Bodour Al Qasimi, 1st Arab Woman Appointed as IPA President

Yesterday, the International Publishers Association announced Emarati Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi (Bodour Bint Sultan Al Qasimi) as the new president-elect.

Al Qasimi is the first elected Arab woman to hold this position and the second woman to hold this position in 124 years according to an official statement released by IPA.

She said: "As the second woman to assume the role [of IPA President] in 124 years, this is an important advancement in our efforts to promote persity and inclusion."

"I plan to work closely with all of our members to help our industry recover from the ravages of 2020 and transition smoothly to a post-COVID world; and to set our essential industry on a bright, new track," she added.

Al Qasimi is an iconic name in the Arabic publishing scene because she is well known for her efforts of supporting publishers and authors regionally and internationally.

Throughout her career, she organized various international initiatives to support book publishers internationally.

Moreover, she succeeded in founding the Emarati Publishers Association in 2009 and supported the UAE situation to gain the membership of the IPA in 2012.

Furthermore, her efforts helped in naming Sharijah as a World Book Capital in 2009.

Also, she established various publishing houses and cultural foundations such as "Kalimat," the UAE Board on Books for Young People (UAEBBY), and PublishHer.

Electing Al Qasimi is considered as a victory for the Arab and Emirati women.