SHARJAH — The 45th Sharjah International Book Fair opened on Wednesday, 4 November 2026, at Expo Centre Sharjah, with the Sultanate of Oman taking centre stage as Guest of Honour and organisers presenting one of the largest gatherings in the fair's history: thousands of publishers, 1.7 million titles and a 12-day programme running until 15 November under the theme "Made of Stories".
Illustration: The Sharjah International Book Fair exhibition hall, filled with book stalls and visitors browsing the shelves.
What Happened
The fair commenced its activities on 4 November in the Emirate of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, according to the Oman News Agency (ONA), with Oman participating as Guest of Honour at the 45th edition. The opening ceremony heard from Sayyid Saud Hilal Al Busaidi, Oman's Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth, who said selecting Oman as Guest of Honour "embodies the depth of fraternal ties and close historical relations between the two countries" and reflects "the strength of cultural cooperation between the two countries".
Organised by the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA), the fair brings together 3,212 publishers and exhibitors from 126 countries, showcasing 1.7 million titles across a wide range of languages and genres, according to the SBA announcement carried by WAM on 3 November. The fair runs until 15 November under the theme "Made of Stories", a theme the SBA says celebrates how stories inherited, read and shared across generations shape human memory, identity and understanding.
Oman's broad cultural participation includes a pavilion bringing together 25 entities — government institutions, civil society organisations and private institutions — alongside 17 Omani publishing houses, ONA reported. Partners in the pavilion include the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, the Ministry of Information, the Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs, the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, Sultan Qaboos University, the National Records and Archives Authority, the Omani Writers Association, the Cultural Club, the Memory of Oman Center and the Bait Al Zubair Foundation.
The Omani programme accompanying the pavilion includes 28 diverse events featuring intellectuals, researchers and writers, spanning lectures, poetry and musical evenings, folk arts, seminars, workshops, panel discussions and debates, according to ONA. The SBA's preview of the Guest of Honour programme describes a 50-member Omani delegation including 41 writers and poets, with cultural discussions, children's workshops and daily musical and traditional folk performances celebrating Omani heritage, as well as artistic shows and cooking sessions.
Among the participating Omani writers and poets named in the SBA preview are novelist Zahran Al Qasmi, Dr Mohammed Al Yahyai, poet Hassan Al Matroushi, winner of the Al Muallaqa Award for Classical Arabic Poetry, Dr Abdulaziz Al Omairi, winner of the Al Burda Award for Folk Poetry, Dr Mahmoud bin Mohammed Al Rahbi, and writer and storyteller Ahmed bin Nasser Al Rashdi.
Illustration: The Omani heritage pavilion at the fair, showcasing traditional crafts and manuscripts.
Background
The Sharjah International Book Fair, founded in 1982, has grown from a modest gathering into one of the world's largest book fairs, and Sharjah itself was named UNESCO World Book Capital in 2019. The fair has long combined a commercial rights-trading floor with a large public cultural programme, and its professional events — including the Sharjah International Publishers Conference, held from 1 to 3 November ahead of this edition, and the Sharjah International Library Conference, scheduled for 7 to 9 November — draw publishers, librarians and literary agents from around the world.
This year's professional programme also addresses the forces reshaping publishing: artificial intelligence, digital publishing, translation and intellectual property, according to previews of the fair. At the publishers conference, SBA chairperson Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi called for greater international cooperation to help the publishing industry navigate technological and commercial challenges, while Ahmed bin Saud Al Rawahi, director of the Muscat International Book Fair, delivering Oman's address, praised Sharjah's role as an international cultural centre and discussed the opportunities and challenges artificial intelligence presents for publishing.
Oman's selection as Guest of Honour continues a tradition in which the fair spotlights one country's literature and heritage each year. Oman's minister said the participation was an extension of the Sultanate's active presence in international cultural forums, and noted the prestigious status the Sharjah fair enjoys among regional and international book fairs.
