The Director General of IRCICA, H.E. Ambassador Prof. Dr. Mahmud Erol Kılıç, has attended cultural events and ceremonies in the United Arab Emirates through 2-3 November 2021. The Director General was invited to the OIC Honorary Day Ceremony which was organized within the framework of the World Expo 2020 Dubai on 2 November 2021; the ceremony was addressed by the Secretary General of OIC H.E. Dr. Youssef Ahmad Al Othaimeen (www.oic-oci.org). Following the ceremony, the Director General, together with the other guests, visited the country stands at World Expo Dubai 2020.
The same day, on invitation by His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qassimi, Member of the Supreme Council of the U.A.E. and Ruler of Sharjah, Prof. Kılıç attended the Official Opening of the 40th Sharjah International Book Fair organized by the Sharjah Book Authority. The event, one of the world’s largest book fairs, will remain open at Expo Centre Sharjah until 13 November 2021. It features millions of books in over 210 languages and hosts hundreds of cultural and literary events (https://www.sibf.com/en/home).
On 3 November 2021, Prof. Dr. Mahmud Erol Kılıç was invited by His Excellency Mr. Mohammed Ahmed Al Murr, Chairman of Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Library Foundation and former Speaker of the Federal National Council of the U.A.E. (representative of the U.A.E. in IRCICA Governing Board, 2003-2014), to visit the Mohammed Bin Rashed Al Maktoum Library and Cultural Center which will officially open within the coming months. The establishment contains several specialized libraries together with the main library; it is equipped with restoration laboratories, digitization systems and the latest library technologies, and represents one of the biggest cultural projects in the world (https://www.dm.gov.ae/projects/mohammed-bin-rashid-library). Director General Prof. Kılıç also visited the Juma AI-Majid Center for Culture and Heritage, Dubai, which is well-known for its scholarly activities in support of research and learning and particularly its studies and preservation of historical manuscripts (www.almajidcenter.org).
