In pictures: Sharjah wows audiences at Guadalajara International Book Fair 2022 in Mexico

The UAE flag fluttered high in the Mexican city of Guadalajara, popularly known as ‘The City of Roses,’ in celebration of Sharjah’s Guest of Honour status at the 36th Guadalajara International Book Fair (FIL), which runs until December 4, 2022.

Sharjah’s Guest of Honour pavilion, located at the main entrance of the book fair, served as a unique gateway to the cultural experience and shared human values that bind Arab and Latin cultures.

The heritage shows, music performances and panel discussions hosted at the pavilion attracted a massive turnout of Mexican and global visitors who were spellbound by the captivating showcase of cultural diversity from the UAE.

The celebration of Sharjah’s cultural project at the largest book fair in Latin America also introduced visitors to the legacy and the ongoing achievements of the creative movement in the UAE and the wider Arab region.

Over the course of nine days, Guadalajara, the cultural centre of Mexico know as ‘The City of Roses’, will showcase Emirati and Arab literature and build bridges between the Arab and Latin cultures through a diverse agenda of activities.

The celebrations marking the opening ceremony were held in the presence of Sheikh Fahim Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Department of Government Relations (DGR) in Sharjah, and head of the Sharjah delegation; Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi, President of the International Publishers Association; Ahmed bin Rakkad Al Ameri, Chairman of the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA); Ahmed Al Menhali, UAE Ambassador to Mexico; Raúl Padilla López, President of FIL; and representatives of Emirati and Mexican cultural institutions.

(From left) FIL Director Marisol Schulz; Enrique Graue Wiechers, Director of the National Autonomous University of Mexico; Ahmed Al Ameri, Chair of Sharjah Book Authority and Sharjah Executive Council member; Raúl Padilla López, president of FIL Guadalajara; Hugo Setzer, President of the Cámara Nacional de la Industria Editorial Mexicana (CANIEM) and former International Publishers Association president; IPA president Bodour Al Qasimi; and Massimo D´Alema, the former Prime Minister of Italy, attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Guadalajara International Book Fair

Sharjah Book Authority’s Ahmed Al Ameri leads a tour of the Guest of Honor Sharjah pavilion at the 2022 Guadalajara International Book Fair

All eyes are on Sharjah's participation at the ongoing book fair, which includes talks by Emirati authors, folk shows and book launches

A visitor looks at books at the "Sharjah" hallway during the first day of the Guadalajara International Book Fair in Guadalajara, Mexico, on November 26, 2022.

General view during the first day of the Guadalajara International Book Fair in Guadalajara, Mexico, on November 26, 2022.

People are seen in the "Sharjah" hallway during the first day of the Guadalajara International Book Fair in Guadalajara, Mexico, on November 26, 2022.