HE Francisca E. Méndez Escobar, Ambassador of Mexico to the UAE, has hailed Sharjah’sremarkable efforts to support children and nurture their various talents. She congratulated the emirate for offering yet another unique opportunity to publishers, writers, illustrators, and most importantly, children to come together in a brand new celebration of knowledge and culture.

HE Escobar shared these observations on a visit to the 12^th edition of the Sharjah Children Reading Festival (SCRF). She was accompanied on her tour by KhoulaAlMujaini, General Coordinator of Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival. They were briefed on the 11-day festival’s key activities and taken to the publisher pavilions featuring 172 houses from 15 countries this year, as well as the various workshop areas and creative platforms.

“For Mexico it is very important to be here because we have a huge young population in our country, and through our experiences we have learnt that we need to offer – as a nation and as one world – to our children as many opportunities for development as possible, especially in reading,” HE  Francisca opined.

She also underlined that children in the UAE and the world need key cultural events like the SCRF now more than ever, because it offers them the opportunity to learn, read, acquire new skills and explore new cultures.

She pointed out that Mexico’s cultural representation at the event translates her country’s willingness to bolster cultural relations with Sharjah and the UAE, through the enhancement of cooperation with cultural entities and the exchange of expertise with artists, authors and publishers in the two countries.

Themed ‘For Your Imagination’, the 12^th edition of SCRF is the region’s largest festival of its kind, and runs until May 29 at Expo Centre Sharjah. The 11-day festival is open to visitors from 4pm – 10pm, excluding Saturdays from 10am – 8pm, and is featuring 537 events and activities crafted for children of all ages as well as adults.