Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation Concludes Successful Participation at Bologna Children’s Book Fair 2009

Bologna-Italy: 29 March, 2009 – The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation today announced it has successfully concluded its participation at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair, achieving significant results for the upcoming Dubai International Children’s Book Fair in February 2010.  

As a key highlight of the event in Italy, the Foundation showcased 108 books exclusively for children, including titles produced in collaboration with major publishers across the Arab world. The books ranged from fiction to scientific encyclopaedias and other educational subjects of specific relevance to children. 

The Foundation’s second major achievement was its collaborative discussion with representatives of the Italian Publishers’ Association (The Associazione Italiana Editori – AIE),  which boasts a membership of 400 commercial entities and oversees almost 90 per cent of all works published in Italian. The meeting saw both sides exploring avenues for developing and strengthening areas of cooperation and the probability of AIE’s participation in the inaugural Dubai International Children's Book Fair next year.  

Jamal Al Shehhi, CEO of Dubai International Children Book Fair, said: “We are pleased with the outcome of the participation. Our key objective was to showcase our titles, and generate interest in the upcoming Dubai International Children’s Book Fair in 2010. We believe we have successfully made an impact at the Bologna event and with the Italian publishing industry.” 

In line with its vision of bridging the cultural gap between civilisations, the Foundation marked an emphatic participation at the Bologna fair as a leading voice of the Arab world. The four–day Bologna Children's Book Fair that drew to a close on 26 March brought together a host of publishers, design firms, literary institutions, and culture agencies involved with copyrights, as well as companies associated with printing and publishing from around 70 countries.