Muscat – Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah and UAE Supreme Council Member, visited Muscat International Book Fair – themed ‘Cultural Diversity: A Treasure of Civilisations’ – on Thursday.

During his visit, Sheikh Qasimi signed copies of his latest historical work – The Portuguese in the Sea of Oman: Annals of History 1497 CE – 1757 CE – published by Al Qasimi Publications.

The new series comprises 21 volumes in Arabic and English. Each volume ranges from 400 to 600 pages, with the complete set exceeding 10,500 pages. The work includes 1,138 original documents – letters, reports and manuscripts – sourced from archival centres around the world.

Each volume records events year by year, supplemented by comprehensive indices, detailed footnotes and references. In addition to official documents, the series features previously unpublished manuscripts authored by Portuguese writers.

Sheikh Qasimi described the series as a major historical record, documenting critical developments in the Sea of Oman over a 260-year period. It captures the era when Portuguese fleets expanded their presence towards India, chronicling key events and battles of the time.

The series is based on extensive research. Sheikh Qasimi collected Portuguese, Dutch and British manuscripts, which were sorted by year, translated from Old Portuguese into Modern Portuguese, and subsequently into English and Arabic.