The choice of the UAE as the guest of honor at the 17nth Amman International Book Fair, which is being held under the patronage of His Majesty King Abdullah II Bin Al Hussein, reflects the historical depth of relations and brotherly ties between both countries and the strong bonds between their wise leadership and people, said His Excellency Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development. “The cultural scene, in both countries, stems from the wise vision adopted by His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, and His Majesty King Abdullah II bin Al Hussein, which is based on promoting the culture of tolerance and dialogue and spreading peace and harmony.”, added His Excellency. Sheikh Nahyan continued: “The UAE’s participation as a guest of honor this year in the Amman International Book Fair is only a natural extension of Arab culture and highlights the distinguished relations, historical cooperation and unique partnerships between the two countries in different fields, especially in the cultural fields as both Emirati and Jordanian cultures are quite similar in their components.” The Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development pointed out that international book fairs have become cultural forums, playing an important role similar to that of political conferences and international meetings where different countries and nations gather. This explains the Ministry’s presence and participation in most international book fairs. “The Amman International Book Fair is one of the most important literary and cultural events in the Arab region, where hundreds of publishing houses gather from all over the world. It provides a precious opportunity to display cultural products including books, thought and civilization. The UAE’s participation as a guest of honor in the exhibition marks a new achievement for the cultural sector in our nation, by participating we don’t only share books, but we share our nation’s thought and culture and also highlight the UAE cultural movement”, concluded Sheikh Nahyan.