Sharjah: Prince Khalid Al Faisal, Adviser to Saudi King Salman Bin Abdul Aziz, and Governor of Makkah Province, has been named the Cultural Personality of the Year by the Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF). Known as the Poet Prince, the SIBF has bestowed the title on Prince Khalid Al Faisal in recognition of his 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 November 4 to 14 at the Expo Centre and will host a ceremony to honour Prince Khalid 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 many of the high ranking intellectuals, writers, dignitaries and celebrities from across the world.
The Cultural Personality Award is given to a person or an organisation active in the field of culture. The winner of the Cultural Personality of the Year Award is selected in accordance with the guidance of His Highness Shaikh Dr Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, and announced annually prior to SIBF.
Winners are selected based on their contribution to culture in general, their productivity in the field of writing and creativity, or their roles in the government or social-cultural activities.
In the past, a number of prominent cultural figures from both the Arab and Islamic worlds won the award, namely Dr Abdul Aziz Othman Al Tuwaijri, Director General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (ISESCO), who received the award in 2014, while Farouk Abdul Aziz Hosni, former Egyptian minister of culture, won the title in 2013.
Ahmad Bin Rakkad Al Ameri, Chairman of SBA, and Director of the SIBF, said: “We are proud to bestow this title on His Royal Highness Prince Khalid Al Faisal for his numerous cultural achievements, which were not limited to poetry and literature, but also include art, heritage and intellectual pursuits. Prince Khalid’s contributions extend to honouring creative individuals in various fields through his supervision of the International King Faisal Award, and the Arab Thought Foundation Awards, among many others.”
Al Ameri added, “Honouring Prince Khalid Al Faisal is an appreciation by the emirate of Sharjah to His Royal Highness for his accomplishments in raising the profile of the Arab culture and Islamic civilisation. This honour 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 and Spanish languages, as well as many others, thus enriching the literary and poetic interaction between various cultures from around the world.”
Prince Khalid 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 Organisation and is the Honorary Chairman of the (Fas Sys) 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.
Prince Khalid Al Faisal received a number of decorations, awards and accolades from world leaders, including the Royal Renaissance Medal of First Class, which was awarded to him by King Abdullah II of Jordan in 1999. He was conferred with the Lebanese National Order of Cedar, the highest order given in Lebanon, and the Medal of Honour with gold insignia by the Arab Portuguese Institute.
