07 February 2023 – The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation (MBRF) concluded its participation in the 54th Cairo International Book Fair, which was held from January 24 to February 6, 2023, at the Egypt International Exhibition Center (EIEC
07 February 2023 – The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation (MBRF) concluded its participation in the 54th Cairo International Book Fair, which was held from January 24 to February 6, 2023, at the Egypt International Exhibition Center (EIEC), New Cairo. During its participation, the MBRF showcased its various knowledge projects and initiatives to a wide number of participants at the event. The Foundation organized a series of workshops and panel discussions during the event, which primarily centered on several prominent knowledge concepts and discussed the recent trends in the management, development, and dissemination of knowledge.
The MBRF’s pavilion at the event welcomed several preeminent personalities, such as H.E. Dr. Reda Hegazy, Minister of Education and Technical Education; H.E. Dr. Ashraf Sobhy, Minister of Youth and Sports; Abdullah bin Nasser al Rahbi, Ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman to Cairo; Tarek Hassan, Library General Manager at the Information and Decision Support Center; and a delegation from the Omani ministries.
H.E. Jamal bin Huwaireb, CEO of the MBRF, said: "We are extremely pleased to have participated in the 54th Cairo International Book Fair, which served as an ideal platform to enhance knowledge development locally, regionally, and globally. The fair enabled us to showcase our achievements and progress on the path of enhancing and disseminating knowledge around the world through our diverse innovative projects and programs. This falls in line with our commitment to fostering knowledge development and innovation to shape knowledge-based sustainable communities. Furthermore, the fair served as a prominent forum for discussing issues concerning the Arabic language and encouraging its use among younger generations. During the event, we introduced our significant initiatives that focus on enhancing the Arabic knowledge content across multiple fields and encouraging the efforts toward embracing Arabic as an official language in the fields of science and knowledge."
During the fair, the Foundation introduced several of its innovative initiatives, including the Digital Knowledge Hub, the largest open Arab platform for digital content. The MBRF hosted a workshop titled ‘Digital Knowledge Hub: platform and solutions’ on the first day of the fair, which was supervised by Prof. Khaled Abdelfattah. During this workshop, he emphasized the significance of the Digital Knowledge Hub as a key contributing factor to fostering a reading culture by providing access to a series of Arabic books and publications in multiple knowledge fields. The workshop for the second day was titled ‘Effective Reading Strategies’.
The MBRF also organized open meetings, which were attended by a broad number of participants, particularly the students of the Library Science, Information and Computing from Egyptian vocational and educational research institutions and universities. The participants were interested in addressing several knowledge issues by the Foundation, as well as in exploring its several knowledge initiatives, its leading role in advancing knowledge across multiple fields, the significance of knowledge in enhancing their experiences, and participating in many knowledge events in multiple fields. Furthermore, the MBRF also organized a workshop titled ‘Arab digital platforms and content writing,’ through which Eng. Mohammed Alrafei stressed the importance of the Digital Knowledge Hub in enhancing digital Arabic content and fostering the dissemination of Arab knowledge and culture to the rest of the globe.
In addition, Alrafei oversaw a workshop titled ‘Digital Knowledge Hub: platform, content, and solutions,’ during which he discussed the hub’s solutions for digital libraries and the tools to create, publish, and market online books. He also highlighted its key role in seamlessly offering free knowledge content to users and enabling organizations to share their digital content and promote their online presence. A session on ‘Managing knowledge: tools and methods - the Digital Knowledge Hub as a case’ was also held by the MBRF during the fair. In light of the digital transformation and significant trends in the fields, Prof. Abdelfattah introduced the attendees to the most recent knowledge tools and methods during this session. He also highlighted the Digital Knowledge Hub as one of the significant tools for managing digital knowledge.
On the tenth day of the Foundation’s participation in the fair, Prof. Khaled Abdelfattah concluded the workshops at the MBRF platform with one titled ‘Retrieving Digital Information: The Digital Knowledge Hub as an example’. The workshop introduced various special knowledge in the field. The participants were further introduced to the significance of the Digital Knowledge Hub as a key source of information and electronic knowledge resources.
Additionally, the MBRF highlighted the Global Knowledge Index, a collaborative project launched with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) that plays a significant role in the sustainable knowledge development of communities. The Foundation also unveiled the ‘Future of Knowledge: a foresight report,’ whose objectives focus on ensuring whether nations are ready to combat future international risks and investigating the best strategies to foster their transformational capacities by relying on cooperation and innovation. The Global Knowledge Index helps governments and decision-makers by providing them with accurate and reliable data that displays how various nations perform in key knowledge areas, highlighting their strengths and shortcomings, and examining potential prospects.
The Cairo International Book Fair is one of the largest regional and international book fairs. The fair features a wide range of educational, cultural, artistic, and theatrical activities, as well as a large number of attendees from leading Arab and international educational institutions.
