Sharjah International Book Fair 2026: Dates, Guests & Visitor Guide
The 45th Sharjah International Book Fair opens on 4 November 2026 and runs for 12 days, with free entry throughout.
The fair launched in 1982 and the Sharjah Book Authority organises it. This year’s edition is built around the theme Made of Stories, with Oman as Guest of Honour and 106 writers, artists and intellectuals from 25 countries on the programme.
Sharjah International Book Fair quick details
| Detail | 2026 edition |
|---|---|
| Dates | 4 to 15 November 2026 (12 days) |
| Edition | 45th |
| Venue | Expo Centre Sharjah, Al Taawun Street, Al Khan |
| Entry | Free, no ticket for general admission |
| Theme | Made of Stories |
| Guest of Honour | Sultanate of Oman |
| Organiser | Sharjah Book Authority |
| Scale | 2,673 publishers & exhibitors from 124 countries, 1,500 events |
Key dates in the 2026 programme
The public fair runs from 4 to 15 November, and the trade and special strands sit on fixed dates around it.
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1 to 3 November | 16th Sharjah Publishers Conference, ahead of public opening |
| 4 to 15 November | Public fair at Expo Centre Sharjah |
| 7 November | Premiere of the musical When Memories Sing |
| 7 to 9 November | Sharjah International Library Conference |
| 7 to 10 November | Fifth Thriller Festival |
| 8 November | Impossible or Science?!, a stage show built on optical illusions and experiments |
| 14 and 15 November | Waterland, a theatrical production on the outdoor stage |
Entry & registration
General admission is free and needs no ticket. Pre-registration runs through the visitor login on the official fair website.
Three stage productions are the exception: When Memories Sing, Impossible or Science?! and Waterland each need a booking made in advance. Entry to the halls itself does not.
Getting to Expo Centre Sharjah
Expo Centre Sharjah is on Al Taawun Street in the Al Khan area, near Arab Mall. Sharjah International Airport is about 20 minutes from the venue.
Traffic on Al Taawun is the usual bottleneck during the fair, and the 2026 plan tackles it from three sides:
- The redesigned Al Taawun Square opens to traffic on 4 November, the opening day. The first phase of the Al Taawun Tunnel is scheduled for November, and the wider project finishes in February 2027, so roadworks continue around the junction.
- Free shuttle buses have been announced for this edition.
- Extra parking areas are being added, planned with the Sharjah Roads and Transport Authority.
What is on at the fair
The programme of 1,500 events includes these features for 2026:
- Poets’ Corner turns visitors’ own stories into poems in Arabic or English.
- Future Hands District is an interactive city where children try out different professions.
- The Cookery Corner hosts live demonstrations by international chefs, including Pakistani-British chef Kausar Raja and India’s Romy Gill.
- German novelist Daniela Tully leads creative writing workshops, and Egyptian actor Khaled El Sawy runs acting sessions covering performance, improvisation and character development.
- The Thriller Festival, from 7 to 10 November, brings more than 12 crime fiction specialists, literary agents and screenwriters, among them Clare Mackintosh, Karen Dionne, Vaseem Khan, Abir Mukherjee and David Fennell.
Guests & authors
International guests include Nigerian-American author Nnedi Okorafor, British crime novelist Clare Mackintosh, Chinese novelist Liu Zhenyun, American translator Daisy Rockwell and Canadian-American author John Vaillant. Indian actress and writer Shenaz Treasurywala, Filipino historian Ambeth R. Ocampo and Syrian-Canadian novelist Zoulfa Katouh are also on the list.
Emirati participants include Sultan Al Ameemi, Ali Abu Al Reesh, Habib Ghuloom, Dubai Abulhoul and Aisha Sultan.
Oman as Guest of Honour
Oman’s Guest of Honour Pavilion at Expo Centre Sharjah anchors a programme of 15 cultural sessions, six children’s workshops and 20 artistic performances. The delegation has 50 members, 41 of them writers and poets, and daily musical and traditional folk performances run through the fair.
The pavilion covers Omani poetry and storytelling as well as contemporary literature, theatre, visual arts and music.
Prizes awarded at the fair
Six awards are linked to the fair, and the largest listed prize is AED 150,000 for the best Arabic novel.
| Award | Details |
|---|---|
| Cultural Personality of the Year Award | Honours a person or institution for contributions to culture; the winner is announced during the fair |
| Turjuman Award | Translation and writing award for established international translations |
| Sharjah Award for an Emirati Book | Four categories: Emirati novel, academic book, creative literature (poetry) and first novel |
| Sharjah Award for the Best Arabic Novel | AED 150,000 |
| Sharjah Award for the Best International Book | Two prizes of AED 50,000, one for fiction and one for non-fiction |
| Sharjah Publisher Recognition Award | Three prizes of AED 25,000: best local, best Arabic and best international publishing house |
Trade programme for publishers & librarians
The 16th Sharjah Publishers Conference on 1 to 3 November opens the programme for publishers and book industry professionals. A training programme organised with New York University starts on 31 October.
On 7 to 9 November, the Sharjah International Library Conference brings together more than 400 librarians and information professionals.
On the exhibitor side, the fair has more than 2,000 publishing houses, including 1,151 Arabic and 1,122 foreign publishers. Nine countries take part for the first time: Angola, Aruba, Belarus, Burundi, Cambodia, Cape Verde, Myanmar, Trinidad & Tobago and Niger.
Organiser & background
Under the patronage of Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah, the Sharjah Book Authority runs the fair. Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi chairs the authority, and Ahmed bin Rakkad Al Ameri is its CEO.
FAQ
When is the Sharjah International Book Fair 2026?
It runs from 4 to 15 November 2026 at Expo Centre Sharjah. The Sharjah Publishers Conference opens the programme on 1 November, and the Library Conference runs from 7 to 9 November.
Is entry to the Sharjah International Book Fair free?
Yes. General admission is free and needs no ticket. Only the three stage productions need advance booking.
Where is the Sharjah International Book Fair held?
At Expo Centre Sharjah on Al Taawun Street in the Al Khan area, near Arab Mall. Sharjah International Airport is about 20 minutes away.
Who is the Guest of Honour at the 2026 fair?
The Sultanate of Oman is Guest of Honour for the 45th edition. Its pavilion hosts 15 cultural sessions, six children’s workshops and 20 artistic performances.
What is the theme of the 2026 fair?
The theme is Made of Stories. It covers the stories people read, hear and pass down, and how those stories shape memory and identity.
Before you go
Sharjah is a UNESCO World Book Capital and is known as the Cultural Capital of the Arab World, so its heritage districts and museums fit well around a fair day.
- Pick your days around the programme: 7 to 10 November for crime fiction, 14 and 15 November for Waterland on the outdoor stage.
- Book the three stage productions before you travel, since they are the only events in the programme that need advance booking.
- Register through the visitor login before arriving, and allow extra time for the Al Taawun approach on opening day.
- Plan an evening outside the halls: Al Qasba waterfront has free entry, canal walks and Eye of the Emirates views.
