Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi launches new book 'Let Them Know She Is Here: Searching for the Queen of Mleiha' at SIBF 2025

Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Founder and CEO of Kalimat Group and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Education and Book Culture, has launched her new book, Let Them Know She Is Here: Searching for the Queen of Mleiha, at the 44th Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF 2025). The book is published by Rewayat, the literary imprint of Kalimat Group.

In the foreword to the book, Sheikha Bodour wrote: This book is not just a story. It is a spell, an invocation, a sacred weaving of memory and myth. It is the unraveling of my roots — roots sunk deep into the soil of my ancestors, tangled with spirit, grief, longing, and love. As I unravel my roots, I unravel my soul — tracing the footsteps of those who walked long before me, whose echoes remain in every grain of sand and every gust of wind.”

The personal and research approach of the book is manifested in two parts. The first addresses Her Highness’s ideas and points of view on life, land and self-exploration. It delves into the concepts of belonging, culture and dynasty in a context that reflects Sheikha Bodour’s journey seeking the meaning of human existence and its connection to identity and heritage.

The second segment documents scientific research on the matriarchal kingdoms of the Arabian Peninsula, particularly in Mleiha. The book draws on archaeological discoveries and compelling artefacts—such as coins referred to as the Abiel coins that suggest the existence of a dynasty of Arab queens whose names were once inscribed on currency excavated in Mleiha.

The narrative follows an intellectual and experiential journey to explore Her Highness’s cultural identity through travel and mountaineering, in addition to in-depth studies within HH’s field of specialisation; archeology. The book also explores the history and local culture of Mleiha, along with the diverse social, human, and cultural heritage it represents.

Through this journey, Sheikha Bodour brings together personal and collective memory in addition to scientific research to shine light on the role Arab women played in early history, as evidenced by kingdoms ruled by women in different eras.

The work highlights several eminent Arab queens, including Queen Zenobia, the Queen of Sheba, the Moon Queens of Saba, and Queen Shams, and culminates in a proposed cartographic map charting the distribution of these Arab queens and kingdoms they led across the Arabian Peninsula. With scholarly ambition and cultural vision, the book invites readers to re-read Arab history through a new approach.

Alongside excavated artefacts, references from ancient Arabic literary and poetic texts, for example, the works of Al‑Mutanabbi and Abu Nuwas are juxtaposed with global voices, such as Federico Lorca and Joseph Campbell. Sheikha Bodour also cites religious scripture and Sufi heritage texts that further enrich the book’s content.