Sharjah was declared the cultural capital of the Arab world by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) in 1998. 

The emirate has since been the torchbearer in this field, keeping creativity and interest alive in the UAE and spreading Emirati influence in the world.

Sharjah, the World Book Capital for this year, was invited as the 'guest city' at the Moscow International Book Fair, and 'guest of honour' at the LIBER International Book Fair in Madrid.

It was an opportunity to acquaint the Western world with Emirati and Arabic literature. The Russian city of poetry and literature was offered a collection of Russian language editions of Arabic literature written by Emirati and Arab authors.

Moreover, the famous Gorky Moscow Art Theatre staged a theatrical play written by Sheikh Dr Sultan. The hall with over thousand people reverberated with applause as the play ended. It was a spectacular performance, and the eyes of my compatriots were filled with fascination and pride.

The Emirati convoy is now in Madrid where they are building cultural bridges, spreading their influence through books, seminars, and bringing together Emiratis and Spaniards.

Sharjah is a soft cultural power, and it is making inroads across the world acquainting the world with the beautiful Emirati and Arabic literature, all powered by the vision of Sheikh Dr Sultan. Imagine the impact such events have on our children and our Arab and Islamic culture.