Forbes Middle East magazine has selected U.A.E.'s Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, founder and CEO of Kalimat Group, among the 200 most powerful Arab women in family business, in recognition of her role in founding and managing the group, the first publishing house in U.A.E. dedicated solely to publishing and distributing high quality Arabic children's books and Arabic educational content.
Sheikha Bodour received the trophy from Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, U.A.E. Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development, in the presence of Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid Al Qasimi, Minister of Development and International Cooperation, Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Chairman of Sharjah Media Corporation and Dr. Maitha Salim Al Shamsi, Minister of State, as well as a number of Emirati and Arab Women leaders and government officials, during a ceremony organised by the magazine at Jumeirah Zabeel Saray yesterday evening.
Commenting on her recognition, Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi said, "This event reflects the major role being played by Arab women in various sectors, and also demonstrates their growing passion for working in new fields that offer them an opportunity to prove their capabilities, use their potential to serve society, and contribute effectively to its development and evolution. I hope that the women who have been selected by Forbes will act as role models for Arab women everywhere, to continue their positive role in support of the progress of their communities." Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi added, "My first aim since the establishment of Kalimat has been to develop the quality of the Arabic children's book industry and make it among the first in the children's book sector globally. We also aspire to strengthen the sense of pride in the Arabic language and develop a life-long love of Arabic literature among the present and next generations. I am really proud of this achievement made by the group, but I hope for an increase in community awareness and belief in children's right to have access to quality books, which is as important as their right to education, healthcare, and protection from the dangers of wars and crises. I truly believe that without this right, our children will not be able to participate actively in building a bright future for their countries and nation." In keeping with her belief in the importance of reading for children and their own future, Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi established Kalimat in 2007 which appeared at a time when it was very difficult for Arab children to find high quality books, in terms of content, illustrations, design and layout.
With over 140 publications, Kalimat has managed to produce books that Arab children can relate to, with vibrant illustrations and stories that talk about topics of relevance and interest to children and lure them into the enjoyable and interesting world of reading.
Last year saw the major expansion of Kalimat's evolution into Kalimat Group, which is comprised of the original children's literature focused Kalimat Publishing House and the newly established Horouf Educational Publishing, which aims to develop innovative educational programmes in the Arabic language that make use of smart and modern technologies to enhance children's learning and provide innovative learning solutions to support Arabic language learning in schools beginning at pre-school levels.
In recognition of the quality of its publications, Kalimat has won several awards, including the ‘Kitabi 21' award from the Arab Thought Foundation, and the Best Children's Book category for its book ‘Majd's Box' at the Arab Children's Book Publishers Forum's Award 2013.
Kalimat also received a New Horizons Award Honourable Mention for ‘Do Not Open This Book!' at the Bologna Children's Book Fair 2014. Kalimat was earlier shortlisted to receive the ‘BOP - Bologna Prize for Asia's Best Children's Publishers of the Year 2013' at the acclaimed Bologna Children's Book Fair, in addition to the inclusion of many of its publications on honour lists and recommendation for reading in Arab and international journals and publications dedicated to books and reading.
In 2013, Forbes Middle East selected Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairperson of Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq), on the list of the most influential Arab women in the government sector, for the development of investment. This honour came in recognition of Sheikha Bodour's outstanding role in stimulating and facilitating investment activity in the Emirate of Sharjah, as well as her rich contribution to economic development and the development of tourist and leisure destinations that attract tourists and investors, thereby contributing to enhancing the quality of life in Sharjah and U.A.E.
Source: WAM