SHARJAH: The Sharjah International Book Fair, which runs from Nov. 2-13, features a collection of rare books that offer pictorial insight into 1970s Saudi Arabia. Here are some of the highlights from the showcase.
‘Makkah-Taif Highway’
For this year’s book fair, Peter Harrington Rare Books presents several books focusing on the Kingdom, including this guide produced locally to “promote Saudi Arabia as a vibrant and welcoming tourist destination” in 1970. Among the highlights is the Makkah to Taif highway, a “fantastic drive” at 1800 meters above sea level that is “one of the many achievements of H.M. King Faisal.”
‘Makkah-Taif Highway’ . (Supplied)
‘The Empty Quarter’
Naturally, the guide includes the “staggering geographical phenomenon” known as The Empty Quarter, which is, it explains “the largest continuous body of sand in the world — considerably larger than France. “From the air, the dunes have a rich, warm, red color in contrast to the sabkha which varies from a whitish collar around the dunes to a light gray elsewhere,” it states.
‘The Empty Quarter’ . (Supplied)
‘Hawks and Falcons’
In its sections on the Kingdom’s wildlife, alongside chapters on Arabian horses and camels, the guide focuses on hawks and falcons. “Desert hawks are trained to hunt all species of birds, rabbits and gazelles,” the guide says, adding that the birds refuse to breed in captivity, which “may account for the, sometimes, unbelievably high prices” of the birds, which make this “a costly hobby indeed.”
‘Hawks and Falcons’ . (Supplied)