The fair will also honour Moroccan scholar Dr Said Yaktine as Cultural Personality of the Year, recognising more than four decades of contributions to Arabic narratology and literary criticism, according to the SBA announcement. The wider fair programme comprises some 1,500 cultural, creative and artistic events across the 12 days, including author talks, workshops, performances and a thriller festival strand.
Why It Matters
Book fairs are where the business of books and the public life of reading meet, and Sharjah's scale makes it a bellwether for both. For publishers, the fair is a marketplace for translation rights and co-editions: a book that finds a publisher in Sharjah can reach readers in dozens of languages. For readers, the Guest of Honour programme is often the most accessible window into another country's literature — in this case, Omani poetry, storytelling, theatre, visual arts and music, presented alongside contemporary Omani writing.
Oman's presence also carries a cultural-diplomacy message. The minister's emphasis on fraternal and historical ties between Oman and the UAE frames the pavilion as more than a book display: it is a statement about Gulf cultural cooperation, with heritage, manuscripts and folk performance sitting alongside new writing. For Omani authors, the fair offers translation, publishing-rights exchanges and partnerships with publishers in other countries, which can extend the reach of Omani books well beyond the 12 days of the fair.
The fair's attention to artificial intelligence matters too. As AI tools reshape writing, translation and distribution, the conversations in Sharjah — between publishers, authors and policymakers — will help set expectations for how the industry treats authorship, copyright and the value of human creativity in the years ahead.
Illustration: Children at a book fair reading workshop, sharing stories with open books.
What Happens Next
The fair continues at Expo Centre Sharjah until 15 November, with the Omani cultural programme, author sessions, workshops and performances running throughout. The Sharjah International Library Conference follows from 7 to 9 November, bringing librarians into the professional programme.
Visitors and rights professionals will be watching which Omani titles attract translation deals, how the fair's AI and digital-publishing sessions shape industry debate, and how the 45th edition's attendance and sales compare with previous years. Sharjah has also announced a AED500 million exhibition and convention centre intended to accommodate the fair from November 2027, underscoring its ambition to keep expanding.
For readers who cannot attend in person, the fair's author sessions and cultural events are typically covered extensively by regional media, and publishers' announcements during the fair often signal the translated books that will reach shelves in 2027.
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FAQ
When is the Sharjah International Book Fair 2026?
The 45th edition runs from 4 to 15 November 2026 at Expo Centre Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, under the theme "Made of Stories".
Which country is Guest of Honour in 2026?
Oman is the Guest of Honour, with a pavilion involving 25 entities and 17 Omani publishing houses, a 50-member delegation including 41 writers and poets, and a cultural programme of lectures, poetry, music, folk arts, workshops and debates.
How big is the fair?
According to the Sharjah Book Authority, the 2026 fair brings together 3,212 publishers and exhibitors from 126 countries, showcasing 1.7 million titles, with around 1,500 cultural, creative and artistic events across 12 days.
Who is the Cultural Personality of the Year?
Moroccan scholar Dr Said Yaktine, honoured for more than four decades of contributions to Arabic narratology and literary criticism.
What else is happening around the fair?
The Sharjah International Publishers Conference ran from 1 to 3 November ahead of the fair, and the Sharjah International Library Conference follows from 7 to 9 November.
Sources
- Oman News Agency via Fana News, "Oman is Guest of Honor at Sharjah International Book Fair 2026", 4 November 2026.
- Sharjah Book Authority via WAM / Pakistan Point News, "45th Sharjah International Book Fair Opens Tomorrow With 3,212 Publishers From 126 Countries", 3 November 2026.
- Dubai Standard, "1,500 Events and a Thriller Festival: What to Expect at the Sharjah Book Fair", 3 November 2026.
- ME Observer, "'Made of Stories': How Sharjah Turned a Tent of Unsold Books into a Global Publishing Powerhouse", 1 November 2026.
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