Sharjah airport to offer new e-book service for passengers

Sharjah - The service would be available for adult travellers in April and for children in the last quarter of 2021.

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Published: Sun 21 Mar 2021, 4:52 PM

Last updated: Sun 21 Mar 2021, 4:57 PM

If you are passing through the Sharjah International Airport, you are in for a treat.

From April, you will be able to browse through and choose from thousands of books in different languages available on an e-book network as you wait to board your flight.

The the first-of-its-kind initiative gives travellers access to digital books which they can download on their smart devices. The downloads will be available for 21 days. The books include fiction, poetry, history, science, and art, among other genres.

The e-book service would be available for adult travellers in April and for children in the last quarter of 2021.

Travellers do not have to instal apps or have a data plan to browse and download books. They can log onto to the free WiFi service available at Sharjah International Airport to receive notifications on their smart devices with instructions on how to connect to the e-book network. Detailed information about the service will also be displayed inside the airport.

SPL has plans to offer dedicated spaces equipped with tablets for passengers to select and read their favourite title, while maintaining strict Covid-19 safety protocols.

This is thanks to a partnersip between the Sharjah Public Library (SPL), an affiliate of Sharjah Book Authority (SBA), and the Sharjah Airport Authority.

Ahmed bin Rakkad Al Ameri, Chairman of SBA, said: "SPL has always been at the forefront of launching initiatives and programmes that make books accessible to readers and create learning opportunities for everybody."

Ali Salem Al Midfa, Chairman of the Sharjah Airport Authority, added: "This initiative expresses the identity of Sharjah, with its ambitions, aspirations, and the cultural heritage it delivers to the world to strengthen its position as a global cultural ideal and a meeting place for thinkers and creators.”