry and literature, but also include art, heritage and intellectual pursuits." "Prince Khaled's contributions extend to honoring creative individuals in various fields through his supervision of the International King Faisal Award and the Arab Thought Foundation Awards among many others," said Al-Ameri. He said Prince Khaled has raised the profile of Arab culture and Islamic civilization. "This honor also exemplifies the international acclaim that he earned for his wonderful poetry, which prompted international publishing houses to translate his works into English, French, Dutch, Spanish and many other languages, thus enriching the literary and poetic interaction between various cultures from around the world," said Al-Ameri. A graduate with a degree in economics and political science from the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, Prince Khaled is an avid fan of culture, literature and art. He has penned several poems, some of which he himself read in poetry sessions in Saudi Arabia and abroad. Prince Khaled chairs a number of intellectual, educational and charitable foundations. He is the Director General of the King Faisal Foundation and the Chairman of the Jury of the King Faisal International Award. He also chairs Lebanon-based Arab Thought Organization and is the Honorary Chairman of the Society for Economic, Cultural and Social Development in Morocco, in addition to being a member of the Board of Trustees of the Institute for the History of Arabic-Islamic Science, in Frankfurt University, Germany. — SG
