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5/16/25, 12:07 PM MBRF kicks off participation at Turin Book Fair 2025 with a seminar on ‘The Legacy of Muslim Sicily’ encyclopedia - Middle East B…
MBRF kicks off participation at Turin Book Fair

2025 with a seminar on ‘The Legacy of Muslim

Sicily’ encyclopedia

May 15, 2025 9

The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation (MBRF) commenced its participation at the Turin
International Book Fair 2025, one of Europe’s most prestigious intellectual and cultural gatherings, which is taking place
from May 15 to 19, 2025. MBRF’s participation at the event reflects its ongoing efforts to expand its global footprint,
promote its knowledge-based initiatives and showcase its leading intellectual publications across science, academia,
and publishing.

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In line with its participation, MBRF organized a dedicated seminar exploring the recently published ‘The Legacy of
Muslim Sicily’ encyclopedia. The session featured H.E. Jamal bin Huwaireb, CEO of MBRF, alongside Dr. Attilio
Petruccioli, Professor in the Department of Architecture and Building at the University of Rome, and Dr. Francesco
Violante, Associate Professor of Medieval History at the University of Bari, Italy.

During his keynote address, H.E. bin Huwaireb stated that the encyclopedia is the outcome of eighteen years of
meticulous academic research, spearheaded by the late renowned thinker and scholar Dr. Salma Khadra Jayyusi. The
publication includes 30 scholarly essays by 29 researchers from Italy, the Arab world, Europe and the Americas.
Furthermore, H.E. highlighted that apart from recording Sicily’s Islamic era (831 -1091 CE), the encyclopedia also
depicts the remarkable civilizational legacy that influenced various aspects of the island, including its architecture,
sciences, arts, language, and social structures, marking a lasting impact on this Mediterranean crossroads.

In addition, H.E. bin Huwaireb emphasized that MBRF functions under the visionary leadership of His Highness Sheikh
Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to promote cross-
cultural dialogue and mutual understanding. He further highlighted the pivotal role of knowledge in facilitating
civilization exchange, noting that MBRF aims to spotlight the lasting contributions of Arab and Muslim civilizations for
human progress.

He also said that the release of the encyclopedia in English, with an Italian edition to follow, will open new pathways for
global scholarly exchange, providing historians and researchers with an authoritative resource on a pivotal yet
frequently overlooked chapter of Arab-European history. While Andalusia has traditionally occupied the spotlight in
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