From a struggling literary experiment in 1982 to 124 participating countries in 2026, Sharjah’s remarkable journey enters a new chapter backed by AED500 million in planned investment.
SHARJAH, It began in a modest tent in 1982, with a handful of publishers, sparse crowds and books that struggled to find buyers. Forty-four years later, that same literary experiment has transformed into a global publishing powerhouse. On November 4–15, 2026, the Sharjah International Book Fair returns to the vast halls of Expo Centre Sharjah for its 45th edition, bringing together 2,673 publishers and exhibitors from 124 countries.
The journey was anything but assured. When disappointed booksellers reportedly suggested closing the inaugural fair, its founder, Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah, refused to surrender his vision. According to an account published by The National, he personally purchased every book on display, turning an apparent failure into a powerful statement of cultural determination.
What began as one man’s conviction gradually became an emirate’s enduring commitment to knowledge.
Over the following decades, Sharjah invested systematically in reading, libraries, education, publishing and international cultural exchange. The establishment of Sharjah Publishing City in 2017 created a dedicated commercial base for the book industry. These sustained efforts to make knowledge accessible across communities led to UNESCO naming Sharjah World Book Capital for 2019, marking international recognition of its cultural achievements.
That year, the fair welcomed a record 2.52 million visitors and 2,000 publishers from 81 countries — an extraordinary transformation from its tent-bound beginnings.
But Sharjah’s ambition extended beyond attracting readers. It sought to become a marketplace where books, ideas, languages and intellectual property crossed borders.
By 2025, its Publishers Conference had attracted 1,599 publishers from 116 countries, generating 3,321 publishing-rights meetings. Organisers described Sharjah as the world’s largest marketplace for publishing rights for the fifth consecutive year.
Although visitor attendance stood at 1.4 million in 2025, below its 2019 peak, the fair’s international commercial reach continued expanding. Publisher and exhibitor participation for 2026 has risen nearly 14% from the previous year.
This year’s theme, “Made of Stories,” carries a meaning that extends far beyond literature. According to the Sharjah Book Authority, it celebrates how stories inherited, read and shared across generations shape human memory, identity and understanding — and how individuals create new stories that become the legacy of future generations.
In many respects, Sharjah’s own journey embodies that message: a story of determination, cultural ambition and transformation, written over more than four decades.
The 2026 edition will host 1,500 cultural and artistic events, with Oman as Guest of Honour. Its professional programme also addresses artificial intelligence, digital publishing, translation and intellectual property, reflecting an industry confronting technological change.
The next chapter is already taking shape. Sharjah has announced a AED500 million exhibition and convention centre, intended to accommodate the fair from November 2027, underscoring its commitment to expanding the publishing industry’s international reach.
The contrast could hardly be greater. In 1982, Sharjah’s ruler reportedly bought the books that visitors would not. Today, publishers from across the world travel to Sharjah to sell books, negotiate rights and build international partnerships.
Perhaps that is the most compelling interpretation of “Made of Stories”: Sharjah did not simply create a book fair. Through persistence and investment, it created a remarkable story of its own — and transformed that story into a global industry.
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