4-year-old Emirati boy Saeed is the world’s youngest author

Abdul Rahman Saeed, Staff Reporter

On the closing day of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, Guinness World Records awarded the Emirati child, Saeed Al Muhairi, the title of the youngest author in the world for publishing a series of books that include two books, The Elephant Saeed and the Bear and My True Friend.

He was honoured and awarded the Guinness certificate in the booth of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood at the exhibition, amidst the overwhelming joy of his family members, represented by his sister, father, mother, and his relatives. Al-Muhairi expressed his great happiness at obtaining the Guinness certificate.

He said, “I love reading and writing very much to apply what I learn, and I am very happy to have obtained this certificate.”

Fatima Al Darmaki, the child’s mother, told Gulf Today, “Saeed’s first book is (The Elephant Saeed and the Bear), which fetched him the first international title as the youngest writer in the world.

The second book (My True Friend) tells what happened to the elephant on his way home so that the bear would save him and prove that he is a true friend.
She added, “Saeed draws his inspiration from his sister, Al-Dhabi Al-Muhairi, who, at the age of seven, won the title of the youngest publisher in the world for a series of bilingual books and entered the Guinness Book of Records.

“Rainbow Chimney Educational Aids,” specialises in children and educational aids from the age of one month to 13 years, including children with autism, people of determination and the blind.

Al-Walid Othman, a Guinness World Record holder, told Gulf Today: “The child Saeed Al-Muhairi, who is 4 years and 289 days old, fulfilled all the conditions for obtaining the title of the youngest publisher of a book series in the world.”

He confirmed that there is a paper signed by the guardian of the child, Saeed Al Muhairi, as he has not reached the age of 18, meaning that he is a minor, stating that these books were written by him.

They were printed through a publishing house accredited by the concerned authorities, and they were distributed in more than one library at the state level, it added.

In addition, the date or age of the publisher is calculated from the time the book was published.

Saeed said: “I love my sister so much and I enjoy playing with her all the time! We read, write, draw and do so many activities together. I wrote my book [inspired by her] as I felt that I could have my own book too.”