Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, Shafqat Ali Khan, inaugurated the Pakistan Pavilion at the 45th Sharjah International Book Fair, being held from November 4 to 15, 2026, at Expo Centre Sharjah.
Representatives of leading Pakistani publishing houses attended the inauguration, including Gagan Shahid, Director of Book Corner Jhelum; Daniyal Salam, Director of Ferozsons (Pvt.) Ltd.; and Sarmad Khan, Co-founder of Urdu Books World.
The Pakistan Pavilion features a diverse collection of Urdu and English publications, covering poetry, novels, children’s literature, educational and research material, as well as books on history and culture.
During his visit, Ambassador Shafqat Ali Khan also toured the stalls of Pakistani publishers, including Qudrat Ullah Company, Zia Ul Quran Publications and Paramount Books.
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Ambassador Highlights Pakistan’s Literary Presence
The Ambassador thanked the organisers of the Pakistan Pavilion and praised Sharjah’s reputation as a centre of culture, knowledge and education.
He described the Sharjah International Book Fair as an important part of the emirate’s cultural identity and encouraged UAE residents, particularly members of the Pakistani community in Sharjah, to visit the fair and maintain their connection with books and reading.
He reaffirmed that the Government of Pakistan and its Embassy would continue providing all possible support to strengthen Pakistan’s participation in future editions of the event.
Pakistan and Sharjah Discuss Cultural Cooperation
During the visit, Ambassador Shafqat Ali Khan met Ahmed bin Rakkad Al Ameri, CEO of the Sharjah Book Authority, to discuss opportunities for strengthening literary and cultural cooperation between Pakistan and Sharjah.
The Ambassador appreciated Sharjah’s efforts to promote culture and knowledge, highlighting their importance in bringing communities and people together.
Al Ameri emphasised the importance of expanding cooperation and increasing the availability of books, particularly Urdu publications, for the Pakistani community in Sharjah.
Ambassador Visits Islamic Heritage Foundation
The Ambassador also visited the stall of the Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi Foundation, where its Director, Sheikh Ayman Hamdi Al-Akbari, briefed him on the organisation’s work to preserve Islamic scholarly heritage and make original texts accessible to wider audiences.
Ambassador Shafqat Ali Khan welcomed the Foundation’s publication of two works by renowned Islamic scholar Shah Waliullah Muhaddis Dehlvi, Al-Khair al-Kathir and Al-Lamahat, featuring commentaries by Pakistani scholar Mufti Abdul Khaliq Azad Raipuri.
The visit highlighted Pakistan’s literary and scholarly contributions and provided an opportunity to strengthen cultural links with Sharjah through books, publishing and Islamic intellectual heritage.
