As founder and CEO of Kalimat Publishing, the first publishing house in the UAE dedicated solely to putting out children’s books of global standards, Shaikha Budoor Bint Sultan Al Qasimi is a passionate promoter of Arabic and international literature. “I envision and hope for today’s young readers to grow up and contribute to the Emirati literary scene,” says the person behind the popular Sharjah Book Fair.
It was her inability to find quality children’s Arabic books for her daughter, Maryam, that led her to make a foray into children’s literature with publishing company Kalimat (Arabic for words). From putting out three books a year at the time of its launch a few years ago, it is on course to publish 100 titles in 2011. Titles from her stable are both entertaining and educational: one of the newest is a brief biography, of the late Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, called Baba Zayed (picture below).
Shaikha Budoor has her mind set on highlighting Arab culture. The causes dearest to her heart involve women and children. She believes that women have tremendous responsibilities to fulfil with the many roles they juggle and that they must be suitably equipped to be able to do so.
She herself wears several hats. As the Chairperson of Al Qasba Development Authority, she turned the Al Qasba canal — a business and recreation area located in Sharjah — into a tourist attraction hosting both traditional and modern elements, including Sharjah’s first business centre. Mainly as a result of her efforts, Al Qasba Development Authority was named Best Cultural Organisation for the year 2006.
She is Chairperson of Shurooq — Sharjah Investment and Development Authority, which has undertaken projects such as the Heart of Sharjah, the region’s biggest heritage development, and Al Majaz Park, a recreation destination.
She runs a restaurant, Shababeek (Arabic for window), which serves contemporary Lebanese cuisine.
Beyond the business of government, she is also involved with a number of non-profit organisations. She is Director of Knowledge without Borders, an initiative launched with the aim of establishing a library in every house in the emirate, and is President of the Emirates Publishers Association. She is a patron of the organisation Breastfeeding Friends, which raises awareness of the importance of breastfeeding, and is associated with the International Baby Food Action Network in the Arab World, which works to reduce infant and young child morbidity and mortality. Following her involvement with the Sharjah Ladies Club, where she is Deputy Chairperson, the facility has become a leisure destination of choice for women.
“Looking back over the last 20 years, I see a society that has developed and grown in a really short period of time, at a very fast and exhilarating pace. Despite the pace [the UAE] has managed to very strongly hold on to its culture and tradition,” she says. “I hope the next 20 years brings further new developments and advancements, especially in the field of writing and literature. I imagine a thriving community of Emirati writers and illustrators sharing their stories and making a significant cultural imprint on our society’s future.”
